A solemnity is equivalent to a first-class feast in the EF kalendar. Epiphany is a first-class feast in the EF and it is a solemnity in the OF. On whichever day it is observed, there would be no abstinence, ever. It is one of the principal feasts of the Church.
I think that you are mixing apples and oranges here. The solemnities are defined independently of the form of the Mass, their dates could be changed. The Epiphany is not always on the nearest Sunday, It can be but id does not have to be. Second if the EF were independent from the concept of solemnities then, as someone else said, it is a first class feast and abstinence should not be observed.
I respectfully disagree. Please give me a little time to make my case:
First of all, SP did not create a new rite of the church. There is one Roman Rite. However, Mass in that Rite can be said in two forms: the ordinary form (Missal of Paul VI) and “an extraordinary form” (Missal of Bl. John XXIII). **The use of the Missal of Bl. John XXIII is the exception, not the rule. ** I do prefer the EF to the OF, but I think it’s a dangerous position to try and pretend that the OF is inferior to the EF or act as if it didn’t exist. It is, after all, the Mass that Pope Benedict celebrates in Rome.
Summorum Pontificum said the old form of the liturgy (Mass, Office, et cetera) was never expressly abrogated and can be used optionally by priests.
But just because a priest celebrates using the EF calendar, it does not mean that the ordinary laws of the Roman Rite do not apply to him and/or to his parishioners.
In the United States, the Bishops have said that the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (one of my favorite feast days, by the way) is to be celebrated on the Sunday between January 2 and 8. Friday, January 6 is not a solemnity. Friday, January 6 is listed on the USCCB’s website as “Christmas weekday.”
Not being a solemnity, in the United States it is a day of abstinence from meat, although this can be replaced with some other penance in honor of the day Christ was crucified. Since the bishops consider January 6 a normal Friday, the normal rules apply.
If the bishops decided to celebrate Epiphany on January 6, than January 6 would be a solemnity.
This is the ordinary form of the Roman Rite. This is the law of the Roman Rite. Again, just because a priest celebrates using the EF calendar does not mean that the ordinary laws of the Roman Rite do not apply to him and/or to his parishioners.
The traditional Mass and office is an option, it is not the rule of the Roman Rite.
Now I would be the first to support moving Epiphany back to January 6 (and moving Ascension Sunday back to Ascension Thursday while we’re at it). But until this happens, we cannot ignore Church law because it does not comply with our liturgical preferences.
Traditionalist Catholicism is not it’s own Rite in the Church, it is part of the Roman Rite and is thus subject to the laws of the Roman Rite.
Viewing the historical situation in context, the TLM was on death’s door when the Code of Canon Law was written in 1983. Canon Law was obviously using the ordinary expression of the Roman Rite liturgy as the basis for it’s laws regarding the same.
Therefore, I strongly recommend doing a penance on Friday, January 6 along with your Epiphany celebrations. It’s not that hard. Hey, going to Mass when you’re not obliged too might count as a penance, taking care of the whole situation. If you choose to do abstinence, have what you’d have on any other Friday. I love to have a cheese pizza, or baked macaroni, or shrimp, or linguine with clams (not much of a penance now that I think about it). This isn’t an issue worth risking your soul over (not that any exist anyway).
Anyway, enough with my rant. Have a blessed Advent and a merry Christmas season!
BTW, I prefer the TLM and would love to go every week. Now I can only settle for once a month.
