Holy days and liturgical calendars

[CompSciGuy]

Hello,

In my diocese the Solemnity of the Ascension was moved to Sunday (today) instead of Thursday. However, today I was thinking about going to Latin mass at the Cathedral. I know that the Latin mass has a different liturgical calendar and that the solemnity does not fall on Sunday (today). If I go to Latin mass today, I know I would be fulfilling my Sunday obligation, but would I also be fulfilling my holy day obligation since the Latin mass will not be celebrating the solemnity today?

 

[1ke]

Yes.

Can. 1248 §1. A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.

 

[FrDavid96]

Hello,

In my diocese the Solemnity of the Ascension was moved to Sunday (today) instead of Thursday. However, today I was thinking about going to Latin mass at the Cathedral. I know that the Latin mass has a different liturgical calendar and that the solemnity does not fall on Sunday (today). If I go to Latin mass today, I know I would be fulfilling my Sunday obligation, but would I also be fulfilling my holy day obligation since the Latin mass will not be celebrating the solemnity today?

Yes.

The reason is that both the celebration and the obligation have been moved to Sunday.

Therefore, your obligation is still fulfilled by attending any Catholic Mass on Sunday (beginning Sat. evening etc. etc.). Just as you fulfill the obligation by going to a Byzantine or Coptic Liturgy, so too it’s fulfilled by attending the Extraordinary Form.

If that were not the case (the obligation transferred to Sunday or even abrogated), then Catholics would have an obligation to attend Mass on Thursday of the 6th week of Easter----such a thing would make no sense.

 

[CompSciGuy]

Yes.

The reason is that both the celebration and the obligation have been moved to Sunday.

Therefore, your obligation is still fulfilled by attending any Catholic Mass on Sunday (beginning Sat. evening etc. etc.). Just as you fulfill the obligation by going to a Byzantine or Coptic Liturgy, so too it’s fulfilled by attending the Extraordinary Form.

If that were not the case (the obligation transferred to Sunday or even abrogated), then Catholics would have an obligation to attend Mass on Thursday of the 6th week of Easter----such a thing would make no sense.

I understand that such liturgies would fulfill my Sunday obligation, I just was unsure of whether going to mass on a different calendar would fulfill the celebration aspect, since in the Tridentine calendar ascension would have been celebrated on Thursday (which I believe it was). I had assumed that, if you observe the Tridentine calendar and wish to attend Tridentine mass on Sunday, that you should have gone to Tridentine mass on Thursday to fulfill the celebratory obligation for the feast of the ascension. I did not go to mass on Thursday, so I had assumed that if I was to attend mass on Sunday, then I ought to attend a liturgy that celebrates the feast of the ascension on Sunday (as it was moved by the bishop in the ordinary calendar). I didn’t know whether attending a Sunday mass that wasn’t celebrating the feast of the ascension this past Sunday would fulfill the obligation of attending the feast of the ascension mass.

 

[FrDavid96]

I understand that such liturgies would fulfill my Sunday obligation, I just was unsure of whether going to mass on a different calendar would fulfill the celebration aspect, since in the Tridentine calendar ascension would have been celebrated on Thursday (which I believe it was). I had assumed that, if you observe the Tridentine calendar and wish to attend Tridentine mass on Sunday, that you should have gone to Tridentine mass on Thursday to fulfill the celebratory obligation for the feast of the ascension. I did not go to mass on Thursday, so I had assumed that if I was to attend mass on Sunday, then I ought to attend a liturgy that celebrates the feast of the ascension on Sunday (as it was moved by the bishop in the ordinary calendar). I didn’t know whether attending a Sunday mass that wasn’t celebrating the feast of the ascension this past Sunday would fulfill the obligation of attending the feast of the ascension mass.

Pope Benedict anticipated this very question when he promulgated Summorum Pontificum.

He wrote into the law that there is a distinction between the liturgical aspects of following the Extraordinary Form and the disciplinary aspects.

With regard to disciplinary matters the current (1983) Code of Canon Law applies, as well as other current laws, and not those which were in-force in 1962*. What that means is that the obligation to attend on Holy Thursday depends on the 1983 Code. In this case, that means that if your province moves the obligation from Thursday to Sunday, then it is moved regardless of which Missal is being used.

The calendar is part of the Missal. Therefore, the calendar follows the 1962 form.
That’s the liturgical aspect. That means Ascension Thursday is celebrated on Thursday.

The obligation to attend Mass is defined in the 1983 Code, so only the Code matters.
That’s the disciplinary aspect. That means the obligation is moved to Sunday if the local bishops determine.

Once the obligation gets moved to Sunday, you have no further obligation beyond what the canon requires (ie a Catholic Mass on Sunday or Saturday evening).

• if you need the exact quote(s) I can provide them.

 

[corsair]

The wife and I attended the Ascension on Thursday (a sung High Mass) and then attended our EF Mass (Sunday after Ascension) yesterday.

 

[CompSciGuy]

The wife and I attended the Ascension on Thursday (a sung High Mass) and then attended our EF Mass (Sunday after Ascension) yesterday.

It is good that your wife will go to Latin mass with you. If it were up to me, I would go every Sunday and every feast day. But my wife doesn’t really like to go to Latin mass so I only get to go every once in a while.