Holy Days of Obligation

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Greg_Gravlee

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I heard a startling anti-Catholic comment on the radio today, and am unsure how to react. The station, decidedly anti-Catholic, had a show host say that Catholics are a group of folks who are doomed to Hell because they/we cannot possibly achieve all that the man-made hierarchy (i.e., the Pope) sets forth. His example dealt with holy days of obligation. He said that he’d spoken to a Catholic apologist, the topic of which was holy days, and the apologist could name only one. In the host’s mind, this was/is evidence that we, Catholics, are doomed to Hell since most of us don’t know the Holy days, nor do we attend Mass on these days as we are supposed to. Because of this, we are living in mortal sin.

How does one respond to such a comment? More importantly, am I to worry if I don’t, in fact, make it to Mass on these days?

This is a new one to me.

Thanks. :confused:
 
Yes, Catholics are to attend mass on Holy Days:

Immaculate Conception
Christmas
Ascension
Assumption
Feast of All Saints
Epiphany (I think)

That’s what I remember. Have I missed any in the list? Perhaps others can chime in.

Greg
 
It must be remembered that it is a major argumentative flaw to make a case against/for something based on second-hand information. (this is what I would argue towards the individual who proposed that Catholics are doomed to hell). 2ndly, the church hierarchy is not man-made but divinely instituted. 3rdly, and this is just for clarification, the HDOs that you listed are only for the US, specifically. Other countries, ireland for example, have St. Patrick’s Day as a HDO.

Not to mentnion that ALL sundays of the year are Holy Days of Obligation.
 
From the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’s website concerning the holy days of obligation in the United States(www.usccb.org/liturgy/q&a/general/obligation.htm):

“In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows:
January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God;
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension;
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints;
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception;
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.”

I don’t have a reference for this, but it is my understanding that the Ascension of the Lord (Ascension Thursday) may be transferred to the following Sunday and in the Archdiocese of Seattle it is now celebrated on the following Sunday.
 
Note that the Feast of the Ascension, and the obligation, has been transferred to the following Sunday in many dioceses. In California the obligation for January 1 is being dispensed on a year by year basis.
 
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Greg_McPherran:
Yes, Catholics are to attend mass on Holy Days:

Immaculate Conception
Christmas
Ascension
Assumption
Feast of All Saints
Epiphany (I think)

That’s what I remember. Have I missed any in the list? Perhaps others can chime in.

Greg
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The solemnity of Mary, mother of God - January 1
The soemnity of the Immaculate Conception - December 8
The solemnity of the Assumption - August 15
The solemnity of All Saints - November 1
The solemnity of the Nativity - December 25
The solemnity of The Assention - 6th Thursday of Easter

When all saints, Mary mother of God, or the Assumption fall on a saturday or monday you are not obligated to go to mass but if it doesn’t you must or it is a mortal sin just like skipping sunday mass.

The Epiphany is not one of them in the US. But I think it used to be.
 
Here’s the reference I was looking for. Here’s what the Code of Canon Law says concerning holy days of obligation (www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P4L.HTM#X). I put the traditional dates of the holy days in square brackets, ]; they are not part of the official text:

Canon 1246:
§1 The Lord’s Day [Sunday], on which the paschal mystery is celebrated, is by apostolic tradition to be observed in the universal Church as the primary holyday of obligation. In the same way the following holydays are to be observed:
. the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ [aka Christmas, Dec. 25],
. the Epiphany [Jan. 6],
. the Ascension of Christ [Thursday after the 6th Sunday of Easter],
. the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ [aka Corpus Christi, Thursday after Trinity Sunday],
. the feast of Mary the Mother of God [Jan 1],
. her Immaculate Conception [Dec. 8],
. her Assumption [Aug. 15],
. the feast of St Joseph [Mar. 19],
. the feast of the Apostles SS Peter and Paul [Jun. 29], and
. the feast of All Saints [Nov. 1].
§2 However, the Episcopal Conference may, with the prior approval of the Apostolic See**, suppress certain holydays of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday**.
Canon 1247: On Sundays and other holydays of obligation, the faithful are obliged to assist at Mass. They are also to abstain from such work or business that would inhibit the worship to be given to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, or the due relaxation of mind and body.
 
Greg Gravlee:
I heard a startling anti-Catholic comment on the radio today, and am unsure how to react. The station, decidedly anti-Catholic, had a show host say that Catholics are a group of folks who are doomed to Hell because they/we cannot possibly achieve all that the man-made hierarchy (i.e., the Pope) sets forth. His example dealt with holy days of obligation. He said that he’d spoken to a Catholic apologist, the topic of which was holy days, and the apologist could name only one. In the host’s mind, this was/is evidence that we, Catholics, are doomed to Hell since most of us don’t know the Holy days, nor do we attend Mass on these days as we are supposed to. Because of this, we are living in mortal sin.

How does one respond to such a comment? More importantly, am I to worry if I don’t, in fact, make it to Mass on these days?
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It is difficult to keep track of the holy days since they vary from country to country and diocese to diocese. If you just don’t remember a holy day, there’s no sin because, by definition, a sin must be deliberate. Furthermore, if you have duties which preclude you from making mass on a holy day at the times available in your area, there is no sin. Thirdly, if you feel you may have sinned in any way, you can be assured of forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Any Catholic living in mortal sin is obliged to go to confession at least once a year.

Many Catholics are doomed to hell that persist in sin and avoid the sacraments. What about our brethren who lack the sacraments and assume for themselves forgiveness?
 
Code:
Greg Gravlee:
I heard a startling anti-Catholic comment on the radio today, and am unsure how to react. The station, decidedly anti-Catholic, had a show host say that Catholics are a group of folks who are doomed to Hell because they/we cannot possibly achieve all that the man-made hierarchy (i.e., the Pope) sets forth. His example dealt with holy days of obligation. He said that he’d spoken to a Catholic apologist, the topic of which was holy days, and the apologist could name only one. In the host’s mind, this was/is evidence that we, Catholics, are doomed to Hell since most of us don’t know the Holy days, nor do we attend Mass on these days as we are supposed to. Because of this, we are living in mortal sin.

How does one respond to such a comment? More importantly, am I to worry if I don’t, in fact, make it to Mass on these days?

This is a new one to me.

Thanks. :confused:
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I would think being responsible for procured abortions, rape, murder, etc, would constitute reasons for landing in Hell but not knowing all holy days of obligation does not qualify for the eternal loss of one’s soul.

BTW, if we Catholics are all going to hell, I guess Hell is filled to capacity. After all, we are now 1 billion Catholics, not counting 2000 years of Catholics who died before us.

Antonio :banghead:
 
Greg Gravlee:
In the host’s mind, this was/is evidence that we, Catholics, are doomed to Hell since most of us don’t know the Holy days, nor do we attend Mass on these days as we are supposed to. Because of this, we are living in mortal sin.
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Does the host attend a Catholic Mass on these Holy Days of Obligation? Maybe HE’s the one doomed to Hell!

I bet he’ll argue that he can make his own rules, so by definition he can never go to Hell, because the only rules he requires himself to follow are rules he’s already following.

By the way, is there a good reason to listen to the anti-Catholic station?
 
Greg Gravlee:
How does one respond to such a comment? More importantly, am I to worry if I don’t, in fact, make it to Mass on these days?
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Hie thee to Confession and firmly purpose not to miss a Holy Day of Obligation again. Easy, huh? :tiphat:
 
I would also add that Holy days of obligation are different from region to region. The Immaculate Conception is only a Holy Day in the United States, because under that title, she is our patroness. Just like in France and Quebec, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is a Holy Day of obligation because he is their patron saint. All Saints’ Day is only an obligation in Anglo-saxon derived countries: England, Ireland, the United States, and I’m assuming parts of Canada, Wales, and Scotland. Sts. Peter and Paul is a Holy Day in Italy, where as in Europe Corpus Chirsti is also a Holy Day that is always celebrated on the second Thursday after Pentecost. In the USA it is celbrated on the Sunday after Holy Trinity Sunday. Even in the us their are exceptions. Ascension Thursday is celebrated on the 7th Sunday in Easter on the West Coast. The Eastern Rites also have Holy Days that are only found within their rite. It seems that Christmas day is the only universal day of obligation.
 
Psalm45:9:
I would also add that Holy days of obligation are different from region to region. The Immaculate Conception is only a Holy Day in the United States, because under that title, she is our patroness.
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If you read [post=184579]post #7[/post] above, you will see that the feast of Mary’s Immaculate Conception is numbered among the universal Holy Days of Obligation. But you are correct that the obligation is never waived in the United States except under what I consider to be goof-ball legalistic circumstances. (viz. in 2002 the feast was translated from a Sunday of Advent to the following Monday, but the obligation was not translated :confused: )

tee
 
ya, the host seems to be unaware of the three criteria for mortal sin. by the way, it was posted: ‘If you just don’t remember a holy day, there’s no sin because, by definition, a sin must be deliberate.’

not a sin, but a mortal sin. it would still be a venial sin to miss mass if you didn’t know it was a sin. there is still sin value, but not mortal sin.

i would also add that it’s not really necessary to KNOW the days of obligation (like the host seems to imply) in order to attend them. our priest is pretty good at announcing them at every mass. as long as you go every sunday, you should get a heads up on when the upcoming days of obligation are.

the host, obviously, didn’t know what he was talking about. have you alleviated your fears regarding days of obligation?
 
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