I want to become catholic but cannot start RCIA for another 6 months, is not going to mass and not attending holy days a mortal sin?

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corswain

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I really don’t know, please help me. I have lots of questions.

I live in china, but I am from Canada, and it seems that the holy days of obligation are on a country by country basis, so do I ask the Chinese catholic priest? what holy days of obligation I must attend. And is attending necessary for me since I am not catholic yet?

Also if i miss mass is it a mortal sin for me? I am going to Vietnam in a month and am unsure If I will be able to find an English speaking catholic church. it seems foolish to go to a service where I can’t understand the language and will not be able to receive communion anyway since I am a non-catholic.

Also, do on the sabbath am I allowed to go to the gym. going to the gym is not fun in and of itself but I love the feeling I get after, and I hate not exercising, Sunday I have time to go, is it okay for me to go?
 
Non-Catholics are not bound by ecclesial law.

A recent discussion on this topic:
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Do I need to confess to missing Mass when I wasn't Catholic? Moral Theology
So I understand it is a mortal sin to miss Mass and Holy Days of Obligation however when does this come into affect? For example I am in RCIA and have missed Mass once or ttwice far during this process. Will I need to confess this?
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UpUpAndAway said:
Non-Catholics are not bound by ecclesial law.
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Yep. Only Catholics have a Mass obligation. However, it’s never foolish to go to Mass, so think about trying to find a parish where you can attend, even if the Mass isn’t in a language you can understand. There are always fruits to attending Mass, even if you don’t understand the language and can’t receive.

Also, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with you going to the gym on a Sunday.
 
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Welcome to the best journey of your life. The two posts above have answered your questions. I, too, would recommend attending Mass as often as you can. You will be able to observe and learn, and be in the presence of Our Lord. Blessings.
 
corswain said:
And is attending necessary for me since I am not catholic yet?
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No, you are not under obligation to attend Mass since you are not yet under the ecclesial law of the Church.

It is not a sin if you miss mass on Sunday or r Holy Day. It’s a good habit to get into, but you aren’t under the obligation.

When you become Catholic, you will have an obligation. But even that is not unlimited. When you are unable to attend then you do not have an obligation— such as illness, caring for infants or sick people, inclement weather, transportation issues, being where there is no Catholic mass a reasonable distance, travel, and other situations. I hope your RCIA covers this.

You are fine going to the gym on Sunday. Sounds like maybe your RCIA has not covered the third commandment yet in a way that relieves these worries. Speak to your RCIA Director when you can.
 
It sounds like you wish to attend Mass when and where a church is unavailable. A friend of mine sometimes watches mass on his phone from various websites. If such sites are available where you are, this might be an option for you. Many housebound people watch mass on television. Not perfect but acceptable under the circumstances. As you are not yet Catholic, you cannot take communion anyway. When you are through RCIA you may want to consider moving where you can be part of a parish.
 
corswain said:
I really don’t know, please help me. I have lots of questions.
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The Lord’s Day is one on which we rest from servile labor, and a good enjoyable workout isn’t servile labor. For someone who has a relatively sedentary job (like me), a hard session at the gym is rest.

We are released from obligations if we are unable to fulfill them for some good reason; an inability to find or travel to a celebration of the Mass is a good reason to not attend one. Sometimes I find myself in a place where I don’t speak the language, but I go to mass anyway because I don’t need to understand the language to be in the presence of God and worship him - God’s ability to pour his grace on me transcends any barrier of language. And yes, your local parish priest will be able to tell you what the observances are in your Diocese.

When I found myself being drawn to the Church I began to observe the obligations even though I wasn’t yet formally bound by them. It’s what I felt called to do, and I wanted to do it out of love for God. Perhaps he didn’t require it of me, but I imagine that he liked that I did it anyway and I know that I always felt like I missed out on something awesome if I didn’t go.
 
Welcome to the Faith and secondary CAF enjoy the ride of RCIA when you are able to attend. The church has many traditions and beautiful ones at that. Converted 2018 welcome home. 😊
 
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