Is All Souls' Day a Solemnity?

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xzereus

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Technically, no, at least to my knowledge. But my more specific question is:

In regard to the practice of abstaining from meat on all Fridays which are not solemnities, does All Souls’ Day count as a solemnity? I only ask because I’ve been told that for most purposes it is considered a solemnity.

Obviously, I’m a bit late for my time zone on this. I’m mostly asking for next year (since I already abstained all day, might as well finish it off :))

Thanks.
 
Since abstinence on Fridays outside of Lent is now optional (as long as one substitutes some other penitential act), you don’t have to worry. Just sayin’.
 
OraLabora said:
It’s not a solemnity. If one follows the norm of all the liturgical books I have (LOTH in French, in English, in Latin, French and Latin missals, and monastic LOTH), it’s an optional memorial.
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I have posted and seen several sites call it a solemnity,feast ,commemoration and now your the first to say optional memorial.:confused:
 
ThinkTwice said:
I have posted and seen several sites call it a solemnity,feast ,commemoration and now your the first to say optional memorial.:confused:
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Never mind what unofficial websites say. The official calendar in the LOTH says nothing next to it. When it’s a solemnity, it says so. When it’s a feast, it says so. When it’s a memorial, it says so. When nothing is written beside a calendar entry, as is the case for the commemoration of All Souls, then that means optional memorial.
 
OraLabora said:
Never mind what unofficial websites say. The official calendar in the LOTH says nothing next to it. When it’s a solemnity, it says so. When it’s a feast, it says so. When it’s a memorial, it says so. When nothing is written beside a calendar entry, as is the case for the commemoration of All Souls, then that means optional memorial.
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I gave a couple of online links and there are many more. You have no online links which leads me to think your argument lacks credibility to me.
 
ThinkTwice said:
I gave a couple of online links and there are many more. You have no online links which leads me to think your argument lacks credibility to me.
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Look at the calendar in the Liturgy of the Hours. I have it in French, English, Latin, and two monastic versions. Those are officially approved liturgy books. None of them list All Souls day as a solemnity or feast.
 
OraLabora said:
Look at the calendar in the Liturgy of the Hours. I have it in French, English, Latin, and two monastic versions. Those are officially approved liturgy books. None of them list All Souls day as a solemnity or feast.
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Well you repeating yourself was not necessary I read that the first time and believed your not making that up.

I did show a bit of confusion.:confused:
 
The Roman Martyrology indicates Nov. 1 as Sollemnitas and Nov 2 as commemoratio, same term it uses for a memorial. Therefore it’s a memorial. The calendar in Magnificat also shows it as a memorial.
 
YoungTradCath said:
All Souls is a Solemnity.
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Not according to the current Roman Martyrology (of which I own a copy, beautiful book BTW, noted for chant).

Nov. 1 (All Saints) (sorry, can only find a French version on-line at Martyrologe romain):
Martyrologe pour le Jeudi 1 novembre 2012
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  1. Solennité de Tous les Saints. Dans la joie d’une fête unique, la sainte Église, encore en marche sur la terre, vénère tous ceux qui vivent dans le ciel avec le Christ, est incitée à suivre leur exemple, se réjouit de leur intercession et est couronnée de leur triomphe.
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“Solennité” in French means “solemnity”.

Nov. 2 (All Souls):
Martyrologe pour le Vendredi 2 novembre 2012
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  1. Commémoraison de tous les fidèles défunts. La sainte Mère Église, attentive à rendre de dignes louanges à tous ses enfants qui jouissent du bonheur du ciel, s’empresse d’intercéder auprès de Dieu pour les âmes de tous ceux qui se sont endormis dans l’espérance de la résurrection, mais aussi en faveur de tous les hommes depuis la création du monde, dont le Seigneur seul connaît la foi, pour, qu’avec le secours d’instantes prières, ils puissent entrer dans la communauté des habitants du ciel et jouir de la vision du bonheur éternel.
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“Commémoraison” means “Commemoration”.

The Office recited on Nov. 2 is the Office of the Dead (which at Monastic Vigils has a 3d nocturne like feasts).
 
The confusion stems from the fact that traditionally, All Souls Day was viewed as penintential in nature, and therefore was, like Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Ember Days, etc., not a feast, but a commemoration. While we moderns tend to discount anything penitential oustside of Lent, the reality is that the day is certainly not festive in any way, and is not a solemnity. All Catholics of a certain age are canoinically bound to some act of penance (or extra charity) on Fridays, whether it is abstinence from meat or something else; this is not limited to Lent, as one poster implied. All Souls is a doubly appropriate day to do so, and offer the penance/abstinence for the poor souls.
 
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