Is doing laundry servile work?

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I’m sorry, a legal reference is necessary, since you used a legal term. We shouldn’t burden people with laws that don’t exist. The Summa is not Canon Law.

I am a parish priest, and when I look to the faculties afforded me by the law, I can dispense from the Sunday obligation, the communion fast, and I can commute penances given in confession. I see no ability to dispense from the obligation to refrain from servile labor in the way you have framed it, because the law and the supposed dispensation simply don’t exist in the way you’ve spelled them out.
 
The Sunday Obligation is twofold - to hear Holy Mass and rest from servile labor. If you believe you can dispense of the Sunday Obligation, then you have answered your own question.

I have applied for a dispensation from my parish priest on Sundays when I had to work. He simply extracted from me a promise to rest from servile labor on some other day of the week.

Not trying to burden anyone or argue.
 
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That is not true. The Sunday obligation is to attend Mass, full stop. The Sunday obligation is fulfilled by attending Mass on Sunday or on Saturday evening. The law says nothing about this obligation involving abstaining from servile labor. One of the first principles of interpreting the law is that “favors are to be multiplied and burdens restricted.” Any law which imposes a burden, such as an obligation, must be interpreted strictly. The only thing the Canon on the Sunday obligation says is that we must attend Mass. It doesn’t say anything else. And so that’s all that is required.

I’m not saying Sunday shouldn’t be a day of rest, of course. I’m just saying that unless you can produce specific references to Canon Law which affirm what you’re saying, you should stop saying those kinds of things. It only confuses people.

@acanonlawyer might be able to provide some further insights.
 
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If you check out Canon Law here, it defines a two-fold Sunday Obligation:

Can. 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.

Which Dr. Peters (a canon lawyer), elucidates thus:

" There are, in fact, two obligations imposed on Catholics with regard to Sunday and holy days, namely, to attend Mass and “to abstain from works and affairs that hinder the worship to be rendered to God” (c. 1247). Now, while the “rest” obligation is more honored in the breach than in the observance these days, nevertheless, it is clearly a part of the Sunday and holy day obligation."
 
Certainly. But doing laundry hardly inhibits the worship due to God. So the line you draw is perhaps not a good one, especially with a lot of scrupulous people floating around.

And I’m not sure about Dr. Peter’s interpretation here. The word “obligation” doesn’t get tied to rest in that Canon, but only attending Mass. That the faithful should rest on Sundays is worded very loosely, in a way that leaves it open to being a prudential judgement as to how to carry that out, and not an obligation that must be positively fulfilled in the way that the Mass obligation must be.
 
I’m not claiming that laundry on Sunday is a grave sin. I am claiming it is servile labor. Due to the lightness of the matter it is likely no more than venial sin (if that) to pop a load in the washer, pop it in the dryer, fold it and then quickly stow it away. It’s obviously a different consideration to spend the entire Sunday or other Holy Day of Obligation on a mountainous amount of laundry.

Scripture and tradition teach us this. It’s not all down to Canon Law.
 
Yes, but when you introduce the term “dispensation” into the discussion, it becomes a matter of Canon Law.

And I still must take issue with your seeming desire to find some way to accuse me and lots of other people of some degree of sin for having done laundry on Sunday. I maintain that it is a prudential judgement left up to each person. For some, Sunday is the only time they have time to do laundry. I fail to see how it is sinful at all, and I think the categories you are trying to apply here are not helpful. This is especially because, as I’ve said, there are a lot of scrupulous people on this forum who will see what you’re saying and be burdened by it.
 
I’m accusing no one of sin. I spoke of the matter of the act.

I agree that prudential judgment plays a part in discerning what one can and cannot do.

If you want to look up Can. 85-93, you’ll see there is a lot of room for personal discretion by authorities on when dispensations are applied…and customarily, dispensations are not only used in the legal sense, but also as a term in moral theology.

I do want to mention, however, that if Sunday is the only time that some people have for laundry and other servile labor, it seems that would be something our priests and bishops should be treating under social justice for the workers: to make it so that they have plenty of time during the week for their household duties. It is another discussion entirely.

I wish you the best.
 
Greenfields said:
Even if you lived in a country where you had to wash things by hand it’s just a simple every day chore that needs to be done,like cooking a meal,sweeping the floor .And it can be enjoyable in its own way and offered up
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I thought that unnecessary servile work on Sunday was a mortal sin against the Commandment to keep holy the Lord’s Day. Do you say that Catholics do not have to follow the Ten Commandments? Who gave Catholics this exemption from following the Ten Commandments?
 
A priest gave the answer in previous posts : edward_george1 is a priest.

So question answered 🙂 ✔️
 
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graciew said:
So question answered
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According to the Baltimore Catechism:
If there is a necessity to perform servile work on Sunday, yes it would be allowed. Such as for example, the preparation of a place for Holy Mass, the saving of property in storms or accidents, the cooking of meals. If the work is done for the honor of God, the good of our neighbor, or out of necessity, it would generally be lawful. However, The third Commandment forbids all unnecessary servile work and whatever else may hinder the due observance of the Lord’s day.
Baltimore Catechism #3
Lesson 32
Q1252 - 1256.
 
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AlNg said:
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graciew:
So question answered
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According to the Baltimore Catechism:
If there is a necessity to perform servile work on Sunday, yes it would be allowed. Such as for example, the preparation of a place for Holy Mass, the saving of property in storms or accidents, the cooking of meals. If the work is done for the honor of God, the good of our neighbor, or out of necessity, it would generally be lawful. However, The third Commandment forbids all unnecessary servile work and whatever else may hinder the due observance of the Lord’s day.
Baltimore Catechism #3
Lesson 32
Q1252 - 1256.
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Have the tasks needed to prepare for Mass ever, anywhere or at any time, been considered “servile labor?” I think you’re confusing “servile” with simple physical acts, in an Orthodox Jewish sense, who consider even turning on a light akin to lighting a fire which is forbidden on the Sabbath as they observe it.
 
Pitcairn17 said:
Have the tasks needed to prepare for Mass ever, anywhere or at any time, been considered “servile labor?” I think you’re confusing “servile” with simple physical acts, in an Orthodox Jewish sense, who consider even turning on a light akin to lighting a fire which is forbidden on the Sabbath as they observe it.
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From the Baltimore Catechism #3:
Q. 1253. What are servile works?

A. Servile works are those which require labor rather of body than of mind.

Q. 1254. From what do servile works derive their name?

A. Servile works derive their name from the fact that such works were formerly done by slaves. Therefore, reading, writing, studying and, in general, all works that slaves did not perform are not considered servile works.
 
So let’s cut to the chase here.

Is it sin to do laundry on Sunday?
 
Sarcelle said:
Is it sin to do laundry on Sunday?
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Let us assume that it was not necessary to do the laundry on that Sunday. In that case, my guess is that it is going to depend on whether or not you believe that the Baltimore Catechism is a reliable source for this question today.
 
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A simple yes or no would suffice.

Do you think it is sin or not?

Personally, I plan my week so that I do not have to do servile work on a Sunday but I have that luxury.

A busy mom who would have to wash soiled diapers does not that luxury since babies still soil their diapers on a Sunday. She would have to do laundry. Is that sin?
 
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The thing you said.

Rather than get overly hung up on “can I do this action or that action”.

A really good way I heard it explained (and I think this is in line with your theology, too) was to the effect that: we are no longer slaves, we shouldn’t take the yoke of slavery on us again, we shouldn’t be feverishly striving to work 24/7, and so we are given a day of rest 🙂

On a personal note, when I became a mom, I found out how easy it was to fall into “housework creep”, housework is never done, and I’d find myself anxiously trying to get “one more thing” done on Sundays.
Then I read a children’s book about an Orthodox Jewish family and part of it was how the housewife would get everything done and out of the way on Friday, then Saturday was a day of worship and fun and family time.

That inspired me to reclaim my Sabbath 🙂
 
Sarcelle said:
A simple yes or no would suffice.
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Here’s what the Baltimore Catechism #3 lesson 32 says:
Q. 1252. What is forbidden by the third Commandment?

A. The third Commandment forbids all unnecessary servile work and whatever else may hinder the due observance of the Lord’s day.
 
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