Is it possible to get a dispensation for attending Sunday Mass, if one will be travelling at sea?

[Vincent187]

My mother has asked me to accompany her on an international cruise. I have checked the itinerary, and the first Sunday will be spent in a city with Catholic Churches offering Mass; so Mass-attendance will be possible. However, the second Sunday of the voyage will be the first day of travelling back home, by sea. I don’t assume that there will be a Catholic priest on this cruise. Would it be possible to receive a dispensation from the Sunday obligation on this day, given that the impossibility of attending Mass is known well-ahead of the trip? Is there a general canonical ruling on the issue, or must each case be examined by the ordinary? I have tried to find clarifying information on this issue, but to no avail.

Thank-you kindly,

• Vincent

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

If there is no Mass then the obligation to attend is abrogated. A general principal of canon law is that someone cannot be obligated to do the impossible.

However, sometimes we like to “play it safe” and I certainly understand that. You can ask for your pastor for a dispensation.

Catechism of the Catholic Church (emphasis added):

2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.