Is it wrong to do online shopping on Sunday?

[MagdalenaRita]

The only thing that counts is what the Church actually teaches (read the CCC for the teaching).

Is there a specific place that the CCC says unnecessary shopping on Sundays is not sinful or unnecessary shopping online on Sundays is not sinful?, because I could not find it.

I did find this:

Those Christians who have leisure should be mindful of their brethren who have the same needs and the same rights, yet cannot rest from work because of poverty and misery. Sunday is traditionally consecrated by Christian piety to good works and humble service of the sick, the infirm, and the elderly. Christians will also sanctify Sunday by devoting time and care to their families and relatives, often difficult to do on other days of the week. Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life.

2187 Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common effort. Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord’s Day. Traditional activities (sport, restaurants, etc.), and social necessities (public services, etc.), require some people to work on Sundays, but everyone should still take care to set aside sufficient time for leisure. With temperance and charity the faithful will see to it that they avoid the excesses and violence sometimes associated with popular leisure activities. In spite of economic constraints, public authorities should ensure citizens a time intended for rest and divine worship. Employers have a similar obligation toward their employees.

On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound . . . to abstain from those labors and business concerns which impede the worship to be rendered to God, the joy which is proper to the Lord’s Day, or the proper relaxation of mind and body" (CIC, can. 1247).

and Pope Francis said:

“The celebration of the Sunday Eucharist gives meaning to the whole week, and also reminds us, as we rest from our occupations, that we are not slaves, but rather children of a Father who constantly invites us to put our hope in Him.”

In all charity, I realize that some people must work on Sundays and there are times when we are out and about and we need to stop and rest and eat or fill up our gas tanks, etc but we need to be mindful these things are not a habit.

 

[otjm]

The rules of Judaism no longer apply. While our observance of the day we give especially to God is Sunday, many people find shopping to be recreational - I have always enjoyed going to a large mall at this time of year; it is not work, but rather an adventure looking for gifts which will please those to whom I exchanges such;; and fun “people watching”.

We do not any longer count the legal number of steps we may take on the Sabbath - nor the “Day of the Lord”.

But shopping on line, if it is sinful, is so because it is so boring.

 

[MagdalenaRita]

I have examination of consciences that forbid unnecessary buying and selling also.

The examination of conscience I use forbids unnecessary buying and selling on days of obligation. If it is not needed, or can wait, I would assume it is sinful.

otjm:

many people find shopping to be recreational - I have always enjoyed going to a large mall at this time of year; it is not work, but rather an adventure looking for gifts which will please those to whom I exchanges such;; and fun “people watching”.

You’re looking at it from your own recreation. Working at the mall on a Sunday may not be so recreational to the employees who must agree to work on Sundays in order to have that job.

Pope Francis reminds us regarding Sundays:

“The celebration of the Sunday Eucharist gives meaning to the whole week, and also reminds us, as we rest from our occupations, that we are not slaves, but rather children of a Father who constantly invites us to put our hope in Him.”

We should probably keep that in mind for our neighbors also.

and CCC 2187 says:

Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord’s Day.

 

[SPBlitz]

*** 2187 (portion of paragraph 2187) ***
…Traditional activities (sport, restaurants, etc.), and social necessities (public services, etc.), require some people to work on Sundays, but everyone should still take care to set aside sufficient time for leisure. With temperance and charity the faithful will see to it that they avoid the excesses and violence sometimes associated with popular leisure activities…

You quoted one part of the Catechism , but another part of the Catechism seems to specify sport and restaurants as exceptions that require some people to work on Sundays. It seems that your prohibition from sports and dining out would go against the Catechism.

 

[SPBlitz]

Exactly. Excesses. It doesn’t say avoid all of it, just the excess of it.

Concession or not, the fact is that the Catechism, as it is currently written, does not seem to flat out forbid those things - only the excesses. If you believe the Catechism is true, then you’d have to admit that sport and dining out are not strictly forbidden.

 

[SPBlitz]

So you’re saying that that portion of the catechism is wrong? That when it says that those actions aren’t strictly a sin that they are wrong, and it is a sin?

 

[SPBlitz]

Yet you were okay quoting it as an authority earlier when it seemed to support your argument.

Again, so you are saying that the concession, as you see it, is wrong? Because if the chatechism was going to forbid it under pain of sin, surely they would say that, and not the opposite?

 

[SPBlitz]

Just to point out the usccb post you linked:
“Appropriate authorities can be approached to schedule sports activities after 12 noon in order to give young athletes and their families the opportunity to worship on Sunday morning. We call for our children to live in a timescape that respects the God-given rhythm of the week.”

It seems that the bishops are okay with at least playing sports as long as you still go to mass

 

[otjm]

You have an examination of conscience which is more strict than the morality which the Church teaches. That is not a wrong matter; if you wish to be more strict that is not wrong; but who is working there in the mall is not there because of me; they would be there if no one was present at any given moment. I have had work I have had to do on Sunday, and the Church does not forbid that if it is necessary. Further, some of those people are scraping by as it is; shut down Sunday and they take a 20% pay cut.

You are correct; I am looking at it from my perspective, which is how I am judged. If you choose not to shop on Sunday, I am not going to stand in judgement of you; I would suggest you not imply my act is immoral. Aside from passing judgement on me, it would also be bordering on scrupulosity.

 

[otjm]

Your quote internally speaks of “abandoning worship” This thread is skewing all over.

The church allows one to work if that is required; further, the Church has provided Mass times (for example, Saturday evening) which fulfill one’s obligation.

And given that many of the people working have no faith at all, we are not preventing them from attending Church; if they were not working on Sunday they still would not be attending church.

the answer to the poster’s question is "No, it is not sinful to shop on line on Sunday.: That order may or may not even be seen until Monday; and the filling of the order the same. No one is causing anyone at the other end of the order to sin, and one is not committing a sin by ordering.

 

[thistle]

The only thing that counts is what the Church actually teaches (read the CCC for the teaching).

In short the Church allows shopping on Sundays, contrary to what you are telling people.

 

[stoplooklisten]

I do sometimes browse products on Sunday and may put items into an electronic shopping cart on Sunday. But, I try to place my orders early in the week to try to guide it so that no warehouse or delivery activity will take place on Sunday.

 

[MagdalenaRita]

who is working there in the mall is not there because of me; they would be there if no one was present at any given moment. I have had work I have had to do on Sunday, and the Church does not forbid that if it is necessary. Further, some of those people are scraping by as it is; shut down Sunday and they take a 20% pay cut.

I completely agree. They would be there no matter what, though I would ask does that mean we as Christians need to participate. In all charity, I made my comment about it not being recreational for the workers because I myself for years had to work at least one Sunday a month and holidays. I can tell you as a mom when my Sunday to work came around it was all I could do to get meals in, Church in and work 8 hours. I dreaded that Sunday every month. Many of those workers are there not because they want to be but because they have to be.there. Typically they are given another day off during the week, so they would not necessarily lose money not working Sunday, if they worked the other day during the week. The businessses might lose money not being open on Sunday. The stores in the mall might lose money but then that shows what is driving the open stores on Sunday and then I would have to question that they would lose money in our materialistic society.

In your first post you stated:

I have always enjoyed going to a large mall at this time of year; it is not work, but rather an adventure looking for gifts which will please those to whom I exchanges such;; and fun “people watching”.

I am not judging you but just saying that it can be very hard work for those working at the mall.

and then in your next post you stated

the Church does not forbid that if it is necessary.

So, I agree with you that the Church does not forbid work or shopping on Sunday if it is necessary and that has to be decided by each individual person according to their own individual situation happening on Sunday. It is when it is not necessary and we do not take in to consideration the person waiting on us or the person sacrificing their day, that would also like to rest on Sundays that is becomes wrong.

 

[Bill6]

I don’t think I would say it is a sin in a strict sense. I would avoid it just be sure it doesn’t require people to work. At my old job, we had to process orders customers placed online. I never had a Sunday off because it was the company’s busiest day in terms of the volume of orders they received. However, it was groccery delivery, and customers would specifically scheudle their orders to be delivered or picked up on Sunday.
Of course, if you must shop, either online or in a store on Sunday, there is no sin in that.

God bless

 

[MagdalenaRita]

In short the Church allows shopping on Sundays, contrary to what you are telling people.

I am not saying the Church does not allow shopping on Sundays but that the Church, which is Scripture, Tradition and Magisterium, teaches that there are restrictions on shopping and working on Sundays.

 

[SPBlitz]

I think a lot of the confusion comes down to the Church saying that shopping/working is allowed if ‘necessary’. But necessary is ambiguous. Necessary to what? To survive? To avoid unreasonable difficulties? To fully enjoy Sunday as a day of rest? It seems that many people believe that it’s only allowed if necessary to avoid disaster, but I’m not so sure. In the Bible, when the apostles were picking wheat on the Sabbath, how necessary was that? Surely not necessary to survive - its not like they were starving. It wasn’t even a meal - they were simply snacking. It would seem that this work was necessary for them to enjoy a restful Sabbath. This seems to suggest something similar for our Sundays. What do you think?

 

[otjm]

Given the vast number of unchurched and “Christmas and Easter” (not something exclusive to the Catholic Church) individuals, the likelihood is that the majority of individuals working at the mall might like the day off on Sunday - but it has nothing whatsoever to do with God or morality.

And the net out of this is that if an individual chooses to not shop on Sunday at the mall because others working there have to work on Sunday, that is perfectly fine. America since it’s founding seems to have a history of people protesting various and sundry issues and this - not shopping at the mall on Sunday - is a protest (and I do not use the term presuming any negative connotations).

However, if the same person were to indicate to me that they were not shopping at the mall because others have to work that day, my response (and it might be silent, as their protest is not wrong) might be that the next time I go to the ocean (about 80 miles away) I am going to fill an empty mild jug and take it along, pour it in the ocean and see if the level rose.

Meaning, the choice - not shopping, or pouring water in the ocean - have equal impact on the “other than me” (worker, or ocean).

So, getting back to the thread question - is it wrong to shop online on Sunday - is, “no, it is not wrong”. The Church does not define that as “work”; the people on the other end are not impacted in the least by the issue of shopping vs. not shopping, and we all can find some other issue upon which to focus.

The term de minimis comes to mind.

I can sympathize having kids and going… anywhere. I had twins and a flexible schedule while my wife had a fixed work schedule, so if I had to do just about anything outside the house, I schlepped them around; until they could walk it was… interesting. And while I would do that again in a heartbeat if God so provided the opportunity, the bottom line was it was… interesting. Some people saw such as a hassle. I saw it as an adventure. Particularly if I had to change diapers while out and about. So I “get it”.

 

[MagdalenaRita]

Given the vast number of unchurched and “Christmas and Easter” (not something exclusive to the Catholic Church) individuals, the likelihood is that the majority of individuals working at the mall might like the day off on Sunday - but it has nothing whatsoever to do with God or morality.

While I agree this is true, it doesn’t change that God has asked us to be different, to not conform to this world. Sometimes it only takes one person to change a situation. Sometimes it take just one witness.

No shopping or housework on Sunday? Sign me up!

"Keeping the Lord's Day was the best thing I've ever done for my family"

aleteia.org

I can sympathize having kids and going… anywhere.

The challenges of being a mom was not the point of my Sunday story. I loved being a mom and wanted my family with me anywhere. I absolutely miss the adventures attached with having small children and would take them back in a heartbeat but…

on a Sunday and wanting to make sure we made our Sunday obligation and work the same day was not a restful Sunday for us and many times was difficult. It is because of loving and desiring to be with and wanting to care for my family that added to the stress of a Sunday.
My point is that many tmes those working on Sunday are not resting and we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to that.

So I “get it”.

I don’t believe you do. It’s not about the busyness of being a mom but about honoring Sunday.

 

[thistle]

I am not saying the Church does not allow shopping on Sundays but that the Church, which is Scripture, Tradition and Magisterium, teaches that there are restrictions on shopping and working on Sundays.

Nobody has argued against that but you have telling us we should not shop on Sundays. If you don’t want to shop on Sundays that is fine. It’s your choice but don’t say to us we should not shop.

 

[otjm]

Oh, I get it.

I was not talking about the busyness; i was talking about the stress. I didn’t stress.

I turn no blind eye to those working on Sunday, but like pouring a gallon of water into the ocean, my being at the mall or not being at the mall has no impact whatsoever. I have a daughter who stresses over shopping, and it doesn’t matter what day of the week it is. And I find shopping at the mall - which tends to be open-ended as opposed to gift specific, to be very recreational and relaxing.

You are welcome to not shop on Sunday - at the mall, at the grocery store, and anywhere else and I will respect your choice. and you disagree with my choice, and I understand your thinking behind it as you have set it forth.

I just don’t agree that your reasons for not shopping have any impact on mine. We come to different conclusions; and I suspect that if not you, then others herein think I should not be doing so, which is an indirect way of saying that I am wrong.

So I will leave it there.