Is the sunday obligation not necessary if you live too far from a Catholic church?

[benjammin]

Okay, I heard recently on World Mission Sunday that there was a priest who served an extremely large area in the Congo that had only one Parish. Anyway it served many villages and what he would do was he would take a dirt bike from town to town and spend a week in each town and do all the baptisms, marriages, weddings etc, in a week. He would usually visit only about once every few months. So in that case is sunday obligation not required? I know its probably a simple question, and I know resources are scarce, but you’d think they would at least assign a priest to a closer parish or something. Why would you leave so many catholics without the sacraments.

What about in the United States in the old days? In the colonies I know Catholicism was banned by many colonies and even in ones where they were allowed priests were few and far between. Same with the frontier. I know in my area that when the first Czech catholic settlers came they had mass said for them by a priest who would travel from a town 25 miles away and had mass only once a month until they organized a parish.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

If there is no priest available to celebrate the Mass and there is no where you can go to Mass then you are not bound by the obligation. This would easily apply to someone who lives in a remote village in an tropical rainforest in the Congo.

In the western world I do not think it would be so easy to avail ourselves of this release from the obligation. In the UK I don’t think, for most people, it would be unreasonable to expect one to travel to a church where Mass was available. In the USA and Canada, as examples, it may not be reasonable to expect someone to travel to the nearest Mass due to great distances which may be the case in those countries.

Out of interest, why do you ask this question?

 

[Matt_Collins]

Okay, I heard recently on World Mission Sunday that there was a priest who served an extremely large area in the Congo that had only one Parish. Anyway it served many villages and what he would do was he would take a dirt bike from town to town and spend a week in each town and do all the baptisms, marriages, weddings etc, in a week. He would usually visit only about once every few months. So in that case is sunday obligation not required? I know its probably a simple question, and I know resources are scarce, but you’d think they would at least assign a priest to a closer parish or something. Why would you leave so many catholics without the sacraments.

What about in the United States in the old days? In the colonies I know Catholicism was banned by many colonies and even in ones where they were allowed priests were few and far between. Same with the frontier. I know in my area that when the first Czech catholic settlers came they had mass said for them by a priest who would travel from a town 25 miles away and had mass only once a month until they organized a parish.

Just as an aside, if you haven’t read Willa Cather’s “Death Comes for the Archbishop”, I highly recommend that you do. It is a wonderful historical novel that really gives you a sense of gratitude for the sacrifices made by so many missionaries here in the U.S.

 

[St_Francis]

Benjamin,
If it is “impossible” to fulfill the obligation, then the obligation does not hold. If one is sick, or caring for someone who is sick and cannot be left alone (very ill or very young), or the weather does not permit (hard snow for someone taking a bus, or hurricane for someone driving), or distance, ETA: or any other reason*, then the obligation does not apply.

Believe me, the Church would love to have enough priests to supply every Catholic with the sacraments every week! Unfortunately, this is not the case right now… so we must pray for vocations!

*I was unable to attend Mass one weekend because some people came to deliver a shed right before I left and it got stuck in our gates and I couldn’t get out.

 

[ConstantineTG]

If you look at the requirements in the Orthodox Church, they don’t even expect every Christian to come to church every Sunday. This came from a time of persecution and also a time when 20 miles is a great distance (in terms of time to travel). The Roman Catholic discipline came about from a more modern time in the West when many churches were errected around modern centers and even in small villages. It was virtually impossible to miss Mass. Even when Magellan travelled to India and ended up in the Philippines instead, from Spain via South America, they had priests in the boat. When they got to the Philippines they celebrated Mass on the beach. But it wasn’t always this way through the history of the Church and even today there are many places where the luxury we have here in North America or in many places where there is good access to a church is just non-existent.

The Church isn’t unreasonable. If it is a great difficulty to get to church then it won’t be expected of you.

 

[Richard320]

Okay, I heard recently on World Mission Sunday that there was a priest who served an extremely large area in the Congo that had only one Parish. Anyway it served many villages and what he would do was he would take a dirt bike from town to town and spend a week in each town and do all the baptisms, marriages, weddings etc, in a week. He would usually visit only about once every few months. So in that case is sunday obligation not required? I know its probably a simple question, and I know resources are scarce, but you’d think they would at least assign a priest to a closer parish or something. Why would you leave so many catholics without the sacraments.

What about in the United States in the old days? In the colonies I know Catholicism was banned by many colonies and even in ones where they were allowed priests were few and far between. Same with the frontier. I know in my area that when the first Czech catholic settlers came they had mass said for them by a priest who would travel from a town 25 miles away and had mass only once a month until they organized a parish.

There’s still the United States in the present.

Check out the parish in Lone Pine, CA. olphbishop.com/santa_rosa.htm

Shoshone is almost a 3 hour drive away, and it’s in the same parish boundaries!

 

[IronMIke]

Do you have EWTN cable TV available?

 

[ExGratia]

Even if we can’t make it to Mass for a serious reason such as lack of a priest, we can still dedicate Sunday to God, make a Spiritual Communion, and do some pious reading or spend wholesome time with family. Which is exactly what I bet those living in areas without weekly access to priests do!

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Do you have EWTN cable TV available?

Watching a televised Mass is one way to observe Sunday if you cannot go to Mass or there is no Mass available. However, watching a televised Mass does not fulfil the obligation.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

Okay, I heard recently on World Mission Sunday that there was a priest who served an extremely large area in the Congo that had only one Parish. Anyway it served many villages and what he would do was he would take a dirt bike from town to town and spend a week in each town and do all the baptisms, marriages, weddings etc, in a week. He would usually visit only about once every few months. So in that case is sunday obligation not required? I know its probably a simple question, and I know resources are scarce, but you’d think they would at least assign a priest to a closer parish or something. Why would you leave so many catholics without the sacraments.

What about in the United States in the old days? In the colonies I know Catholicism was banned by many colonies and even in ones where they were allowed priests were few and far between. Same with the frontier. I know in my area that when the first Czech catholic settlers came they had mass said for them by a priest who would travel from a town 25 miles away and had mass only once a month until they organized a parish.

I think in those kinds of situations God looks at the heart. If a person truly wants to go to mass and would go to mass if it were possible but certain situations out of your control prevent it then I think God looks at your **desire to go **as fulfilling the obligation. Same thing with people who are sick or bedridden and literally have no way to go to mass. God looks at the heart and if the desire is truly there then the desire itself fulfills the obligation. There have been plenty of times in the past present and future where circumstances beyond a person’s control may prevent attending mass, God understands and looks at the heart in those situations.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I think in those kinds of situations God looks at the heart. If a person truly wants to go to mass and would go to mass if it were possible but certain situations out of your control prevent it then I think God looks at your **desire to go **as fulfilling the obligation. Same thing with people who are sick or bedridden and literally have no way to go to mass. God looks at the heart and if the desire is truly there then the desire itself fulfills the obligation. There have been plenty of times in the past present and future where circumstances beyond a person’s control may prevent attending mass, God understands and looks at the heart in those situations.

I don’t, in principal, disagree with the sentiment you express. It is important to understand that if we cannot go to Mass or if there is no Mass to go to then there is no obligation. If there is no obligation there is no obligation to fulfil.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

I don’t, in principal, disagree with the sentiment you express. It is important to understand that if we cannot go to Mass or if there is no Mass to go to then there is no obligation. If there is no obligation there is no obligation to fulfil.

Oh okay I see what you’re saying.

 

[benjammin]

If there is no priest available to celebrate the Mass and there is no where you can go to Mass then you are not bound by the obligation. This would easily apply to someone who lives in a remote village in an tropical rainforest in the Congo.

In the western world I do not think it would be so easy to avail ourselves of this release from the obligation. In the UK I don’t think, for most people, it would be unreasonable to expect one to travel to a church where Mass was available. In the USA and Canada, as examples, it may not be reasonable to expect someone to travel to the nearest Mass due to great distances which may be the case in those countries.

Out of interest, why do you ask this question?

I was just interested I guess. No other reason. I said it probably was a dumb question, but I just wanted to hear the opinions of some people.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I was just interested I guess. No other reason. I said it probably was a dumb question, but I just wanted to hear the opinions of some people.

I don’t think it’s a dumb question. It gets asked from time to time on CAF. I asked if you had a reason because it’s often asked in this manner: am I excused from the Sunday obligation if …? It’s not easy to answer because to some extent it’s subjective. My wife might go to church when she does not feel well whereas if I had the same illness I might consider myself too ill to go. I am always extremely reluctant to drive in snow but I know people who never give it a second thought.

 

[poche]

No the Sunday obligation is not in effeect if you live far away from the Catholic Church.
The term ‘far away’ is relative but if you are more than 1 hour away from the church then you are excused from the obligation.

 

[Brendan]

As others have said, the Church does not obligate us to do what cannot be done.

Where there is no priest, there is no obligation.

That said, I do missionary work in that part of the world ( Tanzania for me, but near the DRC. There a parish priest would be resonsible for his parish in a larger villiage, and 10-20 ‘outstations’ in smaller villages. The priest will say Mass at the parish Church, and then drive a motorcyle to say Mass at 2-3 of the outstations. So an outstation will only have Sunday Mass once every few months. The priest say Mass at other outstations during the week, so the faithful recieve the benefits of Reconcilliation and Holy Communion.

It amazes me how seriously they take their Mass obligation though. . If Mass is not being said in their particular village, they will often walk 5-10 miles to the one that will have Mass that week.

While here in the US, a pastor is sick or unavailble, and people have to drive an hour to go to a more distant parish, they claim hardship.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

No the Sunday obligation is not in effeect if you live far away from the Catholic Church.
The term ‘far away’ is relative but if you are more than 1 hour away from the church then you are excused from the obligation.

It is indeed subjective but I am not aware of a ‘one hour’ rule. What is your reason for saying an hour?

 

[benjammin]

I don’t think it’s a dumb question. It gets asked from time to time on CAF. I asked if you had a reason because it’s often asked in this manner: am I excused from the Sunday obligation if …? It’s not easy to answer because to some extent it’s subjective. My wife might go to church when she does not feel well whereas if I had the same illness I might consider myself too ill to go. I am always extremely reluctant to drive in snow but I know people who never give it a second thought.

Well I certainly don’t have a problem with that. there are probably 5 Catholic churches within 10 miles of where I live, and this is in the middle of rural nebraska

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Well I certainly don’t have a problem with that. there are probably 5 Catholic churches within 10 miles of where I live, and this is in the middle of rural nebraska

I don’t fully understand your last point. I live in UK and am not familiar with US geography or demographics. Is it surprising to find so many churches in a rural area? Alternatively, is it surprising because its Nebraska?

 

[Joe_5859]

I don’t fully understand your last point. I live in UK and am not familiar with US geography or demographics. Is it surprising to find so many churches in a rural area? Alternatively, is it surprising because its Nebraska?

In some rural areas, it’s not uncommon to have only one Catholic parish in an entire county (and counties can range in size from two or three hundred square miles to over a thousand square miles).

Of course, Nebraska is probably the rural state with the highest percentage of Catholics, so it doesn’t surprise me that much. Most of the rural areas in the U.S. don’t have large Catholic populations.