Is this a mortal sin?

[ImmaCatholic]

Hi everyone.

I work every Sunday until 4 and planned to go to the evening Mass tonight. Today at work I became physically ill. An hour has passed, and I still feel extremely nauseous and light headed, although I was not physically sick again. Is it a mortal sin if I miss Mass today? I am currently not experiencing illness like I did an hour ago, and I keep thinking about how sick Jesus Christ must have felt while on the cross and I tell myself to pull it together. However, I’m scared that I will get sick later on tonight again and I can think of nothing worse than getting sick at church!

Please help I’m torn as to what to do. I go to Mass almost every single day; it’s the highlight of my day and I love it! I just feel very dehydrated and ill at the moment (I’m still at work, in the break room though).

Thanks friends

 

[jlc2k2]

Hi everyone.

I work every Sunday until 4 and planned to go to the evening Mass tonight. Today at work I became physically ill. An hour has passed, and I still feel extremely nauseous and light headed, although I was not physically sick again. Is it a mortal sin if I miss Mass today? I am currently not experiencing illness like I did an hour ago, and I keep thinking about how sick Jesus Christ must have felt while on the cross and I tell myself to pull it together. However, I’m scared that I will get sick later on tonight again and I can think of nothing worse than getting sick at church!

Please help I’m torn as to what to do. I go to Mass almost every single day; it’s the highlight of my day and I love it! I just feel very dehydrated and ill at the moment (I’m still at work, in the break room though).

Thanks friends

Being ill is a perfectly legitimate reason to miss Mass. And if there’s any chance that you are contagious, it is far better to stay home and not make others ill as well.

 

[USMC_Convert]

My priest always advised that if you are ill or cannot make Sunday Mass, watch it on EWTN or one of the Catholic channels, it isn’t the same but it is an acceptable way to be a part of Mass when you cannot attend in person.

I guess what it really comes down to is you are the only one that can tell if you are sick and would be able to miss Mass legitimately.

 

[Mary_Estelle]

I think you probably made the right decision and therefore are not in mortal sin. There is so much sickness going around right now. You don’t want to risk “passing it on,” getting sick again in church or having an episode of weakness or fainting. Watch it on EWTN, take care of yourself and maybe do some sort of penance or random act of kindness. Peace.

 

[TechieGuy]

From my readings here, I suspect that for almost every post that asks, “Is this a mortal sin?” the answer is almost always “no”.

If you feel sick, you have an obligation to not expose the public to possible contagion.

 

[Kay_Cee]

My Spiritual Director told me that if I even suspected I might be contagious, I should stay home from Mass.

I wish someone else had taken that advice. My husband, my children, and I ended up in the choir loft for the Christmas vigil Mass. Someone up there was coughing a lot, and that person shook hands with my husband during the Sign of Peace. He caught the cold and gave it to me. It developed into pnuemonia, and I’ve been sick with it ever since–even ended up in the hospital for three days. I still get winded from the slightest exertion. The doctors have told me they can’t figure out what strain of pneumonia I have and that it may take six months for my body to completely fight it off.

If you think you might be contagious, stay home! Please remember that some folk at Mass are very young or elderly or may have compromised immune systems.

 

[Cassandra_Lyn]

I don’t know if it counts as a mortal sin. But you need to rest if you’re sick. So if you do feel that badly, then when you’re well, go to confession. Go easy on yourself!

 

[psalm90]

1735 Imputability and responsibility for an action can be diminished or even nullified by ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, habit, inordinate attachments, and other psychological or social factors.

The Catechism leaves out illness, here, by accident, I’m sure. There is a distinction between something that is considered an objectively “grave” action and circumstances that make it less of a grave action, or none at all a grave action.

 

[ffg]

With regard to your illness, I hope you are feeling better.

With regard to a sin being mortal, following up on TechieGuy’s angle, I think if someone has to ask about a specific situation affecting them, the act of asking displays a lack of ‘full knowledge’.

However, intent seems to have to matter…Can’t murder someone and ask if it was a mortal sin, to get off the hook.

In an honest question case of ‘is it mortal’? Where grave matter is (ordinarily), but one of the others are questionable, the asking seems to dictate the answer as pretty constant.

I’m sure there could be exceptions, which makes using this site as a piece of learning only, an important point.

But with regard to illness, no need to question any longer, being in a state of illness, is not being in a state to do what is ordinary or expected. Which for a Catholic, per your question, is meeting the Mass obligation.

 

[edward_george]

1735 Imputability and responsibility for an action can be diminished or even nullified by ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, habit, inordinate attachments, and other psychological or social factors.

The Catechism leaves out illness, here, by accident, I’m sure. There is a distinction between something that is considered an objectively “grave” action and circumstances that make it less of a grave action, or none at all a grave action.

The catechism leaves out illness here because it doesn’t have anything to do with why it’s okay to miss Mass with illness. The catechism here is talking about factors that mitigate subjective culpability when a grave action is performed. To miss Mass in case of illness is not a grave matter and in some cases is, I would think, morally obligatory

-Fr ACEGC

 

[Chantal25]

I would go Saturday night in case i wouldn’t be able to make it for Sunday.

I don’t miss Mass sick or not, bad weather or not, i just go and always feel much better. If i was worry that i may not be able to go on Sunday, i would go Saturday night.

Perhaps, talk with your priest.

Just my thought.

 

[LightBound]

I would go Saturday night in case i wouldn’t be able to make it for Sunday.

I don’t miss Mass sick or not, bad weather or not, i just go and always feel much better. If i was worry that i may not be able to go on Sunday, i would go Saturday night.

Perhaps, talk with your priest.

Just my thought.

Please read this reply from earlier in the thread and consider staying home the next time you are sick forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=14521614&postcount=6

 

[Herculees]

Hi everyone.

I work every Sunday until 4 and planned to go to the evening Mass tonight. Today at work I became physically ill. An hour has passed, and I still feel extremely nauseous and light headed, although I was not physically sick again. Is it a mortal sin if I miss Mass today? I am currently not experiencing illness like I did an hour ago, and I keep thinking about how sick Jesus Christ must have felt while on the cross and I tell myself to pull it together. However, I’m scared that I will get sick later on tonight again and I can think of nothing worse than getting sick at church!

Please help I’m torn as to what to do. I go to Mass almost every single day; it’s the highlight of my day and I love it! I just feel very dehydrated and ill at the moment (I’m still at work, in the break room though).

Thanks friends

If I was in this situation this is how I would decide: I would say IF and it is a “big if” I am able to do other things i.e. go out and hang with friends during the hours of Mass time then yes it would be a sin. IF on the other hand I am home trying to take care of myself so that I feel better then I would say “No I am NOT committing a sin.” I’d be mindful of the fact that I am trying to get better AND being considerate of the general public so that they too do NOT get ill. Further what I would do is EVEN IF I did not believe it to be sinful I would inform the priest when I went to confession of my failure to attend Mass and why and then just leave it at that.

 

[utah_rose]

If I was in this situation this is how I would decide: I would say IF and it is a “big if” I am able to do other things i.e. go out and hang with friends during the hours of Mass time then yes it would be a sin. IF on the other hand I am home trying to take care of myself so that I feel better then I would say “No I am NOT committing a sin.” I’d be mindful of the fact that I am trying to get better AND being considerate of the general public so that they too do NOT get ill. Further what I would do is EVEN IF I did not believe it to be sinful I would inform the priest when I went to confession of my failure to attend Mass and why and then just leave it at that.

This happened to my husband today. He didn’t feel well all day so we decided to attend the last Mass in our diocese at 5. About 15 minutes before we left he felt lightheaded, so we didn’t know what was going on. He tends to have low blood pressure and heart problems. He decided to stay home and I did because If he got suddenly I’ll if have to take care of him. A few hours later he felt better but still not great. Once before this happened at church and it was difficult for me to get him in the car afterwords. So, under the circumstances I don’t feel,it was a sin at all. I do feel sorry though for missing Masd. I totally understand how you felt and you had no way of knowing At the time if you’d feel better. if you were driving you might’ve been a danger on the road if you suddenly gotten sick.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

My Spiritual Director told me that if I even suspected I might be contagious, I should stay home from Mass.

I wish someone else had taken that advice. My husband, my children, and I ended up in the choir loft for the Christmas vigil Mass. Someone up there was coughing a lot, and that person shook hands with my husband during the Sign of Peace. He caught the cold and gave it to me. It developed into pneumonia, and I’ve been sick with it ever since–even ended up in the hospital for three days. I still get winded from the slightest exertion. The doctors have told me they can’t figure out what strain of pneumonia I have and that it may take six months for my body to completely fight it off.

If you think you might be contagious, stay home! Please remember that some folk at Mass are very young or elderly or may have compromised immune systems.

From the perspective of a priest, what you have written could not be repeated too often or said too many times.

 

[Chantal25]

Please read this reply from earlier in the thread and consider staying home the next time you are sick forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=14521614&postcount=6

I read it and i don’t disagree with this. I never go to a public place or work, if i can spread my cold.

Having said this, there are many ways to be safe and respectful toward others. Some people they just cough or sneeze without leaving the room or simply they won’t block it to prevent that it spread meters away in the room. They shake hands to others or won’t sit far away.

Sadly there are many other ways also that it can be passed on. This person could have caught it from a door nob, shopping cart or another direct contact. Food in restaurant for example. The people that prepare food, doesn’t necessary wash their hands or stay home when they are sick. The sacristan that don’t wash their hand and prepare the Host prior to Mass.

I must be doing something right because i don’t recall my family catching my cold (They would be the most exposed) or a colleague at work getting sick after me. I don’t catch cold from them either. I wash my hand more often when someone is sick at work so i won’t catch it.

Being sick, doesn’t mean you will pass it on to others when you exercise precaution. I agree that at times, the only precaution could be to simply stay at home. Fortunately, i have never had to miss Mass because i was sick.

God Bless!

 

[RomanoAmerio]

My Spiritual Director told me that if I even suspected I might be contagious, I should stay home from Mass.

I wish someone else had taken that advice. My husband, my children, and I ended up in the choir loft for the Christmas vigil Mass. Someone up there was coughing a lot, and that person shook hands with my husband during the Sign of Peace. He caught the cold and gave it to me. It developed into pnuemonia, and I’ve been sick with it ever since–even ended up in the hospital for three days. I still get winded from the slightest exertion. The doctors have told me they can’t figure out what strain of pneumonia I have and that it may take six months for my body to completely fight it off.

If you think you might be contagious, stay home! Please remember that some folk at Mass are very young or elderly or may have compromised immune systems.

Dear Kay Cee,

I believe this is an excellent answer. Something very similar happened to a relative of mine.

Praying for your recovery.

 

[LightBound]

From the perspective of a priest, what you have written could not be repeated too often or said too many times.

Thank you for posting this, Father. Sadly there are still people on here who think that just taking precautions will keep them from spreading a virus. But unless they are attending Mass in a hazmat suit with a self-contained breathing mask when ill from a virus, they run the risk of giving it to others, including those for whom the common cold or mild flu can be deadly.