January 1st - Holy Day of Obligation

[GloAngel]

I am so saddened that the San Bernardino Diocese (and others I understand) is stating The Solemnity of the Mother of God on January 1st is not a Holy Day of Obligation. It just doesn’t make sense to me. From what I’ve read regarding this is a diocese can state this if they have “just cause”. I was searching their website and I could not find anything regarding this.

What is on my mind is that we all know that satan has infiltrated the Church, and what is in my heart is totally different, knowing that we are to obey Catholic Doctrine and our priests/bishops, etc., unless it is against faith and morals. Does anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It’s still an HDO where I’m at. The priest made a special announcement reminding us at Mass today.

 

[edward_george1]

You don’t have to go to another Diocese. Just go to Mass, obligation or not.

 

[PDXSeeker_1975]

It is still an HDO in Oregon, but our parish bulletin also doesn’t mention that, and it also is listed as “New Year’s Day Mass”

 

[po18guy]

No matter what the Diocese says, we can individually go and spend time - a sacrifice of life energy . and worship of the Son - at the Tabernacle of our local parish.

Oh, and we can pray that the Church hierarchy follows the prompting of the Holy Spirit while we are there.

 

[1ke]

I am so saddened that the San Bernardino Diocese (and others I understand) is stating The Solemnity of the Mother of God on January 1st is not a Holy Day of Obligation.

It’s stating it because it’s NOT a holy day of obligation in the Province of Los Angeles.

You may certainly still attend mass for the solemnity, it will be the mass of the day. It simply isn’t a day of obligation.

It just doesn’t make sense to me. From what I’ve read regarding this is a diocese can state this if they have “just cause”

No, not really.

A ecclesial province can select their holy days of obligation, the Holy See approves the list. Provinces are asked to retain at least one Marian HDO, which the ecclesial province is LA does— Immaculate Conception and Assumption.

What is on my mind is that we all know that satan has infiltrated the Church,

Um, NO we do NOT know this.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

It’s simply not a day of obligation. Absolute nothing is stopping you from attending mass on January 1.

It’s not a HDO in the entire ecclesial province of Los Angeles.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be mass on that day nor does it mean the OP can’t go to mass in his own parish. It simply means there is no obligation to attend mass.

 

[Sarcelle]

Same here.

They reminded us when I went to mass this morning.

 

[Titivillus]

What is on my mind is that we all know that satan has infiltrated the Church, and what is in my heart is totally different, knowing that we are to obey Catholic Doctrine and our priests/bishops, etc., unless it is against faith and morals. Does anyone have any thoughts?

Just be sure you get your causes and effects right.

My understanding is that in many cases like this, of obligations being relaxed or removed (eg the Saturday/Monday conditions on some holy days) result from the bishops’ recognition that many of the faithful do not fulfill their obligations in those circumstances, so they remove the occasion of sin by removing the obligation.

Spoiler

(Which is neither to say that failure on the part of the faithful is not itself evidence of infiltration by Satan, nor to espouse the relaxation of obligations as a superior counter-force to, say, improved catechesis.

But those aren’t really on topic)

 

[1ke]

No matter what the Diocese says, we can individually go and spend time - a sacrifice of life energy . and worship of the Son - at the Tabernacle of our local parish.

The province of Los Angeles doesn’t say there is no mass that day, simply that there is no obligation to attend mass. The mass liturgy of the day is still Mary Mother of God.

Oh, and we can pray that the Church hierarchy follows the prompting of the Holy Spirit while we are there.

I don’t get what has everyone so torqued up over this. Ecclesial Provinces can retain,
suppress, or transfer holy days following the guidelines of the USCCB and Holy See.

That is why Ascension Is celebrated on Sunday in some Ecclesial Provinces and on Thursday in some others. Also why only Christmas and Immaculate Conception are the only two HDOs in Hawaii.

 

[Sarcelle]

I don’t get what has everyone so torqued up over this. Ecclesial Provinces can retain,
suppress, or transfer holy days following the guidelines of the USCCB and Holy See.

Yes and the exercise of this does not mean Satan has infiltrated the Church.

 

[1ke]

From what I’ve read regarding this is a diocese can state this if they have “just cause”.

A bishop can dispense In individual situations:

Whenever he judges that it contributes to their spiritual welfare, the diocesan bishop can dispense the faithful from disciplinary laws, both universal laws and those particular laws made by the supreme ecclesiastical authority, for his territory or his subjects” (CIC 87 §1)

But that isn’t what is going on in the Ecclesial Province of Los Angeles. It used to be by dispensation but it is now approved by the USCCB I believe.

 

[redal]

Does anyone go to mass anymore out of desire rather than just obligation?

 

[1Lord1Faith]

Did they used to?