Mass attendance in light of the COVID-19 pandemic

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CatholicZ09

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Like many dioceses across the United States, our obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days has been lifted by our bishop until further notice.

I was thinking about this the other day, and I wasn’t sure if I was overthinking it or if my concerns were actually valid. Is it any kind of “sin” if I can absolutely attend Sunday Mass (i.e. I have a mode of transportation and am not sick) but choose “not to” if I am just being lazy? In a way, I feel that I’m taking advantage of the dispensation of being obliged to attend Mass. Am I committing any sort of sin if there is no obligation to attend Mass, at all?

I guess it’s my Catholic guilt kicking in.
 
Going against the grain I feel if you’re not going because you don’t feel like it, rather than concern for yourself or others getting the virus, yiu may be sinning, but likely not mortally.
 
My family hasn’t gone in months. We just figure it’s best to avoid group situations during a global pandemic. Every now and then I feel a bit guilty but I know it’s just temporary, and it’s helping covid victims of the past and future to avoid passing it along more.
 
As the owner of a retail business, I face whatever walks in my door. I don’t want to be the guy that brings it into the church.
 
Well, you don’t know that you’re not “sick” since you could be asymptomatic or presymptomatic. My family isn’t going for that reason.

If you attended virtually instead, then I don’t see a problem. If you didn’t, then I think you’re in danger of drifting away (I’m not saying it’s a sin, but instead a bad idea).

We have made sure to virtually attend every Sunday and Holy Day (i.e. today). Even with that, we have felt too disconnected from our parish, so we signed up for a middle of the night slot for Perpetual Adoration so we can be present but also rarely near anyone else.
 
CatholicZ09 said:
Like many dioceses across the United States, our obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days has been lifted by our bishop until further notice.
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Then there is no sin if you don’t go. Period. Full stop.

With the obligation lifted by your Bishop, every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation is no different than a weekday in the sense that you are not obliged to attend Mass.

Would it be laudatory to attend Mass on a weekday? Yes.

Would it be sinful to not attend Mass on a weekday? No.
 
Elf01 said:
Going against the grain I feel if you’re not going because you don’t feel like it, rather than concern for yourself or others getting the virus, yiu may be sinning, but likely not mortally.
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No.

This is absolutely wrong.

When a dispensation is in place, the obligation that existed is thereby lifted. The obligation therefore DOES NOT EXIST.

The language employed in such promulgations is actually crystal clear. Why would people attempt to make what is clear to be not clear? Or act as if it is not clear?

If a Bishop wanted to create a dispensation that is conditional, he can. In such a case, the condition is similarly spelled out – clearly.
 
Don_Ruggero said:
The language employed in such promulgations is actually crystal clear. Why would people attempt to make what is clear to be not clear? Or act as if it is not clear?
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Because people are uncomfortable with the fact that some people (either themselves or others) don’t mind missing Mass and in fact might even be happy that they get to stay home and sleep in rather than having to go. They think, surely feeling like that must be a sin, even if there’s no obligation.
 
Glennon_P said:
With the obligation lifted by your Bishop, every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation is no different than a weekday in the sense that you are not obliged to attend Mass.

Would it be laudatory to attend Mass on a weekday? Yes.

Would it be sinful to not attend Mass on a weekday? No.
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From both the perspective of law and of moral theology, you have quite correctly stated the matter.
 
Don_Ruggero said:
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Tis_Bearself:
surely feeling like that must be a sin
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In my lecture hall, if a student ever made the declaration “I feel,” my hand went up and their sentence was stopped.

Invalid criteria.
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I don’t know how I feel about that. 😱

I have learned this year the importance of respecting each other’s decisions when it comes to what is best and safest for them.
 
I have no idea about the sinfulness but something to consider is - what kind of habits do I want to be forming in myself during this time? If I skip only because I’m feeling lazy, will I start going again later? If I have kids, am I teaching them that Sunday morning is for sleep ins & jammies… because that could be a hard expectation to change later & be met with lots of complaining. Obviously only you know what kind of longer-term effects skipping under your circumstances will have on you, but I think it’s worth considering.
 
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