Masses

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before Vatican II priests used to say Mass alone a lot.

Can this be done using the OF Mass?

I mean can priests still say private masses alone in the OF?
 
Code of Canon Law

Can. 902 Unless the welfare of the Christian faithful requires or suggests otherwise, priests can concelebrate the Eucharist. They are completely free to celebrate the Eucharist individually, however, but not while a concelebration is taking place in the same church or oratory.

Can. 904 Remembering always that in the mystery of the eucharistic sacrifice the work of redemption is exercised continually, priests are to celebrate frequently; indeed, daily celebration is recommended earnestly since, even if the faithful cannot be present, it is the act of Christ and the Church in which priests fulfill their principal function.
 
a83192 said:
before Vatican II priests used to say Mass alone a lot.

Can this be done using the OF Mass?

I mean can priests still say private masses alone in the OF?
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One reason you have to remember as to why it probably occurred more often is because there was a higher priest-to-laity ratio, especially in the USA, Canada and Europe.

Yes, it can be and still is done.
 
a83192 said:
before Vatican II priests used to say Mass alone a lot.

Can this be done using the OF Mass?

I mean can priests still say private masses alone in the OF?
Click to expand...
Sometimes.

CIC (Latin Canon Law)

Can. 902 Unless the benefit of Christ’s faithful requires or suggests otherwise, priests may concelebrate the Eucharist; they are, however, fully entitled to celebrate the Eucharist individually, but not while a celebration is taking place in the same church or oratory.

Can. 903 A priest is to be permitted to celebrate the Eucharist, even if he is not known to the rector of the church, provided either that he presents commendatory letters, not more than a year old, from his own Ordinary or Superior, or that it can be prudently judged that he is not debarred from celebrating.

Can. 904 Remembering always that in the mystery of the eucharistic Sacrifice the work of redemption is continually being carried out, priests are to celebrate frequently. Indeed, daily celebration is earnestly recommended, because, even if it should not be possible to have the faithful present, it is an action of Christ and of the Church in which priests fulfil their principal role.

Can. 905
§1 Apart from those cases in which the law allows him to celebrate or concelebrate the Eucharist a number of times on the same day, a priest may not celebrate more than once a day.
§2 If there is a scarcity of priests, the local Ordinary may for a good reason allow priests to celebrate twice in one day or even, if pastoral need requires it, three times on Sundays or holydays of obligation.

Can. 906 A priest may not celebrate the eucharistic Sacrifice without the participation of at least one of the faithful, unless there is a good and reasonable cause for doing so.
 
This canon is the most relevant one:
Can. 906 A priest may not celebrate the eucharistic Sacrifice without the participation of at least one of the faithful, unless there is a good and reasonable cause for doing so.
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So yes, a priest CAN, but for the most part they should not. A priest who is in a parish should open his Masses to the faithful so they can assist also.

Priests in religious insitutions (orders, communities. etc.) should follow the rules of their Superior.

Priests in places where the priest to lay ratio is high may have more of a “good and reasonable cause” to celebrate Mass privately.
 
Vico said:
Can. 906 A priest may not celebrate the eucharistic Sacrifice without the participation of at least one of the faithful, unless there is a good and reasonable cause for doing so.
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I believe JPII clarified this to include simply a priest’s wanting to say Mass as a “good and reasonable cause for doing so.”
 
The OF Missal gives an Order of Mass which used to be called “Mass without a congregation” (don’t know what it’s called in the latest edition) at which there is no congregation as such but the priest is assisted by one other person only, who makes the responses and may act as an altar server.
 
YoungTradCath said:
I believe JPII clarified this to include simply a priest’s wanting to say Mass as a “good and reasonable cause for doing so.”
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But if a priest has a parish, school, etc that he is responsible for it seems that it would be to the benefit of Christ’s faithful that he celebrate that Mass in a place where the faithful could also assist instead of in a private place/time.

Edited to add: We have 3 priests asssigned to our parish. The pastor has scheduled 3 daily Masses to match. 😃 Of course, once that happens you have to cover those Masses even when a priest is sick or on vacation. However in the 10+ years he’s been Pastor it has always worked out. The Lord provides.
 
Mrs_Sally said:
But if a priest has a parish, school, etc that he is responsible for it seems that it would be to the benefit of Christ’s faithful that he celebrate that Mass in a place where the faithful could also assist instead of in a private place/time.

Edited to add: We have 3 priests asssigned to our parish. The pastor has scheduled 3 daily Masses to match. 😃 Of course, once that happens you have to cover those Masses even when a priest is sick or on vacation. However in the 10+ years he’s been Pastor it has always worked out. The Lord provides.
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We have three priests and have 3 Masses daily from Monday to Saturday and 10 Masses every Sunday. On other Holy Days of Obligation 10 Masses are available to the faithful.
 
Mrs_Sally said:
But if a priest has a parish, school, etc that he is responsible for it seems that it would be to the benefit of Christ’s faithful that he celebrate that Mass in a place where the faithful could also assist instead of in a private place/time.

Edited to add: We have 3 priests asssigned to our parish. The pastor has scheduled 3 daily Masses to match. 😃 Of course, once that happens you have to cover those Masses even when a priest is sick or on vacation. However in the 10+ years he’s been Pastor it has always worked out. The Lord provides.
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Well, of course. I think priests should offer daily Mass to their parishioners and to their schoolchildren (if they have them) every day if possible. But it is still relatively common to have need of only one daily Mass in a parish with two or more priests.
 
I know that they do so on Sunday, but during weekdays, may a priest say more than one Mass? I have seen two Masses a day when we have been in parishes with more than one priest. It is nice to have one later in the day for people coming home from work.

I can remember as a youngster having priests “just passing by” on a road trip of some kind stopping in our parish to say Mass. They would use one of the side altars or maybe the chapel.
 
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