Missing Mass - Camping with no Reasonable Access

[jhgilbertson]

Dilemna - Group of guy friends trying to schedule a weekend of camping/fishing up in a remote area of wilderness where there are no roads, motorized vehicles, etc… Takes a couple of hours to hike/paddle into the back country. If the only available days to schedule the trip falls over a weekend - where there is no reasonable access to Mass (without taking 2-3+hours to get back), is this considered a mortal sin?
We would really like to go on this trip and would do most anything to go to Mass, but this would be terribly difficult to go - as there really is no reasonable access to it.

We understand mortal sin(grave matter, full knowledge, and full consent), and our intention of this trip is not to miss Mass - however we have some opinions that if you even make the choice of going on the trip - that is your full consent knowing that you will miss Mass if you even go on the trip.

So, do you think that if you go on this trip, miss Sat or Sun Mass, you are committing a mortal sin? Even if you make every effort to honor the Sabbath while you are in pure uninhabited nature?

Awaiting an answer…
(also I would like to see if Mark 2:23-28 has any relevance to this situation as I am not 100% sure what Jesus meant when he said "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.”

 

[Bookcat]

Dilemna - Group of guy friends trying to schedule a weekend of camping/fishing up in a remote area of wilderness where there are no roads, motorized vehicles, etc… Takes a couple of hours to hike/paddle into the back country. If the only available days to schedule the trip falls over a weekend - where there is no reasonable access to Mass (without taking 2-3+hours to get back), is this considered a mortal sin?
We would really like to go on this trip and would do most anything to go to Mass, but this would be terribly difficult to go - as there really is no reasonable access to it.

We understand mortal sin(grave matter, full knowledge, and full consent), and our intention of this trip is not to miss Mass - however we have some opinions that if you even make the choice of going on the trip - that is your full consent knowing that you will miss Mass if you even go on the trip.

So, do you think that if you go on this trip, miss Sat or Sun Mass, you are committing a mortal sin? Even if you make every effort to honor the Sabbath while you are in pure uninhabited nature?

Awaiting an answer…
(also I would like to see if Mark 2:23-28 has any relevance to this situation as I am not 100% sure what Jesus meant when he said "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.”

One may easily just give a call to your “Pastor” (of each) and tell him what is going on and ask him to dispense you from the obligation that week…that is the reason he has this authority to dispense…

 

[Bookcat]

Catechism:

2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

but also make sure you* live* the Lords Day while your out there…

Iuxta dominicam viventes – living in accordance with the Lord’s Day

Saint Ignatius of Antioch expressed this truth when he called Christians “those who have attained a new hope,” and described them as “those living in accordance with the Lord’s Day” (iuxta dominicam viventes). (204) This phrase of the great Antiochene martyr highlights the connection between the reality of the Eucharist and everyday Christian life. The Christians’ customary practice of gathering on the first day after the Sabbath to celebrate the resurrection of Christ – according to the account of Saint Justin Martyr(205) – is also what defines the form of a life renewed by an encounter with Christ. Saint Ignatius’ phrase – “living in accordance with the Lord’s Day” – also emphasizes that this holy day becomes paradigmatic for every other day of the week. Indeed, it is defined by something more than the simple suspension of one’s ordinary activities, a sort of parenthesis in one’s usual daily rhythm. Christians have always experienced this day as the first day of the week, since it commemorates the radical newness brought by Christ. Sunday is thus the day when Christians rediscover the eucharistic form which their lives are meant to have. “Living in accordance with the Lord’s Day” means living in the awareness of the liberation brought by Christ and making our lives a constant self-offering to God, so that his victory may be fully revealed to all humanity through a profoundly renewed existence.

-Pope Benedict XVI

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_exh_20070222_sacramentum-caritatis_en.html#The_eucharistic_form_of_the_christian_life

2185 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.123 Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. the faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.

 

[Buck_Crosswhite]

I never do anything that will interfere with going to Mass. The Eucharist is the most important thing in your life and you should act like it.

 

[ctkrcia]

Interesting. Last summer, my wife and I went on a cruise to Alaska. We left on Saturday and came back on Friday. No mass was available on the ship. Under these circumstances, my understanding is that the obligation is dismissed.

On a related note, I teach RCIA along with one other lay person in my parish. She always relates a story of discussing this very topic with a priest once. He stated that attending mass is obligatory, to be sure. However, if you are geographically distant from a church at mass time, then you are dispensed of the obligation. How far is that? He said consider how far you would drive to go out to a nice dinner. That could be 20 miles for some and 60 miles for others. If you are willing to drive an hour for a nice dinner, you should be able to drive an hour for mass.

I remember one weekend I saw my step-mother at church. She was all worried because the week before, she was ready for mass and simply fell asleep in her chair (she’s in her late 70’s). She went to the sacristy and talked to the visiting priest. He told her she her intention was valid, but obviously she was tired and therefore did not violate her obligation.

I am very interested in what others have to say!

 

[Bookcat]

PS: it could also be said that it likely does not even need a dispensation since one will not be able to get to Mass without hiking for 2 or more hours…for such would seem perhaps to be an unreasonable burden that the Church would likely say would make it not an obligation…

Jimmy Akin has said basically this and has noted in the past that the Church bases this obligation on where you actually are that day…the Church does not say you have an obligation to make sure that you are in a place where you can reasonably get to Mass…

If you are in a place …say in an Islamic country on a buisiness trip or a camping trip in the Amazon…or wilderness…or are an astronaut in space…where you cannot get reasonably to Mass…then one would not be obliged. Such is the jist of what he is saying.

Of course if one not being reasonable…and heading out to do things and not caring about Mass or is running off to the Amazon each week…that can become another question (not to mention you may get bit by some nasty snake)… I do think one has a reasonable responsibility here…to be ordinarily where one can get to Mass…one can not be irresponsible about things and then say…oh well…can’t get there…that is I think a different thing!

But if it were me…I would still go with the *dispensation *form each persons actual Pastor…as noted in the Catechism and Canon Law…

then there would be absolutely no question!

(and in other circumstances…I would seek to try to be where there is a Mass…)

 

[Reuben_J]

…

If the only available days to schedule the trip falls over a weekend - where there is no reasonable access to Mass (without taking 2-3+hours to get back), is this considered a mortal sin?

…

So, do you think that if you go on this trip, miss Sat or Sun Mass, you are committing a mortal sin? Even if you make every effort to honor the Sabbath while you are in pure uninhabited nature?

No, it is not a sin. The mass does not stop you from doing things. What you have here is quite reasonable and I don’t think that’s a sin at all.

Greater people will not go for the trip so as not to miss the mass, but if you do as it is in your case, it shouldn’t be a problem. Catholics can have fun too.

But while you’re at it (the trip) take time and pray together, thanking God that he is so gracious and repenting that you should let your pleasure take over the celebration that he wants you to have with him.

God bless.

 

[manualman]

Free and easy travel is a pretty recent thing in the history of Christendom. I may be wrong, but I do not believe that the Sunday mass obligation (I hate calling it that - would be better to call it ‘opportunity not to be missed!’) historically amounted to a prohibition on catholics traveling to foreign lands, exploring uncharted areas, etc.

Still I suspect it would be fairly easy to get one’s pastor’s dispensation. Go for that.