Missing Pentecost Sunday Mass for a protestant youth camp, is it a sin?

[TeenageConvert]

Is it? And I would leave the Saturday before it, so I would not be able to go that mass.

 

[The_Old_Medic]

Unless you parents are requiring that you go to that particular camp (you would have to follow their dictates), then yes you will be committing a sin by missing Mass. You KNOW your obligation, and you are required to do everything in your power to meet that obligation.

 

[1ke]

You need to ask your priest for guidance. Your priest can dispense you from the obligation, depending upon the situation.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Is it? And I would leave the Saturday before it, so I would not be able to go that mass.

Missing Mass is a sin unless you have a valid reason for not going. If the area where you lived was besieged by exceptionally bad weather and it was too dangerous to go to church would be an example of circumstances that would excuse you from Mass. Another example would be due to ill health. A third, and similar, example would be missing Mass to care for someone who was ill.

Going to a youth camp (irrespective of the fact that it is organsied by a Protestant organisation) is a sin. It is not a valid reason to miss Mass.

 

[1ke]

Going to a youth camp (irrespective of the fact that it is organsied by a Protestant organisation) is a sin.

Going to youth camp is not a sin.

It is not a valid reason to miss Mass.

If no Mass is available there is no obligation.

You are giving your *opinion *regarding whether or not this situation creates a valid reason to miss Mass.

The best thing the OP can do is talk to his/her priest, who can guide him on whether or not he has an obligation if he is in a location where Mass is not available, and can dispense him if needed.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Going to youth camp is not a sin.

A mistake to which I admit (a rare event on CAF). It was written quickly and the comments are obviously incomplete. I meant to explain that a youth camp was not a good reason for missing Mass as opposed to say being ill and confined to bed as a result.

If no Mass is available there is no obligation.

Not the crux of the question but I think “… no Mass is available …” needs some qualification. We have an obligation to make a reasonable attempt to go to Mass. Would it be reasonable for my mother to not go to Mass if there was no Mass in her parish on Sunday. Although it is the parish church of a different parish there is a church much closer to her home than her parish church. She could go there if Mass was not available in her parish. If Mass was not available on a camp, perhaps there would be one in a nearby town. In fact it is reasonable to infer there will be no Mass at a Protestant camp. In those circumstances one would be deliberately putting oneself in a situation where no Mass was available, i.e. not outside one’s control.

You are giving your *opinion * …

A common enough event on forums.

… regarding whether or not this situation creates a valid reason to miss Mass.

We are all constrained by the fact that we often do not get the full details in these posts.

The best thing the OP can do is talk to his/her priest, who can guide him on whether or not he has an obligation if he is in a location where Mass is not available, and can dispense him if needed.

Then why post here at all? Why do any of us visit the forum and post on it. If none of us are in a position to give what we perceive to be appropriate advice based on limited information then there is no use for this forum. It would be a rather boring forum in which to participate if we all responded to every post “ask your priest”.

However, I do feel that all too few people these days seek the advice and guidance of their priest.

 

[1ke]

In those circumstances one would be deliberately putting oneself in a situation where no Mass was available, i.e. not outside one’s control.

Something the Church does not prohibit.

Then why post here at all? Why do any of us visit the forum and post on it. If none of us are in a position to give what we perceive to be appropriate advice based on limited information then there is no use for this forum. It would be a rather boring forum in which to participate if we all responded to every post “ask your priest”.

Not every post requires an answer from a priest in general or one’s pastor in specific.

This one, however, does. Only the OP’s pastor can give him a dispensation if one is needed. And, only by talking to his pastor can he explain the circumstances and have his priest make a determination.

 

[jmcrae]

Is it? And I would leave the Saturday before it, so I would not be able to go that mass.

Are you required by your parents or by your paid employment to go to the Protestant youth camp?

Could you drive or hitch a ride into the nearest town and go to Mass while at the youth camp? (People come and go from camps all the time - it’s not like a lock-down - particularly if you have a need that can’t be met at the camp itself.)

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Something the Church does not prohibit.

Is that fact or opinion? If fact, I would appreciate a fuller explanation.

It is my understanding (may be my misunderstanding) that we are obliged to go to Mass on holy days of obligation, Sundays and solemnities of precept. If we do not go we commit grave/mortal sin. There may be circumstances when we cannot go to church and would not be committing a sin. As I keeping citing such a circumstance would be illness. I believe that it is wrong to put yourself wilfully in a position where you cannot go to Mass, i.e. not in circumstances beyond your control.

If this is not the case I would appreciate some references to support that.

 

[TBolt1000T]

You have given us very limited information. There’s still a couple of weeks between now and then, so there’s still plenty of time to talk to your priest. A priest can give you much better advice on this than any of us probably could.

 

[TeenageConvert]

The camp is in the mountains of NC, and the roads are all twisty and what not and it would take probably 30-40 minutes to getanywhere and like I said, NC so there may not even be a Catholic parish anywhere Near the closest town there…

And I think Matthew’s right, it would be okay to miss mass If I diidnt have the optiion of going, but if I know ahead of time that if I chose to go then id miss mass then I would be making the desicion that the camp is more important than the mass…so I guess I won’t go, I’ll call my priest, but I think he’d think the same way.

Oh well, God know’s what’s best and that’s why he gave us these rules. thanks forall the replies!

 

[baltobetsy]

I’m glad to see you’re leaning toward not going to the camp. As a recent convert (according to your username) and a young person (also according to your username), you might be more susceptible than would be good for you to errors in doctrine you might encounter at the Protestant camp, and might not be well enough equipped to handle them just yet. You’ll be much better off at Pentecost Mass, really.

 

[1ke]

It is my understanding (may be my misunderstanding) that we are obliged to go to Mass on holy days of obligation, Sundays and solemnities of precept. If we do not go we commit grave/mortal sin. There may be circumstances when we cannot go to church and would not be committing a sin. As I keeping citing such a circumstance would be illness. I believe that it is wrong to put yourself wilfully in a position where you cannot go to Mass, i.e. not in circumstances beyond your control.

There is NOTHING in Church teaching that says you must arrange to be where a Catholic Church is accessible at all times.

If you are in a location that has no Catholic Church-- camping in the Grand Canyon for example-- you have no obligation because it is not possible to go to Church. There is NO Church teaching that one cannot voluntarily go where one has no access to a Catholic Church. One does not have to have some sort of “grave necessity” to travel to such a location. It is incumbent upon you to produce a church document that says people cannot travel to locations where mass is not available.

See:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=6235

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=8064

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=5722&highlight=sunday+mass+traveling

 

[Mrs_Sally]

I’m glad to see you’re leaning toward not going to the camp. As a recent convert (according to your username) and a young person (also according to your username), you might be more susceptible than would be good for you to errors in doctrine you might encounter at the Protestant camp, and might not be well enough equipped to handle them just yet. You’ll be much better off at Pentecost Mass, really.

The question of missing Mass aside, I agree with BaltoBetsy that is probably a good idea for you to NOT go to a protestant camp. Especially not if this is the denomination or group that you converted from. It would be all too easy to say, my friends are good people, they love God and find yourself slipping away from the fullness of the Truth in the Catholic church.

If you really want to go to a church camp this summer, try to find a Catholic one. Contact your diocese youth ministry or look into the camps at Steubenville.

Certainly you can remain friends with your protestant campers, but it is not a good idea to put ourselves in the way of confusion and, in this case, in a situation of missing Mass.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

It is incumbent upon you to produce a church document that says people cannot travel to locations where mass is not available.

On that point I disagree with you. It is not usually possible to prove a negative. The Church does not issue a list of all possible things that we cannot do. I am not even making a case that the Church says that you must not undertake a voluntary, non-urgent act that prevents you from going to Mass. I am, on the contrary, trying to learn what Her teaching is on this matter.

You are saying that the Church allows us to go to, say a youth camp, knowing that in doing so we would not be able to got to Mass on a Sunday. Therefore, it is for you to show where the Church teaches this.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=6235

This link did not work.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=8064

An opinion not supported by reference to any Church document.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=5722&highlight=sunday+mass+traveling

An opinion not supported by reference to any Church document.

 

[1ke]

You are saying that the Church allows us to go to, say a youth camp, knowing that in doing so we would not be able to got to Mass on a Sunday. Therefore, it is for you to show where the Church teaches this.

I already provided the Canons. They are clear. You are trying to add a burden to them that Church law does not.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I already provided the Canons.

In which post; I cannot see where.

You are trying to add a burden to them that Church law does not.

Au contraire, I’m just asking you to support your point.

 

[corsair]

Short answer; yes, its a sin to miss Mass. Besides, why expose yourself to possible heretical influences? (near occassions of sin).

 

[Stylites]

There is NOTHING in Church teaching that says you must arrange to be where a Catholic Church is accessible at all times.

If you are in a location that has no Catholic Church-- camping in the Grand Canyon for example-- you have no obligation because it is not possible to go to Church. There is NO Church teaching that one cannot voluntarily go where one has no access to a Catholic Church. One does not have to have some sort of “grave necessity” to travel to such a location. It is incumbent upon you to produce a church document that says people cannot travel to locations where mass is not available.

From the mouths of babes . . . Seems like the young convert knows the answer already:

And I think Matthew’s right, it would be okay to miss mass If I diidnt have the optiion of going, but if I know ahead of time that if I chose to go then id miss mass then I would be making the desicion that the camp is more important than the mass…so I guess I won’t go, I’ll call my priest, but I think he’d think the same way.