Sunday Mass on Fridays

[Soldier4Christ]

I am currently in the Middle East, and being that we are in Muslim country, the typical weekend is Friday and Saturday In some countries it’s Thursday and Friday, that’s how it is here in Bahrain. Regardless, their Friday is our Sunday. I can go to Mass here, but Sunday Mass is on Friday morning, the Muslim holy day. Most places around here are closed, very few Muslims work on Friday. That’s fine, but I have a question hopefully someone can answer. Normally we are supposed to observe Sunday as a holy day of rest. Would it be wrong to change that and do it on Friday? I have irregular working hours and will have to work on both of those days at times, but the rest of the time should Sunday be Sunday or should Friday be Sunday? I am not aware of anywhere I could go to attend Mass on Sunday. Thanks, I hope somebody can help me out with this.

 

[LilyM]

Is there anywhere you can go on Saturday evening at least???

 

[Rolltide]

According to some information I found online, there is only one Catholic parish in Bahrain, and that is Sacred Heart Church in Manama. It does not list the times of its services. I would check with them to see what they would recommend. They primarily deal with expatriates. I haven’t been able to find out if Vatican City has an embassy within Bahrain, but if they do, it is entirely possible that they have a small service in a chapel there, and that you might be able to regularly attend. Finally, since you’re in the military, there may be a military chaplain that can accomodate you.

There is a provision of the type that you state for transferring Sunday to another day, and it very well may apply in this case. You need to be in an area where it is exceedingly difficult to get to a Catholic service. In that case, with the permission of a priest, you can transfer your obligation to another day, if that is the only available option. IF Sacred Heart Church didn’t exist, you would also have the possibility, as a last resort, of attending an Orthodox service (since Orthodoxy is more common in Bahrain) and having that count as your service. You would even be allowed to take Communion, if the Orthodox priest permitted it (he MUST be informed of the circumstances, and even then, the odds of him letting you are next to nil). Since there is a Catholic parish there, however, you won’t need this option…

 

[chicago]

While, ideally, you would still manage to observe Sunday as Sunday you are obviously dealing with extreme circumstances. In which case youjust do the best what with ya got.

 

[Petergee]

Just to clarify a couple of points:
If you are unable to get to a Catholic Mass on Sunday, you are released from your obligation to attend Mass on Sunday. The Church does not command the impossible.

You MAY go to a Mass on Friday or any other weekday if you wish and if it is possible, but this does NOT satisfy your Sunday obligation. The Mass said on a Friday must always be the weekday Mass for that Friday, NOT the Mass of the following Sunday. If as you imply (“Sunday Mass is on Friday morning”) the priest is saying the Mass of the Sunday instead of the Mass of the Friday, this is an abuse, and AFAIK the Bahrain government’s oppression of Christians does not excuse it.

Similarly you MAY go to an Eastern Orthodox Mass on a Sunday if you cannot get to a Catholic Mass, but this is entirely optional and it does NOT satisfy your Sunday obligation (which you are released from if you can’t get to a Catholic Mass.).

You are obliged not to do servile work on a Sunday if you can possibly avoid it. Of course this won’t always be possible but you could request your superiors to roster you off on Sundays as much as practicable. Even if you have to work on Sunday you should at least try to set aside some extra time for reading Scripture and other good Catholic spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, and recreation.

 

[Soldier4Christ]

Thank you all for your responses. I was not aware of Sacred Heart parish, I will have to check that out. I just got here recently. I’m near a Navy base and that’s where the Mass is that I was planning to attend. A coworker goes there and informed me about the schedule, so I’ll have to ask the priest why Mass isn’t on Sunday when I meet him. Thanks for the help.

God Bless

 

[1ke]

I am currently in the Middle East, and being that we are in Muslim country, the typical weekend is Friday and Saturday In some countries it’s Thursday and Friday, that’s how it is here in Bahrain. Regardless, their Friday is our Sunday. I can go to Mass here, but Sunday Mass is on Friday morning, the Muslim holy day. Most places around here are closed, very few Muslims work on Friday. That’s fine, but I have a question hopefully someone can answer. Normally we are supposed to observe Sunday as a holy day of rest. Would it be wrong to change that and do it on Friday? I have irregular working hours and will have to work on both of those days at times, but the rest of the time should Sunday be Sunday or should Friday be Sunday? I am not aware of anywhere I could go to attend Mass on Sunday. Thanks, I hope somebody can help me out with this.

You need to talk to your priest. He will be he one to give you **accurate **information on what the Vatican and/or your Bishop have to say regarding the observance of the day of rest and Mass attendance in countries where Sunday is a work-day.

 

[AJV]

I am currently in the Middle East, and being that we are in Muslim country, the typical weekend is Friday and Saturday In some countries it’s Thursday and Friday, that’s how it is here in Bahrain. Regardless, their Friday is our Sunday. I can go to Mass here, but Sunday Mass is on Friday morning, the Muslim holy day. Most places around here are closed, very few Muslims work on Friday. That’s fine, but I have a question hopefully someone can answer. Normally we are supposed to observe Sunday as a holy day of rest. Would it be wrong to change that and do it on Friday? I have irregular working hours and will have to work on both of those days at times, but the rest of the time should Sunday be Sunday or should Friday be Sunday? I am not aware of anywhere I could go to attend Mass on Sunday. Thanks, I hope somebody can help me out with this.

Greetings Soldier4Christ. If you are indeed unable to attend Mass on Sundays then you would do so on Fridays and which I think also would be observed as the holy day of rest- since, as you know, many people go to work on Sunday so it is not possible to observe it as such for some. In that case also, your abstinence from meat/ penitential observances are to be done on Wednesdays. When I spoke to the bishop once about it, he had advised me to nonetheless, not forget the fundamental importance of Sunday and to still keep it special in some way. Regardless, speak to confessor about it since he will be able to tell you based on your particular circumstances

P.S. I would really recommend Fr. Menachery’s Masses, if you can attend one that he is saying- he is a really excellent preacher, confessor and spiritual director and very devout.

 

[AJV]

Just to clarify a couple of points:
If you are unable to get to a Catholic Mass on Sunday, you are released from your obligation to attend Mass on Sunday. The Church does not command the impossible.

You MAY go to a Mass on Friday or any other weekday if you wish and if it is possible, but this does NOT satisfy your Sunday obligation. The Mass said on a Friday must always be the weekday Mass for that Friday, NOT the Mass of the following Sunday. If as you imply (“Sunday Mass is on Friday morning”) the priest is saying the Mass of the Sunday instead of the Mass of the Friday, this is an abuse, and AFAIK the Bahrain government’s oppression of Christians does not excuse it.

I do not think it is an abuse in the Middle East- it is authorized in both the Vicariates of Kuwait and Arabia. The Mass of the Sunday is also celebrated on the Friday (or at least, some of the Masses are) saving certain Fridays of the year and also on the Sundays.

I believe the VOK has a section where you can send your queries to the bishop. You could ask him for the proper documentation, if you like.

 

[StephenB]

Your title of Soldier for Christ might lead to an answer…is this figurative or are you actually a soldier on duty in M/E?

I spent a few months on the military (about 261 of them) and even then the situation of available priests was dire. (Interestingly enough, I heard that since we ended the draft, that is when hte downward spiral of Catholic chapalins began. But this isn’t the political thread.) I also spent a bit of time in that particular sand box working with Chaplains.

At one point in Europe, the Commander for the US Army in Europe put it this way, priority of priest coverage was to be to the military communities at home station on Sundays. In the field, whatever day a priest can be there to celebrate Mass, that was Sunday. And that became the marching order until I left country 3 years later. This was a Catholic 4-star General who was very conscious of the crisis for Catholics serving overseas.Of course this directive does not carry the weight of a moto proprio out of Rome, but it was a fundamentally sound decision in response to the lack of US Bishops ability/willingness to support the military by releasing their priests to serve.

So, if you are in the service, and not simply an ex-patriot who loves the sun and sand, I believe, as stated earlier, you are in extreme circumstances that calls for extreme solutions.

God bless -

 

[Soldier4Christ]

Greetings Soldier4Christ. If you are indeed unable to attend Mass on Sundays then you would do so on Fridays and which I think also would be observed as the holy day of rest- since, as you know, many people go to work on Sunday so it is not possible to observe it as such for some. In that case also, your abstinence from meat/ penitential observances are to be done on Wednesdays. When I spoke to the bishop once about it, he had advised me to nonetheless, not forget the fundamental importance of Sunday and to still keep it special in some way. Regardless, speak to confessor about it since he will be able to tell you based on your particular circumstances

P.S. I would really recommend Fr. Menachery’s Masses, if you can attend one that he is saying- he is a really excellent preacher, confessor and spiritual director and very devout.

Thank you for the suggestion about moving Friday abstinence etc to Wednesday, I was confused about that as well.

 

[Soldier4Christ]

Your title of Soldier for Christ might lead to an answer…is this figurative or are you actually a soldier on duty in M/E?

I spent a few months on the military (about 261 of them) and even then the situation of available priests was dire. (Interestingly enough, I heard that since we ended the draft, that is when hte downward spiral of Catholic chapalins began. But this isn’t the political thread.) I also spent a bit of time in that particular sand box working with Chaplains.

At one point in Europe, the Commander for the US Army in Europe put it this way, priority of priest coverage was to be to the military communities at home station on Sundays. In the field, whatever day a priest can be there to celebrate Mass, that was Sunday. And that became the marching order until I left country 3 years later. This was a Catholic 4-star General who was very conscious of the crisis for Catholics serving overseas.Of course this directive does not carry the weight of a moto proprio out of Rome, but it was a fundamentally sound decision in response to the lack of US Bishops ability/willingness to support the military by releasing their priests to serve.

So, if you are in the service, and not simply an ex-patriot who loves the sun and sand, I believe, as stated earlier, you are in extreme circumstances that calls for extreme solutions.

God bless -

Actually I’m a Marine (but a soldier at heart, I used to be in the Army). When I was in Iraq the first time, it was as you describe - when a priest was available to celebrate Mass that was Sunday. My first six months in Iraq, that amounted to two Sundays. But now, I believe there’s a priest stationed at the Naval base in Bahrain. But maybe he has to travel other places on Saturday/Sunday to celebrate Mass for other sailors/Marines. I’ll have to talk to him.

God Bless

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I am currently in the Middle East, and being that we are in Muslim country, the typical weekend is Friday and Saturday In some countries it’s Thursday and Friday, that’s how it is here in Bahrain. Regardless, their Friday is our Sunday. I can go to Mass here, but Sunday Mass is on Friday morning, the Muslim holy day. Most places around here are closed, very few Muslims work on Friday. That’s fine, but I have a question hopefully someone can answer. Normally we are supposed to observe Sunday as a holy day of rest. Would it be wrong to change that and do it on Friday? I have irregular working hours and will have to work on both of those days at times, but the rest of the time should Sunday be Sunday or should Friday be Sunday? I am not aware of anywhere I could go to attend Mass on Sunday. Thanks, I hope somebody can help me out with this.

Check where Mass is held and speak with the priest. Sunday is The Lord’s Day no matter where you are. If you cannot attend Mass on Sunday because there is no Mass being offered then you have no Obligation either. However you should still observe Sunday as best as you can.

 

[DebCWil]

I am currently in the Middle East, and being that we are in Muslim country, the typical weekend is Friday and Saturday In some countries it’s Thursday and Friday, that’s how it is here in Bahrain. Regardless, their Friday is our Sunday. I can go to Mass here, but Sunday Mass is on Friday morning, the Muslim holy day. Most places around here are closed, very few Muslims work on Friday. That’s fine, but I have a question hopefully someone can answer. Normally we are supposed to observe Sunday as a holy day of rest. Would it be wrong to change that and do it on Friday? I have irregular working hours and will have to work on both of those days at times, but the rest of the time should Sunday be Sunday or should Friday be Sunday? I am not aware of anywhere I could go to attend Mass on Sunday. Thanks, I hope somebody can help me out with this.

I remember listening to a sermon on the radio once. I think it was a Luthern service. Anyway, the minister was preaching about the Sabbath as a day of rest. That day of rest could be any day of the week. For the Jews the Sabbath falls on Saturday, but it could just as easily be Tuesday. What was important was not so much the specific day as the need to rest. We are called to work six days and to rest on the seventh.
I do not know how this fits into the Magisterium, but it does present one way of looking at the idea of Sabbath.

 

[Fuerza]

Just to clarify a couple of points:
If you are unable to get to a Catholic Mass on Sunday, you are released from your obligation to attend Mass on Sunday. The Church does not command the impossible.

You MAY go to a Mass on Friday or any other weekday if you wish and if it is possible, but this does NOT satisfy your Sunday obligation. The Mass said on a Friday must always be the weekday Mass for that Friday, NOT the Mass of the following Sunday. If as you imply (“Sunday Mass is on Friday morning”) the priest is saying the Mass of the Sunday instead of the Mass of the Friday, this is an abuse, and AFAIK the Bahrain government’s oppression of Christians does not excuse it.

Similarly you MAY go to an Eastern Orthodox Mass on a Sunday if you cannot get to a Catholic Mass, but this is entirely optional and it does NOT satisfy your Sunday obligation (which you are released from if you can’t get to a Catholic Mass.).

You are obliged not to do servile work on a Sunday if you can possibly avoid it. Of course this won’t always be possible but you could request your superiors to roster you off on Sundays as much as practicable. Even if you have to work on Sunday you should at least try to set aside some extra time for reading Scripture and other good Catholic spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, and recreation.

I’ve actually read that the Vatican has issued special permission for Sunday Mass to be said on Fridays in Muslim countries where no Sunday Mass is available. I don’t know where I read it but I’ll see if I can find it.

 

[Soldier4Christ]

Thank you. I had never heard of the Vatican issuing anything like that.

 

[Soldier4Christ]

Thanks for everyone’s replies and advice.

I do not think it is an abuse in the Middle East- it is authorized in both the Vicariates of Kuwait and Arabia. The Mass of the Sunday is also celebrated on the Friday (or at least, some of the Masses are) saving certain Fridays of the year and also on the Sundays.

Sacred Heart in Manama offers Sunday Masses on Fridays and Sundays. I am often not able to attend on Sundays, so I usually go on Fridays, but most of the time on base. You are correct about the Vicariate of Arabia (based in Kuwait, covering all of SW Asia) allowing the celebration of Sunday Mass to take place on Friday.

Greetings Soldier4Christ. If you are indeed unable to attend Mass on Sundays then you would do so on Fridays and which I think also would be observed as the holy day of rest- since, as you know, many people go to work on Sunday so it is not possible to observe it as such for some. In that case also, your abstinence from meat/ penitential observances are to be done on Wednesdays. When I spoke to the bishop once about it, he had advised me to nonetheless, not forget the fundamental importance of Sunday and to still keep it special in some way. Regardless, speak to confessor about it since he will be able to tell you based on your particular circumstances

I also found out that the US Archdiocese for Military Services has the same policy for those serving in such areas. The base here runs on the same weekday/weekend schedule as the rest of Bahrain, due to the high number of civilian employees, so it would be impractical to hold Sunday Mass on Sunday, few would be able to attend. And I have been observing Wednesday as I normally would Friday.

P.S. I would really recommend Fr. Menachery’s Masses, if you can attend one that he is saying- he is a really excellent preacher, confessor and spiritual director and very devout.

This past weekend I was at one of Fr. Menachery’s Masses for the first time. You’re right, he is an outstanding preacher. I can also understand him more easily than the others I’ve heard. They all speak very good English, but the accent can be difficult to deal with sometimes.

 

[AJV]

Hi Soldier for Christ,

Thanks for everyone’s replies and advice.

Sacred Heart in Manama offers Sunday Masses on Fridays and Sundays. I am often not able to attend on Sundays, so I usually go on Fridays, but most of the time on base. You are correct about the Vicariate of Arabia (based in Kuwait, covering all of SW Asia) allowing the celebration of Sunday Mass to take place on Friday.

The Vicariate of Kuwait and the Vicariate of Arabia are independant of each other. His Lordship, Paul Hinder, the Vicar Apostolic of Arabia is based in Abu Dhabi (UAE) while His Lordship, Camilo Ballin is based in Kuwait. Also the Vicariate of Arabia is mainly “staffed” by priests of the Capuchin order while the VoK has Carmelites, but also a number of secular and also teaching priests of Don Bosco (Salesians). H.L. Ballin is of a different order altogether - the Comboni Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.

The jurisdiction of the Vicariate extends for both Latin and Eastern Christians only within the Arabian Peninsula - the GCC (except for Kuwait) and Yemen.

This past weekend I was at one of Fr. Menachery’s Masses for the first time. You’re right, he is an outstanding preacher. I can also understand him more easily than the others I’ve heard. They all speak very good English, but the accent can be difficult to deal with sometimes.

Too true. Accents are always a challenge, even I find it so. The Fr. Vicar General speaks with an English accent, the bishop with a German one,and a lot of the newer priests with a South Indian one and the older ones with an Italian one (and I should not forget the Filipinos) I am greatly happy that you were encouraged by his preaching.

 

[agapewolf]

You MAY go to a Mass on Friday or any other weekday if you wish and if it is possible, but this does NOT satisfy your Sunday obligation. The Mass said on a Friday must always be the weekday Mass for that Friday, NOT the Mass of the following Sunday. If as you imply (“Sunday Mass is on Friday morning”) the priest is saying the Mass of the Sunday instead of the Mass of the Friday, this is an abuse, and AFAIK the Bahrain government’s oppression of Christians does not excuse it.

.

This is absolutely incorrect. Military especially, when a chaplain is traveling all around trying to serve different groups of people and celebrates Mass, (like Christmas Mass). I know a chaplain who said Christmas Masses every day for 2 weeks…traveling to different groups of soldiers.

Also, special groups (like retreats, or especially children) that have an “event”… Mass can have special readings that are not the day’s readings, but rather tied to the group. Our campus ministry (because students went home to families for Easter-spring break), had the “Easter vigil Mass” celebrated the week after Easter, so our RCIA folks in our community did it together. (The priest had special permission from the Bishop).

There are all sorts of circumstances that make a valid need for changing the readings. This is not necessarily an abuse