Sunday obligation during vacation

  • Thread starter Thread starter diamond
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

diamond

Guest
Relatives have invited my children to vacation in a place where it will be impossible for them to go to Mass on Sunday (nearest Mass is an hour away, and there will be no Catholics present to drive them to it).

May they go, and be excused from the Sunday obligation because it is impossible, while there, to get to Mass?

Or is it a sin for me to send them on this particular vacation knowing that it will cause them to miss Mass?

:confused:
 
40.png
diamond:
Relatives have invited my children to vacation in a place where it will be impossible for them to go to Mass on Sunday (nearest Mass is an hour away, and there will be no Catholics present to drive them to it).

May they go, and be excused from the Sunday obligation because it is impossible, while there, to get to Mass?

Or is it a sin for me to send them on this particular vacation knowing that it will cause them to miss Mass?

:confused:
Click to expand...
Talk to your priest about your options including a dispensation as well as ways to make up for missing their Sunday Mass obligation, if he thinks it necessary. You don’t want to deprive you children of going on vacation with their relations if you don’t have to.
 
If its impossible for the children to go, then they just aren’t obligated to go to Mass.

Catholics aren’t banned from visiting areas with no Catholic masses available. It just isn’t a sin to visit the Greek isles, or Siberia or Mt. Everest or your relatives home.

The problem would be if the visit were extended, or they were making the visit specifically to avoid hearing mass.
 
I would assume then that the relatives are not practicing Catholics. Is the nearest Mass one hour away by car, bus, train, plane? It seems to me that if the mass is an hours drive away the relatives could surely bring them, an hour isn’t that long a drive, I go almost that far to get to Mass myself. And even if the relatives are not Catholics they could still bring the kids there couldn’t they?

Of course if there are extenuating circumstances, the children would not be under any obligation to attend. How old are they anyway?
 
Relatives have invited my children to vacation in a place where it will be impossible for them to go to Mass on Sunday (nearest Mass is an hour away, and there will be no Catholics present to drive them to it).
Click to expand...
Whether it’s your children, yourself, or anyone else, you should always make arrangements ahead of time so Mass is not missed on Sunday.It is both a precept of the Church and Church law that Catholics must worship God on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation by participating in the Holy Mass.

I think it would be great if one or more of the “non-Catholics” could arrange to take your children to mass…Who knows, maybe you might help plant the seed that will inspire them to convert.
 
It’s true that there is no rule against vacationing in places where Mass is not available. However, as one poster noted, an hour’s drive is not really a geographical impossibility. I routinely drive 40 min. to Mass. It seems that relatives should be willing to respect your wishes to get your children to Mass.

I would also contend that while one MAY vacation where Mass is not available, one SHOULD seek to avoid this problem whenever possible. The first duty of a creature is to worship its Creator. I wouldn’t start making genuine exceptions, such as exist in this case, without meticulously weighing the pros and cons.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top