The Sunday Obligation

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agoukass

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I converted from Orthodoxy to Catholicism two years ago. Back when I was Orthodox, I don’t remember there being any such thing as a Sunday Obligation. I remember going to Sunday School and all kinds of others of study groups, but I don’t ever hearing about it until I became a Catholic.

My question, therefore, is whether the Eastern Catholic Church has the Sunday Obligation and whether the Eastern Rites of the Church consider it to be a mortal sin to miss Divine Litury on Sunday?
 
The Code of Canon law for Eastern Churches seems to say yes there’s an obligation (I have no idea about the mortal sin part):

Canon 881
  1. The Christian faithful are bound by the obligation to participate on Sundays and feast days in the Divine Liturgy, or according to the prescriptions or legitimate customs of their own Church sui iuris, in the celebration of the divine praises.
2.In order for the Christian faithful to fulfill this obligation more easily, the available time runs from the evening of the vigil until the end of the Sunday or feast day.
  1. The Christian faithful are strongly recommended to receive the Divine Eucharist on these days and indeed more frequently, even daily.
  2. The Christian faithful should abstain from those labors or business matters which impede the worship to be rendered to God, the joy which is proper to the Lord’s day, or to the proper relaxation of mind and body.
Cheers
 
Thanks, digger.

As you say, I am still wondering whether not attending would be a mortal sin.
 
agoukass said:
Thanks, digger.

As you say, I am still wondering whether not attending would be a mortal sin.
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Well, ‘bound’ means bound - we skip Mass on pain of sin. The CCC makes it clearer:

"2180 The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass."117 "The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day."118

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. "

So clearly it’s grave matter - for it to be mortal sin requires two other things - a) that we know it’s grave matter (which you do now if you didn’t before) and b) that you freely choose not to go.

As for the Orthodox - it may just be a case of different vocab, but would the Orthodox not regard it as a serious sin (at least) to neglect attending liturgy on Sundays?
 
agoukass said:
I converted from Orthodoxy to Catholicism two years ago. Back when I was Orthodox, I don’t remember there being any such thing as a Sunday Obligation. I remember going to Sunday School and all kinds of others of study groups, but I don’t ever hearing about it until I became a Catholic.

My question, therefore, is whether the Eastern Catholic Church has the Sunday Obligation and whether the Eastern Rites of the Church consider it to be a mortal sin to miss Divine Litury on Sunday?
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Instead of answering your question directly, let me give you an analogy - The Eastern Churches tend to view sin in terms of an illness which needs a cure. A major cure for the disease called sin is Confession, and worthily receiving Eucharist while participating in the Divine Liturgy. One who misses this opportunity for no good reason does himself grave harm by not availing himself of the cure for his illness.

What exactly does the Latin Church mean when it is said that something is a “mortal sin”? It means that the act causes grave harm to one’s soul.
 
SyroMalankara said:
Instead of answering your question directly, let me give you an analogy - The Eastern Churches tend to view sin in terms of an illness which needs a cure. A major cure for the disease called sin is Confession, and worthily receiving Eucharist while participating in the Divine Liturgy. One who misses this opportunity for no good reason does himself grave harm by not availing himself of the cure for his illness.

What exactly does the Latin Church mean when it is said that something is a “mortal sin”? It means that the act causes grave harm to one’s soul.
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More than that - mortal literally means deadly (as in a mortal wound) - so the harm is so grave that it kills, or nearly kills, the action of God’s grace in the soul.
 
SyroMalankara said:
Instead of answering your question directly, let me give you an analogy - The Eastern Churches tend to view sin in terms of an illness which needs a cure. A major cure for the disease called sin is Confession, and worthily receiving Eucharist while participating in the Divine Liturgy. One who misses this opportunity for no good reason does himself grave harm by not availing himself of the cure for his illness.

What exactly does the Latin Church mean when it is said that something is a “mortal sin”? It means that the act causes grave harm to one’s soul.
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Syro,

This makes perfect sense because this is what I was taught as far as viewing the Church as a hospital and the Sacraments as being ways to cure an illness.

It seems to me as well that the Orthodox Church does not make any clear distinction between mortal and venial sin. To paraphrase a famous poem, sin is sin is sin is sin. The gravity of the sin depends on what you have done and what you have failed to do.

Also, Orthodox theology does not outline absolutely everything like the Latin Church does in the CCC.
 
agoukass said:
… Orthodox theology does not outline absolutely everything like the Latin Church does in the CCC.
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Indeed. I expect that the ECC/OCC will never be free of the overly legalistic (in some ways bordering on the pharisaical) approach of the Latin Church. The very existence of the CCOE is one example. It’s contents are another. It’s structure yet another. That the CCC is even quoted in matters relating to the East and Orient is another … The list goes on and on … and on.
 
My question, therefore, is whether the Eastern Catholic Church has the Sunday Obligation and whether the Eastern Rites of the Church consider it to be a mortal sin to miss Divine Litury on Sunday?

The proper expression is Eastern Catholic ChurchES.

And yes.

In my experience with Orthodoxy, the “obligation” was for the PARISH to offer as full la liturgical cycle as possible, including Vespers and Matins (Orthros), as well as the Divine Liturgy.

The obligation of the individual was to attend as much of it–including Vespers and Matins–as possible.

I gather you embraced the Roman Rite. Any reason why?

Orthodox who convert are urged to enter the sui juris church that corresponds to theirs, such as an Antiochian becomes Melkite.
 
Orthodox Christians are taught the blessings and commandments as basis of contact.
Such 4th command is:
  1. Помни о дне субботнем и уважай его: шесть дней работай, занимайся делами своими, а седьмой же день, в субботу, посвяти Господу Богу твоему.
This is called : remember concerning sabbath day and respect it, six days work, busy with your affairs, but seventh day - in Sabbath - to dedicate to Lord Your God.

Creating addition laws for all people is not a good idea. Spiritual father may suggest certain things to certain souls. But all must obey the 4th command of God.
 
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