Transference of Corpus Christi

[JMJ_coder]

As Corpus Christi is not a Holy Day of Obligation, why is it transferred to a Sunday (and how is there authority for that since it isn’t a Holy Day of Obligation)?

 

[Evan]

As Corpus Christi is not a Holy Day of Obligation, why is it transferred to a Sunday (and how is there authority for that since it isn’t a Holy Day of Obligation)?

According to my breviary: If it is not celebrated as a Holy Day of Obligation it is transferred to the following Sunday.

In some times and places it must be a Holy Day, but not in my diocese. So the authority is from Rome and my Bishop.

 

[SMHW]

But it IS a holy day of obligation for the Latin rite Church. It’s just not one that has been observed in the United States.

 

[DeepeningFaith]

Major Solemnities and Feasts can be and often are transferred to Sundays. Now it is true that most Major Solemnities and Feasts are usually Holy Days of Obligation. But some are not. Also, Major Feasts are transferred to Sundays not on the authority necessarily of your Bishop, but on a group of Bishops in a given Region. The Ordo is put together by region.

This is probably done so that the faithful may celebrate the certain feast and hear the special prayers and readings.

 

[Cristiano]

Does anyone know why in the USA it is usually known as Corpus Christi while in other places (e.g. Italy) it is known as Corpus Domini? Everywhere the official title is “Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ”.

In Italy it is scheduled for Sunday except for Rome where Thursday is a holy day of obligation. However, in a city in southern Italy this year the procession will be moved to Saturday evening because the Major of the city wants to free the town for her sister’s live TV show on Sunday.

 

[Evan]

But it IS a holy day of obligation for the Latin rite Church. It’s just not one that has been observed in the United States.

Since I am not obliged to do anything on Thursday, I don’t think it would be referred to as a day of obligation. And since it is transferred to Sunday, I’m already obliged to mass on that day. So it may be a Holy Day (as are all Sundays), but not a day of obligation.

There may be someplace in the Latin Rite where it is a day of obligation but not in my Diocese under my Bishop in my Church (where the bishop is, there is the Church). My Bishop says this Sunday we are to celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood.

 

[tee_eff_em]

It is a holy day of obligation.

Can. 1246 §1. Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation. The following days must also be observed: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension,

the Body and Blood of Christ

, Holy Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints.

§2. With the prior approval of the Apostolic See, however, the conference of bishops can suppress some of the holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.

tee

 

[Evan]

Can. 1246 §1. Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation. The following days must also be observed: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints.

§2. With the prior approval of the Apostolic See, however, the conference of bishops can suppress some of the holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.

It’s been suppressed and transferred in my Diocese and, possibly, in the rest of the country so is not a day of obligation.

 

[SMHW]

There may be someplace in the Latin Rite where it is a day of obligation…

My point exactly.
Can. 1246 §1. Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation. The following days must also be observed: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints.§2. With the prior approval of the Apostolic See, however, the conference of bishops can suppress some of the holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.
In the United States the obligation to attend mass is suppressed for some of these days and moved to Sunday for others.

 

[tee_eff_em]

It’s been suppressed and transferred in my Diocese and, possibly, in the rest of the country so is not a day of obligation.

Has it been translated to a day other than Sunday in your diocese!? Is Sunday not a day of obligation!?


tee

 

[Evan]

Has it been translated to a day other than Sunday in your diocese!? Is Sunday not a day of obligation!?


tee

Yes and No. There is the weekly obligation to attend mass, but in the common parlance of native speakers of English, a Holy Day of Obligation is a solemnity that is outside of the weekly Sunday obligation.

So, as a native speaker of English, Sunday is not a Holy Day of Obligation save when Christmas or All Saints or some other Holy Day should fall on a Sunday.

Sunday is the weekly echo of the resurrection of Christ, as Friday is of the passion.

I am disappointed in the transferance of Corpus Christi and other Holy Days to Sunday but I submit and no longer refer to this Solemnities as Holy Days of Obligation.

It’s all in the semantics. If you feel the need to call the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time a Holy Day of Obligation, then, YES, this Sunday is a Holy Day of Obligation. If you reserve the title for fixed days which we must attend mass OUTSIDE the weekly obligation, then no.

So, as with all good questions: the answer is YES and NO.

 

[tee_eff_em]

Can. 1246 §1. Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation…

tee

 

[Evan]

Can. 1246 §1. Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation…

Yup. This is why I referred to the way English is used by native speakers of the language. If you wish to be a canon lawyer the you would need to precede such utterances by phrases like ‘technically speaking’ or ‘in the strictest sense’. I’m speaking as my Mother taught me, as my family, and fellow parishoners speaks, as I would speak to a stranger. None of those would as “Is Sunday of Holy Day of Obligation?” but they may ask “Is Ascension a Holy Day this year?” and even leave off the “of Obligation”. And in my diocese I would say, “No, it has been moved to Sunday”

The purpose of language is to communicate rather than obfuscate.

 

[Chatter163]

Does anyone know why in the USA it is usually known as Corpus Christi while in other places (e.g. Italy) it is known as Corpus Domini? Everywhere the official title is “Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ”.

The solemnity is officially titled (in Latin) as the Solemnity of the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The official English name in the USA is Body and Blood of Christ.In English and several other languages it is more commonly known by the Latin words Corpus Christi. So either Corpus Christi or Corpus Domini is simply shorthand for the much longer Latin name.

 

[MarkThompson]

I think it was genuinely known as Corpus Christi prior to revisions to the calendar in the late 60s. The 1962 Missale has “In festo Ssmi Corporis Christi” – this was later combined with the feast of the Most Precious Blood, formerly celebrated on July 1. Since the (moveable) date for Corpus Christi has been retained as the date for the combined feast, I think it’s been natural to retain the name informally as well.

 

[Cristiano]

The solemnity is officially titled (in Latin) as the Solemnity of the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The official English name in the USA is Body and Blood of Christ.In English and several other languages it is more commonly known by the Latin words Corpus Christi. So either Corpus Christi or Corpus Domini is simply shorthand for the much longer Latin name.

I was just curious how the shortened unofficial name ended up being different across the ocean. I thought that when I was a kid in Italy it was called Corpus Christi and not Corpus Domini but I might be wrong. It happened before, I will have to dig in the Italian web sites.

 

[tee_eff_em]

The solemnity is officially titled

(in Latin)

as the Solemnity of the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The official English name in the USA is Body and Blood of Christ.In English and several other languages it is more commonly known by the Latin words Corpus Christi. So either Corpus Christi or Corpus Domini is simply shorthand for the much longer Latin name.

FTR: Sollemnitas Sanctissimi Corporis et Sanguinis Christi

*Corporis *being the genitive of Corpus

tee