Travelling and Holy Days of Obligation in different countries

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If you say, travel to a country where a certain day which you are there is a Holy Day of Obligation for that country but not for your own country- are you still under obligation since you’re in that country?

For example All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation in the USA but not in Canada. If say a Canadian comes to America for travel and is there on All Saints Day, they are required to fulfill their obligation to attend mass, correct? Conversely an American travelling to Canada and is there on All Saints Day is not under obligation?
 
I think I’ve read the the lesser burden applies. So a Canadian in the US wouldn’t have an obligation to attend Mass on a day required in the US but not Canada. But it seems like @acanonlawyer would know for sure.
 
I am pretty sure it is the “When in Rome” standard. That is what I have been led to believe at least. For example, my Archdiocese celebrates The Ascension on the Sunday after Ascension Thursday, like most Diocese in the US. But if I was in one where Ascension Thursday was a Holy Day of Obligation, then I would be expected to attend Mass that day.
 

The basics for it, according to the site, are that you follow the rules of your diocese. So if the place you’re visiting has a day as a Holy Day of Obligation but your home diocese doesn’t, then it is not an obligation for you. And if the place you visiting doesn’t have the day as an HDO but your home diocese does, then an obligation exists for you.

There’s also some discussion in there about how to determine what your home diocese is for cases where travel may be long for example.

edit: @Canvas it’s good to see you again.
 
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No and not the host diocese either.

Canon 13 addresses this. If an American with a November 1 obligation travels to Canada, the obligation does not bind under can 13 section 2 subsection 1.

Conversely, a Canadian who finds himself in the United States on November 1 has no obligation either as per canon 13 section 2 subsection 2.
 
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Except if they are transients…
Can. 13 §1. Particular laws are not presumed to be personal but territorial unless it is otherwise evident.

§2. Travelers are not bound:

1/ by the particular laws of their own territory as long as they are absent from it unless either the transgression of those laws causes harm in their own territory or the laws are personal;

2/ by the laws of the territory in which they are present, with the exception of those laws which provide for public order, which determine the formalities of acts, or which regard immovable goods located in the territory.

§3. Transients are bound by both universal and particular laws which are in force in the place where they are present.
 
I would have gotten this right if it wasn’t for you meddling kids!

Hey @mVitus it is great to see you again!
 
The OP is clear from the context that travelers are described, not transients (because it is clear that the person’s home diocese has the obligation, therefore signifying domicile, and therefore eliminating the scenario that a transient is described).

Therefore, canons 13.2.1 and 13.2.2 apply, because such a person is a traveler. And in the situation described, an American visiting Canada would not be bound by the November 1 obligation, and neither would a Canadian visiting in the United States.

If a Canadian actually moved to the United States with the intention of living there, he acquires domicile, and therefore becomes subject to the particular law of his new home.
 
The traveler might not know a particular day is a Holy Day of Obligation, especially if he arrived in the country after the Sunday preceding the solemnity.
I can recall at any given parish there being a vigil Mass, a Mass early in the morning (before work) and one late afternoon (after work); a city parish may have had one at noon. Now those Masses may be divided up among different parishes in different towns. I know how difficult it can be to find a Mass while traveling, even domestically.
 
mVitus said:
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porthos11:
And in the situation described, an American visiting Canada would not be bound by the November 1
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That seems to differ from the canonlawmadeeasy link I posted up earlier.
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Yes, because the link states the wrong thing. They cited only canon 12, while canon 13 clearly relieves travelers of those obligations.

As a JCL, the author ought to know better.

As I’m not a canon lawyer myself, I’ll ping our own resident @acanonlawyer to confirm or correct my assertions.
 
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Yes, that was a swing and a miss by Caridi. She didn’t consider/address one of the pertinent canons.

Dan
 
There is no obligation either way. For the one who comes from a place where there is no obligation, he is not expected to know the particular law for the place he is visiting. For the one who comes from the place where there is an obligation, but goes where there is no obligation, there may not even be an opportunity to attend Mass.

Dan
 
Does territory always mean diocese (or equivalent) or may it also mean country?
For example, every diocese in Canada (as far as I know) has the same two holy days of obligation (Christmas and Mary, Mother of God)… as that law applies to all the dioceses of the country, does that mean a Canadian traveller is bound as he travels from diocese to diocese? Or does territory mean diocese in which case it is a particular law that just happens to be the same… ?
 
twf said:
Does territory always mean diocese (or equivalent) or may it also mean country?
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In this case (days of obligation), it means the territory of a conference of bishops since individual bishops aren’t given the authority to change the law. In other cases, it would mean a diocesan territory.

Dan
 
I guess I see what people are saying, however why must we always act as though going to mass is something to “have to do”. I never really liked the term "obligation " put on it. More like a holy day of opportunity! I wish I could go to mass every day! Once you understand what mass actually means you will want it as much as possible. That and all of the sacraments actually. Catechsis needs a serious overhaul in the Church. We don’t have a good education program and I also believe their should be more adult programs for understanding. It needs more apologetics thrown in. I feel like my faith today has nothing to do with catechsis as a child. All they really do is get you through the sacraments without ever really teaching why we believe what we believe. It’s a serious problem with that said this site and the Catholic Answers store and also programs on cds by Lighthouse Talks are a blessing to the church.
 
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