What Set of Holy Days of Obligation Are One Bound to Under Pain of Sin?

[J1234]

I heard that the Holy Days of Obligation for Catholics are dependent upon where you live and what rite you are (Latin or One of the Eastern Rites). For Example I learned from Wikipedia that in Ireland Saint Patrick’s Day is a Holy Day of Obligation but not a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States of America. (I could be wrong here and I don’t know how reliable the article is but it sounds right.) So What set of Holy Days of Obligation are one bound to under pain of sin?

Example 1: If you are baptized in the Latin Rite but attend an Eastern Rite Church, or vice versa, what Holy Days of Obligation must you attend to? The Holy Days of the Rite you were Baptized in, or the Holy Days of the Rite of the Church you most frequently attend?

Example 2: I am in a different country on a vacation. During my vacation there is a Holy Day Obligation, but it is only a Holy Day of Obligation in my home country and not a Holy Day of Obligation in the country I am visiting. If I do not attend Mass on that Holy Day of Obligation, which is being celebrated in my home country but not the country I am visiting at the moment, have I sinned (assuming I have met the 3 requirement for mortal sin)?

Example 3: I am in a different country on a vacation. During my vacation there is a Holy Day of Obligation that is only a Holy Day of Obligation in the country I am visiting, but it is not a Holy Day of Obligation in my home country, must I attend Mass on that day because I am in a country that has a Holy Day of Obligation that Day? Or is it permissible to not attend because my home country does not consider that day a Holy day of Obligation?

 

[NHInsider]

Really interesting question, and I don’t know if there is an official answer!

Typically the feast of the patron saint of a country is a day of obligation (my Pastor likes to say “Obligation and Opportunity”) only in that country - so St. Patrick (March 17) in Ireland, St. Joseph (March 19) in Italy, Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception in the US (Dec. 8) but Our Lady of Guadaloupe (Dec 12) in Mexico.

My guess would be that ones actual location on a particular day would determine the obligation, rather than ones nationality, but I don’t know that for a fact.

I believe ones obligations stem from one’s own Rite (I’m not sure exactly what governs a person regularly attending another Rite - aren’t you only supposed to do that if the opportunity to celebrate in your Rite isn’t available?)

 

[Tietjen]

I heard that the Holy Days of Obligation for Catholics are dependent upon where you live and what rite you are (Latin or One of the Eastern Rites). For Example I learned from Wikipedia that in Ireland Saint Patrick’s Day is a Holy Day of Obligation but not a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States of America. (I could be wrong here and I don’t know how reliable the article is but it sounds right.) So What set of Holy Days of Obligation are one bound to under pain of sin?

In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows:
January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God;
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension;
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints;
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception;
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.

Example 1: If you are baptized in the Latin Rite but attend an Eastern Rite Church, or vice versa, what Holy Days of Obligation must you attend to? The Holy Days of the Rite you were Baptized in, or the Holy Days of the Rite of the Church you most frequently attend?

As I understand it, if you were Baptized in the Latin Rite and later in life you start attending an Eastern Rite Church, you are still a Latin Rite Catholic. I believe that in order to change Rites you must have a letter releasing you from the one Rite and another accepting you into the gaining Rite. I could be wrong on this however.

Example 2: I am in a different country on a vacation. During my vacation there is a Holy Day Obligation, but it is only a Holy Day of Obligation in my home country and not a Holy Day of Obligation in the country I am visiting. If I do not attend Mass on that Holy Day of Obligation, which is being celebrated in my home country but not the country I am visiting at the moment, have I sinned (assuming I have met the 3 requirement for mortal sin)?

The question is are you able to attend Mass on this day in the country you are visiting? If so, do it and then you don’t have to worry whether there is a sin or not.

Example 3: I am in a different country on a vacation. During my vacation there is a Holy Day of Obligation that is only a Holy Day of Obligation in the country I am visiting, but it is not a Holy Day of Obligation in my home country, must I attend Mass on that day because I am in a country that has a Holy Day of Obligation that Day? Or is it permissible to not attend because my home country does not consider that day a Holy day of Obligation?

If you’re on vacation in another country and have the opportunity to attend Mass, do it. If you are unable to attend Mass, then there is no sin.

Personally, I wish that there was enough time for me to attend daily Mass, but at this point in my life that is not an option.

 

[J1234]

Example 2: I am in a different country on a vacation. During my vacation there is a Holy Day Obligation, but it is only a Holy Day of Obligation in my home country and not a Holy Day of Obligation in the country I am visiting. If I do not attend Mass on that Holy Day of Obligation, which is being celebrated in my home country but not the country I am visiting at the moment, have I sinned (assuming I have met the 3 requirement for mortal sin)?

I think in any case it would be good to go to Mass, but I wonder, usually a weekday Mass only has one reading, and The Gospel Reading, no? But a Holy Day of Obligation will be like a Sunday Mass with two readings, and The Gospel Reading. Would a Mass in a different country not celebrating the Holy Day of Obligation have the same readings as one that would be (possibly having one less reading in the country not celebrating)? Would the Mass then not “count” for that Holy Day of Obligation if the readings were different or there were one less?

 

[Mike_Dye]

In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows:
January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God;
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension;
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints;
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception;
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.

As I understand it, if you were Baptized in the Latin Rite and later in life you start attending an Eastern Rite Church, you are still a Latin Rite Catholic. I believe that in order to change Rites you must have a letter releasing you from the one Rite and another accepting you into the gaining Rite. I could be wrong on this however.

The question is are you able to attend Mass on this day in the country you are visiting? If so, do it and then you don’t have to worry whether there is a sin or not.

If you’re on vacation in another country and have the opportunity to attend Mass, do it. If you are unable to attend Mass, then there is no sin.

Personally, I wish that there was enough time for me to attend daily Mass, but at this point in my life that is not an option.

Finally a post that I can agree 100% with:thumbsup:

 

[thistle]

.

The question is are you able to attend Mass on this day in the country you are visiting? If so, do it and then you don’t have to worry whether there is a sin or not.

If you’re on vacation in another country and have the opportunity to attend Mass, do it. If you are unable to attend Mass, then there is no sin.

.(

That’s only partly correct. You are supposed to check in advance of going on vacation to another country if and where the Catholic Churches are so you would be able to attend. If you are going somewhere where there are no Catholic (or Orthodox) Churches or you will be in a part of the country making it impossible for you to get to a Church then before you go on holiday you have to a get a dispensation to miss Mass when you are away.

 

[SMHW]

Example 2: I am in a different country on a vacation. During my vacation there is a Holy Day Obligation, but it is only a Holy Day of Obligation in my home country and not a Holy Day of Obligation in the country I am visiting. If I do not attend Mass on that Holy Day of Obligation, which is being celebrated in my home country but not the country I am visiting at the moment, have I sinned (assuming I have met the 3 requirement for mortal sin)?

Example 3: I am in a different country on a vacation. During my vacation there is a Holy Day of Obligation that is only a Holy Day of Obligation in the country I am visiting, but it is not a Holy Day of Obligation in my home country, must I attend Mass on that day because I am in a country that has a Holy Day of Obligation that Day? Or is it permissible to not attend because my home country does not consider that day a Holy day of Obligation?

I believe that in these cases where Days of Obligation differ from place to place that the traveler typically is NOT bound by the obligation to attend Mass, whether place of residence or place of visitation is the source of an obligation.

But why would one not attend Mass if it is possible?

 

[J1234]

But why would one not attend Mass if it is possible?

I do believe it would be best to attend Mass in any case, Holy Day of Obligation or not, but what I really want to know, and I don’t know of a better way of phrasing it, is what “set” Holy Days of Obligation are we bound to attend under pain of sin?

It is possible there may be a few more Holy Days of Obligation (or different ones celebrated) in the Eastern Rite Church’s. Also the Different Rites might celebrated the same Holy Day on a different day, (although I’m not sure if that actually occurs). I believe for the most part the Holy Days of Obligation are pretty much the same for all the Rites.

I ask my question because I know someone who is Baptized in an Eastern Rite but attends a Latin Rite church for every Sunday Mass and for all of the Holy Days of Obligation. Thus making it possible for them to miss a Holy Day of Obligation for the Eastern Rite Holy Day but be unaware of the fact because the Latin Rite might celebrate that Holy Day on a different day, or not at all. Thus the person I know would think they are attending Mass for all the Holy Days of Obligation when in fact they could be missing a few because they are attending Mass for the Holy Days of Obligation in the Latin Rite but they are Baptized in an Eastern Rite (But they would probably would not have full consent of the Will in missing the Holy Day of Obligation). But this leads to, are we bound under pain of sin to observe the Holy Days of Obligation for the Rite we were Baptized into or are we under pain of sin to observer the Holy Days of Obligation of just one Rite independent on what Rite we were Baptized into? And this leads to when traveling what “set” Holy Days of Obligation are we bound to attend Mass for under pain of sin. And Thus what “set” Holy Days of Obligation are we bound to attend under pain of sin?

 

[NHInsider]

That’s only partly correct. You are supposed to check in advance of going on vacation to another country if and where the Catholic Churches are so you would be able to attend. If you are going somewhere where there are no Catholic (or Orthodox) Churches or you will be in a part of the country making it impossible for you to get to a Church then before you go on holiday you have to a get a dispensation to miss Mass when you are away.

Have you got some documentation of this? I’m pretty sure if I wrote my diocesan office and said I needed a dispensation from Mass attendance because I was going to be out in the wilderness on, say, the Feast of the Assumption, I would be met with a totally blank stare, if not a guffaw.

They’d have to set up a whole office just to issue vacation dispensations.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of-and-donor to masstimes.org and I always try to get to Mass wherever I am, but I have never heard this statement ever and cannot imagine how it could be implemented . . . and even less so in the pre-internet era.

 

[thistle]

Have you got some documentation of this? I’m pretty sure if I wrote my diocesan office and said I needed a dispensation from Mass attendance because I was going to be out in the wilderness on, say, the Feast of the Assumption, I would be met with a totally blank stare, if not a guffaw.

They’d have to set up a whole office just to issue vacation dispensations.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of-and-donor to masstimes.org and I always try to get to Mass wherever I am, but I have never heard this statement ever and cannot imagine how it could be implemented . . . and even less so in the pre-internet era.

Dispensation would only be required from the priest, and not the bishop, and its not a formal request in writing. You simply have to talk to the priest and he has to say yes or no.

If you go to a country where there is no Catholic Church or to a part of a country where it is impossible for you to reach a Church that is not through no fault of your own. That is a deliberate act on your part in going somewhere you know you can’t get to Church. In such a scenario the obligation is not automatically dispensed with. You have to ask your priest before you book your holidays.

CCC 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. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.