Wheelies and sin

[Sbee0]

Regarding dispensations and cruises:

Catholic Mass on Cruise Ships Family Life

My daughter recently went on a cruise with Royal Caribbean, and she said there was a Sunday Mass in one of the lounges on board. A strange setting, but way better than no Mass at all! Betsy

It may have been “Not a real or sanctioned Mass” at all unfortunately. There has been quite a scandal reported over the last year about this. At present the only two cruise lines you can be sure the priest is a real bonified Catholic priest is *“Celebrity” * and *“Holland Americ…

 

[1ke]

I want official church teaching regarding dispensation. Anything?

Can. 1245 Without prejudice to the right of diocesan bishops mentioned in can. 87, for a just cause and according to the prescripts of the diocesan bishop, a pastor can grant in individual cases a dispensation from the obligation of observing a feast day or a day of penance or can grant a commutation of the obligation into other pious works. A superior of a religious institute or society of apostolic life, if they are clerical and of pontifical right, can also do this in regard to his own subjects and others living in the house day and night.

 

[1Lord1Faith]

It’s not necessary to go see a priest about this. It’s more necessary just to get permission from your parents. If they are okay with you missing Mass then you’re fine.

 

[Theresalux]

It’s not necessary to go see a priest about this. It’s more necessary just to get permission from your parents. If they are okay with you missing Mass then you’re fine.

That it not correct at all.

 

[1Lord1Faith]

Show me sources to back this up.

 

[TC3033]

I feel like we just had a thread on this a month or so ago and ya, a priest the frequents the boards said vacations were legit reasons for dispensation.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I feel like we just had a thread on this a month or so ago and ya, a priest the frequents the boards said vacations were legit reasons for dispensation.

Yeah, it’s been common knowledge for many decades. My mother spoke about it often when I was young. Back then it was even more difficult to find Mass in an unfamiliar area because you didn’t have Mass times app.

 

[Norseman82]

OP, I’m in the camp that you should try to plan everything around Mass attendance on Sunday. Another option: can you get to an early Mass before the course starts?

However, as a motorcyclist (I have a rice rocket) and a member of a Catholic motorcycle ministry, I’m concerned about how you worded the title of the thread “WHEELIES and sin”. “Wheelies” may look cool, but stunting on a public street not only can be dangerous, but also illegal. Do you know what you are getting yourself into? What kind of motorcycle are you thinking of getting?

 

[poche]

Speak to the pastor of your parish and explain your situation. He can give you a dispensation if he feels the situation warrants it.

 

[Cirdan_XII]

You’re not being respectful at all. Show me some sources that lay out the rules and regulations regarding dispensation. Because I sure as heck know that “hey I want to go on a tropical vacation, but darn I can’t make it to mass, but that’s ok right Father?” won’t cut it.

I want sources.

If there is no codified rule from Rome, I assume that it is up to every diocese to lay down rules and guidelines, and where the diocese has not done so it is up to every priest to use his best judgement, and thus your question cannot be answered in a general way.

 

[Cirdan_XII]

There are many areas of the world where you cannot access a Catholic Mass on a Sunday, including on many cruise lines,

This is an interesting point.

I am probably going on a cruise this summer. It’s a family member’s 80th birthday and it is their wish to go on a cruise with all the extended family. I haven’t booked yet so don’t know if this will include a Sunday. But if it does, can I generally expect there to be a chaplain on board who will say mass. Surely on a ship with with 5000 people or so, there should be a couple of Catholics?

And if there isn’t a Catholic chaplain, but some sort of Ecumenical service, should I attend that? This happened to me when I was in hosital once. The hosital didn’t have a Catholic mass but when i asked about it they brought me to a Ecumenical service which was quite nice actually, but I wasn’t sure whether it is better to miss Mass totally or go to something that is pretending to be a Eucharist of some sort but isn’t. I didn’t take their Communion by the way.

 

[Cirdan_XII]

Yeah, it’s been common knowledge for many decades. My mother spoke about it often when I was young. Back then it was even more difficult to find Mass in an unfamiliar area because you didn’t have Mass times app.

or Google tarnslate

or websites even.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

You should check with the cruise line. I don’t think it’s the norm for them to provide a priest for Mass though.

If there’s an ecumenical service, it’s obviously not going to be sufficient to replace Mass, so it’s your call whether you want to attend it or just pray Catholic prayers/ read scripture in your room.

 

[TC3033]

I haven’t booked yet so don’t know if this will include a Sunday.

Odds are it will, but it kind of depends on the length of the cruise and when it leaves. Personally I’ve never been on one that didn’t encompass at least traveling to/from the port on a Sunday or being on the cruise for a Sunday.

generally expect there to be a chaplain on board who will say mass.

Depends on the cruise line. Our next cruise, the line offers one interdenominational service per voyage. If they are able to line up a priest, he will have a Mass but does not guarantee a priest will be on all sailings.

 

[LawyersGunsAndMoney]

As much as you’d want to have a Mass, I do sympathize with the cruise line. They can’t very well guarantee there will be a cleric from every single religion/denomination a passenger might adhere to.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Also, when whole groups of Catholics are traveling together, they usually have a priest along and he says the Mass wherever they happen to be. In his hotel room if necessary.

 

[1ke]

But if it does, can I generally expect there to be a chaplain on board who will say mass. Surely on a ship with with 5000 people or so, there should be a couple of Catholics?

No. You cannot generally expect a Catholic mass on board the cruise ship. Only Holland America contractually has a priest on board for their, primarily Filipino, crew. Masses are regularly available to passengers on Holland America cruises-- or at least last time I checked.

Not so much on other cruise lines.

If you are in port, however, there may be a Catholic Church available. When i went on a Caribbean cruise, we were in port two Sundays. I walked to the Catholic Church in the British Virgin Islands, and took a cab to the one in the US Virgin Islands the following Sunday.

If you are on a cruise and there is no priest aboard and you are at sea on Saturday/Sunday then you do not have a mass obligation. If you are in port and there is no Catholic Church you can reasonably attend, then you also have no obligation.

And if there isn’t a Catholic chaplain, but some sort of Ecumenical service, should I attend that?

You are under no obligation to do so.

 

[on_the_hill]

@eze, is this the class offered through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation?

If it’s like the class I took many years ago, they give everyone a license test at the end of the course. It’s possible that you would be able to do everything up until the final exam and then leave for Mass. You can probably take the licensing test at another time.

 

[on_the_hill]

Just one word of advice–I first got a motorcycle because I thought the same thing: convenience, easy on gas, quick to use, etc. I soon realized that it’s faster, easier, and more convenient to use a car. (e.g., no helmet, no gloves to carry around)

Not to discourage you at all, though. Go for it!

 

[TheLittleLady]

Invite a priest along Surely there is a priest who has been part of your 80 year old relative’s life, if everyone shares the cost of his ticket, you will know you can have Mass.