When was the date of Epiphany changed and why?

[lak611]

I know that the Catholic Church used to celebrate Epiphany on January 6, which coincidentally falls on Sunday in 2008. Nowadays, Epiphany is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first Saturday in January, which means it could fall on any day from January 2 to January 8. The Lutheran churches in my neighbourhood still celebrate Epiphany on January 6. When did the Catholic Church change the date? Why was this change made?

 

[bpbasilphx]

I believe this is done only in the USA or other places where Epiphany is NOT of precept in the Latin Rite.

FWIW, most of the Byzantine jurisdictions consider 6 January (called Theophany) a day of obligation; it’s one of the 12 Great Feasts.

 

[lak611]

I believe this is done only in the USA or other places where Epiphany is NOT of precept in the Latin Rite.

FWIW, most of the Byzantine jurisdictions consider 6 January (called Theophany) a day of obligation; it’s one of the 12 Great Feasts.

I found this link. When was Epiphany transferred to a Sunday for the Latin Rite in the USA? Was any reason for the transfer ever given?

 

[Phemie]

I found this link. When was Epiphany transferred to a Sunday for the Latin Rite in the USA? Was any reason for the transfer ever given?

Epiphany is one of the Church’s Holy Days of Obligation. Each National Bishops Conference has the right to decide for its country which of these Holy Days it will observe, transfer or abrogate. The USCCB & the CCCB decided to transfer the observance of Epiphany to the Sunday after the Feast of Mary Mother of God.

 

[AlexV]

Epiphany has been celebrated on 6 January for centuries and centuries.

After Vatican II, some local episcopal conferences decided that it wasn’t advisable to mandate that people attend Mass on 6 January every year.

So they changed the feast to the Sunday between 2 and 8 January, so you do have an obligation, but it’s always on a Sunday (when you would have been at Mass anyway).

They certainly had the right to do this (Rome allowed the change of date), but whether they SHOULD have done it is open to debate.

They effectively ruined Christmastide.

In the worst case, Epiphany is now January SECOND…which means you rush from the Octave of Christmas right to Epiphany, with not a second to breathe.

Or, Epiphany falls on 7-8 January, and Christmastide ends immediately after Epiphany…on Monday. Oh, yeah, well, no, in 1979 Rome said that if you’re one of those countries that plays around with Epiphany, you can celebrate the Baptism on MONDAY and then start Ordinary Time on Tuesday (before 1979 the Baptism was simply cut out in those years).

It’s a royal mess (no pun intended), all caused by the premise that we can’t possibly expect people to attend Mass on January 6 every year, so we have to move it. No liturgical justification, no liturgical benefit…pure fast food mentality, move everything to Sundays for convenience.

By the way, the next time you’re tempted to blast the secular world, thank it for Christmas. If the US Bishops had their way, Christmas would probably be moved to the “Sunday closest to 25 December”.

 

[Digitonomy]

…Christmas would probably be moved to the “Sunday closest to 25 December”.

Can you shed any light on why the dates Jan 2-8 were chosen, rather than the Sunday closest to Jan 6 (presumably Jan 3-9)?

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Can you shed any light on why the dates Jan 2-8 were chosen, rather than the Sunday closest to Jan 6 (presumably Jan 3-9)?

From the OP:

Nowadays, Epiphany is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first Saturday in January, which means it could fall on any day from January 2 to January 8.

This way it won’t fall on Jan 1 and have 2 feasts on one day.

 

[lak611]

Epiphany has been celebrated on 6 January for centuries and centuries.

After Vatican II, some local episcopal conferences decided that it wasn’t advisable to mandate that people attend Mass on 6 January every year.

So they changed the feast to the Sunday between 2 and 8 January, so you do have an obligation, but it’s always on a Sunday (when you would have been at Mass anyway).

They certainly had the right to do this (Rome allowed the change of date), but whether they SHOULD have done it is open to debate.

They effectively ruined Christmastide.

In the worst case, Epiphany is now January SECOND…which means you rush from the Octave of Christmas right to Epiphany, with not a second to breathe.

Or, Epiphany falls on 7-8 January, and Christmastide ends immediately after Epiphany…on Monday. Oh, yeah, well, no, in 1979 Rome said that if you’re one of those countries that plays around with Epiphany, you can celebrate the Baptism on MONDAY and then start Ordinary Time on Tuesday (before 1979 the Baptism was simply cut out in those years).

It’s a royal mess (no pun intended), all caused by the premise that we can’t possibly expect people to attend Mass on January 6 every year, so we have to move it. No liturgical justification, no liturgical benefit…pure fast food mentality, move everything to Sundays for convenience.

By the way, the next time you’re tempted to blast the secular world, thank it for Christmas. If the US Bishops had their way, Christmas would probably be moved to the “Sunday closest to 25 December”.

Are there any documents showing when the change was made? For instance, on the USCCB site, there is a document showing that Ascension was changed from Thursday to Sunday.

 

[AlexV]

The Epiphany change was made in 1969, effective January, 1970.

Ascension is a whole other mess and another arguable disaster from the US Bishops.

 

[lak611]

The Epiphany change was made in 1969, effective January, 1970.

Ascension is a whole other mess and another arguable disaster from the US Bishops.

Thank you for the information. I think it is ironic that the Lutheran church has kept the original date for Epiphany and Ascension, although the Catholic Church changed both.

 

[Digitonomy]

From the OP:
This way it won’t fall on Jan 1 and have 2 feasts on one day.

I appreciate your responding, but my question was not why isn’t the Epiphany on January 1, but rather why it is Jan 2-8, rather than the Sunday closest to January 6, in other words January 3-9?

 

[AlexV]

Because if it was, there would be years with a Sunday between January 1 and 6 that wasn’t Epiphany, and that can’t happen.

 

[PaixGioiaAmor]

Because if it was, there would be years with a Sunday between January 1 and 6 that wasn’t Epiphany, and that can’t happen.

I believe it can.

If you look in collections of psalms and other resources, there is a reference made to a “Second Sunday after Christmas”.

I BELIEVE reading somewhere that this Sunday fits in exactly when the scenario you described above occurs.

I could be wrong.

 

[PaixGioiaAmor]

A clarification:

That would not happen in any case now because of it being permanently moved to the Sunday. I was referring to the case Alex brought up, assuming January 6 was still a holy day of obligation not on Sunday.

 

[AlexV]

The so-called Second Sunday after Christmas can only occur on certain dates, and that’s why Epiphany needs be on the Sunday from the 2nd to the 8th.

But it’s amazing all the problems that emerge from not doing the sensible thing and just leaving Epiphany on 6 January, which is where it did just fine for centuries and centuries…

 

[AJV]

The so-called Second Sunday after Christmas can only occur on certain dates, and that’s why Epiphany needs be on the Sunday from the 2nd to the 8th.

I’m a bit dense- could you please explain?

 

[Sr_Sally]

Thank you for the information. I think it is ironic that the Lutheran church has kept the original date for Epiphany and Ascension, although the Catholic Church changed both.

Although, from my own personal expereince with Lutheran churches, I will say that they don’t often do a whole lot about either of those dates.

 

[PaixGioiaAmor]

The so-called Second Sunday after Christmas can only occur on certain dates, and that’s why Epiphany needs be on the Sunday from the 2nd to the 8th.

Ah, I see.

But it’s amazing all the problems that emerge from not doing the sensible thing and just leaving Epiphany on 6 January, which is where it did just fine for centuries and centuries…

I agree. The rationale seems to be that since a lot of people don’t go, why not change it so that everyone can experience it. I’d rather they leave it alone; those who will come, will come. Those who won’t, won’t. It’s no matter.

 

[lak611]

Although, from my own personal expereince with Lutheran churches, I will say that they don’t often do a whole lot about either of those dates.

The ones in my neighbourhood have services on those dates.

On another interesting note, my calendar, which is secular, still lists January 6 as Epiphany and still lists Ascension as being on Thursday, May 1, 2008.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

At least this year (this liturgical year; next calender year) the Feast will be celebrated on the 6th. So there is that.