Who interprets what is a "serious reason" to miss mass?

[Edmundus1581]

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

My take on this (by examples):

• If I were in bed at home, with a severe illness, then I would miss mass, without guilt, and without a need to mention it in confession.
• If I were feeling a minor cough, and decided to miss mass on account of that, and then later examined my conscience and decided that that wasn’t really a serious reason (AND that I knew it at the time), then I would confess it as soon as possible.

So far, quite straightforard, and no need to ask a priest. In one instance I don’t confess, and in the other I do.

Now, an in-between case…

I feel quite unwell - a little bit unstable on my feet, with some coughing. I am well enough to walk around. I MAY be well enough to go to mass, but I’m not sure. I decide to stay home.

Now, I have made a personal decision that I do have a “serious reason” to miss mass. I am not sure of that decision, but I have made the best decision I can with the available information.

Do I need to mention that in confession?

I personally wouldn’t. I’ve been in the Catholic Church for 30 years, as an adult. I am well informed on the Catechism, and have asked confessors numerous times for advice, and my experience tells me that one is entitled to make a decision like this, between myself and God, and that can be the end of the matter. Not just can be be, but overall, should be - for to do otherwise is leaning to scrupulosity.

Now, I’m going one step further - the first interpreter of a “serious reason” is myself, with a prayerful, and informed, conscience. “I” am the first interpreter, and, in general, a sufficient interpreter. I only need to refer to a higher authority where the Church teaches on a specific case (and I believe those cases are very few), or if, after examination, I have serious doubts about my decision. Priestly advice is certainly important in forming a conscience on the matter, but I don’t need an opinion each time I’m unsure. Minor doubts will sometimes arise, but minor doubts do not in any way change the validity, and finality, of the decision.

In other words, the decision of what is a “serious reason” to miss mass is a decision that I can and should make for myself, with due attention to Church teaching, and advice from various sources, and, having made that decision, I should act on it, without reservation. (A priestly “dispensation” is a different matter, as is clear from the structure of CCC 2182)

The only cases where I should confess sin is where, either: I know that something is not a “serious reason”, but miss mass anyway, or, on reflection, I realize that my decision that something was a “serious” reason was not sincere, or I did not give it sufficient consideration.

I’m sure others will disagree, but I am pretty confident of this interpretation, so if you have some Church teaching to the contrary, I’d love to see it.

See also: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 6, Moral Conscience

 

[teachccd]

Many people go to work sick (not advisable) or go shoppng sick. The worst part about this is that you can get others sick who are around you. Who interprets “serious reason”? Well I’m not sure what serious “reason” is since the “matter” is the missing of Mass on Sunday. As for the reason, which would diminish culpability, that would have to be between you and God. Some of the guidelines I might use are:

1. Have I gone anywhere feeling like I do right now?
2. How do I think I would mangage if I were to go?
3. Will it affect others around me with constant coughing or the spreading of germs?

I personally don’t think that it is all that gray when discerning whether or not you can attend Mass. Basically you are either too sick to leave the house and do anything or you are not. If you are then stay at home and rest all day for the best interest of yourself and others. If not then go to Mass and push through the rest of your day until you feel like yourself again.

I think that deep down a person who yearns Mass knows whether or not they can attend. If it was the Laker’s last playoff game could you go with how you feel? Well Mass is infinitely better than any game… You either know for certain or you are just trying to rationalize reasons for missing…

After years of teaching and hearing multiple reasons why people don’t attend Mass I had to give my two cents… God bless… teachccd

 

[Mijoy2]

I’ll add a scenario to this that I would guess will get various responses from -not a sin- to -doomed in hell without confession.-

I own a boat. About 1 or 2 times a year I take a trip to where it would be extremely difficult (although not impossible) to get to mass on Sunday. I get together with friends and we raft up the boats to one another in a bay or lagoon somewhere with no access to a car to take me to mass.

Same might apply to the individual who wants to climb Mt Everest, or go moose hunting in Maine etc. Especially when one is young and still healthy enough to do these things, should he give up on this part of his life to not miss mass on a given Sunday?

Curious to hear.

 

[PatriceA]

Many people go to work sick (not advisable) or go shoppng sick. The worst part about this is that you can get others sick who are around you. Who interprets “serious reason”? Well I’m not sure what serious “reason” is since the “matter” is the missing of Mass on Sunday. As for the reason, which would diminish culpability, that would have to be between you and God. Some of the guidelines I might use are:

1. Have I gone anywhere feeling like I do right now?
2. How do I think I would mangage if I were to go?
3. Will it affect others around me with constant coughing or the spreading of germs?

I personally don’t think that it is all that gray when discerning whether or not you can attend Mass. Basically you are either too sick to leave the house and do anything or you are not. If you are then stay at home and rest all day for the best interest of yourself and others. If not then go to Mass and push through the rest of your day until you feel like yourself again.

I think that deep down a person who yearns Mass knows whether or not they can attend. If it was the Laker’s last playoff game could you go with how you feel? Well Mass is infinitely better than any game… You either know for certain or you are just trying to rationalize reasons for missing…

After years of teaching and hearing multiple reasons why people don’t attend Mass I had to give my two cents… God bless… teachccd

That’s pretty much my thinking as well, especially the example of a Lakers game.

 

[teachccd]

That’s pretty much my thinking as well, especially the example of a Lakers game.

Thank you… it gives perspective… God bless, teachccd

 

[Love_Divine]

That’s pretty much my thinking as well, especially the example of a Lakers game.

A few years ago the Sunday evening mass was canceled so everyone was free to watch the Grey Cup.

Is it morally wrong to cancel a mass time for such an event when there’s several other mass times to attend?

 

[Neil_Anthony]

Now, I’m going one step further - the first interpreter of a “serious reason” is myself, with a prayerful, and informed, conscience. “I” am the first interpreter, and, in general, a sufficient interpreter. I only need to refer to a higher authority where the Church teaches on a specific case (and I believe those cases are very few), or if, after examination, I have serious doubts about my decision. Priestly advice is certainly important in forming a conscience on the matter, but I don’t need an opinion each time I’m unsure. Minor doubts will sometimes arise, but minor doubts do not in any way change the validity, and finality, of the decision.

In other words, the decision of what is a “serious reason” to miss mass is a decision that I can and should make for myself, with due attention to Church teaching, and advice from various sources, and, having made that decision, I should act on it, without reservation. (A priestly “dispensation” is a different matter, as is clear from the structure of CCC 2182)

The only cases where I should confess sin is where, either: I know that something is not a “serious reason”, but miss mass anyway, or, on reflection, I realize that my decision that something was a “serious” reason was not sincere, or I did not give it sufficient consideration.

I would add one more case where you should go to confession: If you find out that most priests or good catholics wouldn’t agree with your decision. Yes, you get to make the decision, as long as you are well enough informed to make the decision, but that doesn’t give us license to come up with our own interpretations of what is serious, if we know they go against what everyone else thinks.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

I’ll add a scenario to this that I would guess will get various responses from -not a sin- to -doomed in hell without confession.-

I own a boat. About 1 or 2 times a year I take a trip to where it would be extremely difficult (although not impossible) to get to mass on Sunday. I get together with friends and we raft up the boats to one another in a bay or lagoon somewhere with no access to a car to take me to mass.

That might be a good opportunity to witness to your friends about the importance of your faith to you. Could the trip be altered a bit to stop at a public dock somewhere near a church?

 

[Edmundus1581]

Thanks everyone! There seems to be some concensus that deciding on a “serious reason” is a personal decision, made with due consideration to the advice of the Church, confessors, and fellow Catholics - without (obviously) performing hours of agonising research each time.

@Teachccd: If it was the Laker’s last playoff game could you go with how you feel?

That’s a nice litmus test, and very similar to other advice I’ve received over the years.

I own a boat. About 1 or 2 times a year I take a trip to where it would be extremely difficult (although not impossible) to get to mass on Sunday. I get together with friends and we raft up the boats to one another in a bay or lagoon somewhere with no access to a car to take me to mass.

Same might apply to the individual who wants to climb Mt Everest, or go moose hunting in Maine etc.

Nice question! And a perfect example of “serious reasons” other than sickness Here’s my 2c…

• As I described above, this is your decision to make (with due consideration, etc…)
• My understanding of Catholic morality is that regular vacation time (eg. 1 or 2 times per year, as you say) is healthy and important. One should make an honest attempt to attend mass while away, and look at the mass options before going (which is much easier these days, with the internet), but if you cannot attend, then there is no sin, and no need for confession, or a dispensation. If it’s possible to attend, but only by severely impeding your vacation, then the decision is yours. The just impediment would be the extra travel and organisation involved - not the time spent in mass. If there were a mass nearby, then one should go.

The words “personal decision” are problemmatical, and could mean different things to different people. A protestant would see it as making a personal decision about the obligation to attend church. Catholics are not making that decision - we know we are obliged to attend Church every Sunday, and Holy Day. The “personal decision” in the gray area, of deciding whether or not ones own feeling of a “serious reason” to miss mass, in accordance with Church teaching, is genuine and sufficient.

 

[choy]

even if you have a mild cold i guess

sure, most children and adults can handle that. but don’t forget a lot of our elderly brothers and sisters go to Mass, and can easily pick up your germs. whats a simple cold for you could be fatal for them.

 

[choy]

Thanks everyone! There seems to be some concensus that deciding on a “serious reason” is a personal decision, made with due consideration to the advice of the Church, confessors, and fellow Catholics - without (obviously) performing hours of agonising research each time.

@Teachccd: If it was the Laker’s last playoff game could you go with how you feel?

That’s a nice litmus test, and very similar to other advice I’ve received over the years.

Nice question! And a perfect example of “serious reasons” other than sickness Here’s my 2c…

• As I described above, this is your decision to make (with due consideration, etc…)
• My understanding of Catholic morality is that regular vacation time (eg. 1 or 2 times per year, as you say) is healthy and important. One should make an honest attempt to attend mass while away, and look at the mass options before going (which is much easier these days, with the internet), but if you cannot attend, then there is no sin, and no need for confession, or a dispensation. If it’s possible to attend, but only by severely impeding your vacation, then the decision is yours. The just impediment would be the extra travel and organisation involved - not the time spent in mass. If there were a mass nearby, then one should go.

The words “personal decision” are problemmatical, and could mean different things to different people. A protestant would see it as making a personal decision about the obligation to attend church. Catholics are not making that decision - we know we are obliged to attend Church every Sunday, and Holy Day. The “personal decision” in the gray area, of deciding whether or not ones own feeling of a “serious reason” to miss mass, in accordance with Church teaching, is genuine and sufficient.

you can really feel its summer because everyone’s asking about, “is it okay to miss Mass for vacation?”

as discussed in another thread, you can always approach a priest and ask for a dispensation from the Sunday obligation, which he is authorized to do on an individual case basis (ie, he cannot dispense the entire parish. only the bishop can do that). a priest may be willing to grant such dispensation for people going on vacation one time. its really up the priest. of course who won’t dispense those in the habit of missing mass

 

[JohnCS]

Minimalism is one of the devils best tools. I have recently (finally) begun to understand that this earth is just a pit stop in our eternal lives… God should always be first and formost, everything else is peripheral. Obviously we all sin and make mistakes, but planning a fishing trip during mass is not a mistake. We can miss mass to go fishing but we can’t take off of work to go fishing? Go fishing on a Friday and Saturday if you can’t get to Mass from the lake. Yes the Church says that it is not sinful to miss Mass for certain reasons, but that is the minimum standard. I’m beginning to think that minimalism in our Church and in society is looking more dangerous than the rampant moral relatavism of today.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Sorry if this sounds extreme or harsh it is not meant to. This is my opinion that I am finding very valuble in my life. I rearanged my priorities and put God first, and my life has been chaning for the better every day since. God bless you all.

 

[Samson01]

Your conscience.

 

[Edmundus1581]

Your conscience.

Thankyou! That’s the word I was looking for! “Conscience decision” is much better, and more correct, than “Personal decision”.

 

[Mijoy2]

Does anybody else here find it (looking for a word) disturbing (perhaps…boy sometimes I wish G.K.Chesteron would intervene in helping me find a word) that here we sit debating whether or not missing a Mass because we may be halfway up Mt. Everest in a blizzard, or dying in our fist stages of cancer, a mortal sin, when approximatley 90% of our fellow Catholics do not even consider going to Mass on Sunday while they consume their bacon and eggs while watching the Three Stooges?

This is, in fact, reality.

 

[PatriceA]

A few years ago the Sunday evening mass was canceled so everyone was free to watch the Grey Cup.

Is it morally wrong to cancel a mass time for such an event when there’s several other mass times to attend?

What is the Grey Cup?

 

[OraLabora]

What is the Grey Cup?

Canadian football championship cup. Sort of the Canadian Superbowl.

 

[JohnCS]

Thankyou! That’s the word I was looking for! “Conscience decision” is much better, and more correct, than “Personal decision”.

I think that technically this is the correct answer, my only problem with it is that we humans can talk ourselves into anything. We have Catholics who’s conscience tells them that abortions are 100% okay to have/perform/support… if they can talk themselves into believing that, I’m sure missing mass isn’t going to make them flinch.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

Does anybody else here find it (looking for a word) disturbing (perhaps…boy sometimes I wish G.K.Chesteron would intervene in helping me find a word) that here we sit debating whether or not missing a Mass because we may be halfway up Mt. Everest in a blizzard, or dying in our fist stages of cancer, a mortal sin, when approximatley 90% of our fellow Catholics do not even consider going to Mass on Sunday while they consume their bacon and eggs while watching the Three Stooges?

I find it disturbing because I’m worried about their souls.

Thing is, we have more expected of us, because we have been given more faith. So that explains it a bit.

 

[Edmundus1581]

I think that technically this is the correct answer, my only problem with it is that we humans can talk ourselves into anything. We have Catholics who’s conscience tells them that abortions are 100% okay to have/perform/support… if they can talk themselves into believing that, I’m sure missing mass isn’t going to make them flinch.

I agree entirely. In fact, I hesitated before posting this thread because I was afraid that my opinion that it is a “conscience decision” could be abused (from either left or right!). However, my understanding is that the Church, particularly since Vatican II, expects Catholics to expend effort on conscience formation, and I don’t think we can do that without mentioning “conscience”, on the internet, over difficult issues. It’s not just about whether or not we should see “Avatar”