Dispensation From Sunday Obligation

[Nihil Obstat]

Under what circumstances will a parish priest dispense one of his parishioners from their Sunday obligation?

[Cam42]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1295327073' post='2201282']
Under what circumstances will a parish priest dispense one of his parishioners from their Sunday obligation?
[/quote]

That would depend on the circumstances, however a couple of more typical ones....

1. Travelling to a place where assisting at Holy Mass is not possible, like Antartica or Russia.
2. Prolonged illness where one cannot assist at Holy Mass.

Outside that, it would have to be on a case by case basis...

[CatherineM]

We also were dispensed during Hurricanes. I suspect that if a major pandemic broke out, and churches were ordered closed, the same would happen.

[cappie]

Can. 1245 Without prejudice to the right of diocesan Bishops as in Can. 87, a parish priest, in individual cases, for a just reason and in accordance with the prescriptions of the diocesan Bishop, can give a dispensation from the obligation of observing a holy-day or day of penance, or commute the obligation into some other pious works. The Superior of a pontifical clerical religious institute or society of apostolic life has the same power in respect of his own subjects and of those who reside day and night in a house of the institute or society.

The authority to dispense from or commute the obligation of observing a holy day (inc Sunday) can have significant practical and pastoral consequences. This authority is, in virtue of canon 87 enjoyed as of right by every diocesan bishop. Perhaps more relevant from the point of view of day to day pastoral practice is the fact that, in virtue of this canon, it is enjoyed by every parish priest and those equivalent to him in iaw, e.g. the administrator of a parish in the absence of the parish priest.

The parochial authority is governed by the following conditions:

That there be a justifiable reason, not merely a trivial one;

That the parish priest use this authority "in accordance with the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop.", which means that it be in tune with the known general policy of the bishop;

That the dispensation or commutation be granted in "individual" cases which, in this situation, means not merely to individual persons but also e.g. whole families and even if circumstances would seem to call for it, to the entire parish.