08/15 Holy Day Of Obligation

[Tony]

I couldn't find what I was talking about so I made my own :P

[franciscanheart]

You mean this one?

[Lil Red]

here is this year's image:

[Not The Philosopher]

Not quite sure what the confusion is but Canuck=Canadian (and in this instance not the hockey team).

 

No no, I mean, I thought it was obligatory in Canada, so this is news to me.

[AnneLine]

The 'when' and 'where' of the Holy Days is actually a fascinating topic... apparently it is VERY different from country to country... and even from place to place!...

 

Canada

• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• Christmas

United States

(See United States norm complementary to canon 1246)

• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (note 1)
• Ascension (only in the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Omaha, and Philadelphia; the others have transferred this celebration to the following Sunday)
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (note 1)
• All Saints' Day (note 1)
• Feast of the Immaculate Conception
• Christmas

Note 1: However, when 1 January (Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God), 15 August (Feast of the Assumption), or 1 November (Solemnity of All Saints) falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass on that date is abrogated.

 

Note 2: In Hawaii, in 1992, the Bishop of Honolulu, pursuant to an indult from the Holy See, established the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas as the only Holy Days of Obligation to be observed in the state.

Here's the complete link & some of the details:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_day_of_obligation

 

 

Placed in the order of the civil calendar, the ten days (apart from Sundays) that this canon mentions are:

• 1 January: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

• 6 January: the Epiphany

• 19 March: Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• Thursday of the sixth week of Easter: the Ascension

• Thursday after Trinity Sunday: the Body and Blood of Christ

• 29 June: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

• 15 August: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• 1 November: All Saints

• 8 December: the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• 25 December: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas)

The number of holy days of obligation was once much greater. With the motu proprio Supremi disciplinae of 2 July 1911, Pope Pius X reduced the number of such non-Sunday holy days from 36 to 8 (the above 10 minus the feasts of the Body and Blood of Christ and Saint Joseph). The present list was established in 1917.

 

In many countries the bishops had obtained, even before the time of Pope Pius X, the Holy See's approval to diminish the number of non-Sunday holy days of obligation, making it far less than 36. Today too, Episcopal Conferences have availed themselves of the authority granted them in law to reduce the number below the ten mentioned above.

 

Non-Sunday holy days of obligation all have the rank of solemnity. Accordingly, if in Ordinary Time one of them falls on a Sunday, the Sunday celebration gives way to it; but the Sundays of Advent, Lent and Eastertide take precedence over all solemnities, which are then transferred to another day.

 

 

NOTE:  Footnotes removed... and there is much more info including a country by country breakdown of the Days of Obligation.....

 

 

 

 

Learned some stuff.....

Edited August 15, 2013 by AnneLine

[Nihil Obstat]

The CCCB has made some notoriously bad decisions in the past. IMO reducing the number of Holy Days is among them.

[AnneLine]

I actually agree with you, in the main, on this one, Nihil, because I think there is a huge WITNESS value to seeing people streaming to Churches before, during lunch, and after work. 

 

HOWEVER the problem apparently may be directly connected to no priests in the church toward which they stream....

 

And... I thought this was fascinating (again, quoting rom the Wikipedia article above -- not my favorite source, but easily snatchable in a 1 minute computer break....):

 

The number of holy days of obligation was once much greater. With the motu proprio Supremi disciplinae of 2 July 1911, Pope Pius X reduced the number of such non-Sunday holy days from 36 to 8 (the above 10 minus the feasts of the Body and Blood of Christ and Saint Joseph). The present list was established in 1917.

 

(emphasis mine)

 

 

AND, if you check the Wikipedia article (link in above post)... USA actually has MORE than many countries.  I was stunned!!!!

Edited August 15, 2013 by AnneLine

[Nihil Obstat]

Why is it so surprising to agree with me? :(

[AnneLine]

hehehe... sometimes we don't!

 

But... check this out... again, I am astonished to find this in place over 100 years ago!

 

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14342a.htm

[Nihil Obstat]

It makes sense that Holy Days of obligation be periodically reduced. Over time new feasts build up, so there is nothing wrong with occasionally removing a couple, or making them local feasts only.

[AnneLine]

Agreed.. but apparently it dropped from 36 to 8!!!!!   That is.... astonishing in 1911!!!!  And my bet is that the reason almost certainly is the transition from a largely agrarian culture to one that is city and factory based....because the crops would have needed to be harvested forever, but the commercial stuff of 'modern life' was just rearing its head....  just really interesting!

 

 

Motu Proprio of Pius X, promulgated 2 July, 1911, relating to Holy Days of obligation. On Holy Days of precept a twofold duty is incumbent on the faithful, of hearing Mass and of abstaining from servile work. Owing particularly to the high cost of living and to the necessity of caring in due season for crops, fruits, etc., the discipline of the Church has tended to lessen the number of HolyDays in certain countries. Pius X deemed it advisable to extend this policy to the Universal Church, thus effecting greater uniformity. Aside, then, from all Sundays, the obligation of hearing Mass and abstaining from servile work is now confined to eight days: Christmas, New Year's Day or the feast of the Circumcision, Epiphany(6 Jan.), the Ascension of Our Lord, the Immaculate Conception(8 Dec.), the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin(15 Aug.), the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul(29 June), and, finally, the feast of All Saints(1 Nov.).

 

(New Advent, 1911 Catholic Encyclopedia:   Supremi disciplinæ)

 

Again, bolding is mine...

[Tony]

You mean this one?

 

yep, that lol
 

[Nihil Obstat]

Something that would help the restoration of Catholic identity, IMO, is for local churches, i.e. dioceses, to begin emphasizing feasts with particular importance, on their own initiative. Not necessarily obligatory, at least not at first, and not all of them. For instance, Canadian dioceses could commemorate St. Kateri in a particular way, and perhaps in the Archdiocese of Montreal it might be a Holy Day of Obligation. Obtain permission for the faithful to gain indulgences on those feast days. Compose special propers, even. Things like that. It would take place very slowly, over generations. That is proper inculturation. Not liturgical dance or ethnic music.

It happens now, and it always has happened, but it could happen more.

[AnneLine]

Yup.   I tend to think we would draw people from love that way... always the better option....

[Tony]

My parish made it pretty clear today was a Holy Day of obligation, but.. hardly anyone showed up. ugh