"proof" That We Need To Attend Mass Once A Week

[blazeingstar]

So my rather annoying professor told me that I need to cite the fact that Catholics need to attend Mass once a week. 

 

She said that I need to cite it because all you need to do is "keep holy" the day, not actually attend Mass.  That it's just an interpretation and not really a requirment.

 

Is there anything besides the CCC (like a scholarly peer-reviewed journal) that would actually reflect this?

 

Cause heaven knows the CCC isn't a vaid source.

[Aloysius]

The Code of Canon Law would be the most authoritative proof that Catholics are required to attend Mass.

 

Can.  1246 §1. Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation. The following days must also be observed: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints.

 

§2. With the prior approval of the Apostolic See, however, the conference of bishops can suppress some of the holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.

 

Can.  1247 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass.

Moreover, they are to abstain from those works and affairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s day, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body.

Can.  1248 §1. A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.

§2. If participation in the eucharistic celebration becomes impossible because of the absence of a sacred minister or for another grave cause, it is strongly recommended that the faithful take part in a liturgy of the word if such a liturgy is celebrated in a parish church or other sacred place according to the prescripts of the diocesan bishop or that they devote themselves to prayer for a suitable time alone, as a family, or, as the occasion permits, in groups of families.

 

 

the Code of Canon law, instead of working based on precedents as US law does, generally works based on authoritative commentaries, so here's a quote for why one can work if they must:

those whose livelihood requires them to work on holy days and/or Sundays are morally excused from the observance of the rest, but not necessarily from participation in the Mass.  Those who have a just reason for missing Mass on Sundays or holy days on a regular basis should seek a dispensation, or preferably a commutation, in accord with canon 1245. (pg 1445)  

 

Beal, John P.  2000

            New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law.  Canon Law Society of America.

 

don't shoot me for mixing up my citation styles.

[blazeingstar]

I can work on doing the actual citation.  But would code of Cannon law be held in the same esteem as any other law book?  My prof is being super picky.  She nixed the catechism as a source for another part of my report.

[Credo in Deum]

Yes, it is called the Bible where Christ Himself said; "DO THIS (The Mass) in commemoration of Me" - Luke 22:19 and 1 Corinthians 11:24

Note the where the verses can be found.  Christ says to do this, and his Apostle Paul a Bishop repeats these words.   Most if not all Christians will agree that the new Sabbath is Sunday since this is when Christ resurrected from the grave on Easter Sunday.  Given that and the command of Christ do the Mass in commemoration of Him (since His Passion and Death cannot be separated from His Resurrection) we celebrate Mass on Sunday.   This is how we keep holy the Sabbath and since the Sabbath is the only required day, Catholics are therefore required, at the least, to attend Sunday Mass each week. 

 

 

[blazeingstar]

Yes, it is called the Bible where Christ Himself said; "DO THIS (The Mass) in commemoration of Me" - Luke 22:19 and 1 Corinthians 11:24

Note the where the verses can be found.  Christ says to do this, and his Apostle Paul a Bishop repeats these words.   Most if not all Christians will agree that the new Sabbath is Sunday since this is when Christ resurrected from the grave on Easter Sunday.  Given that and the command of Christ do the Mass in commemoration of Him (since His Passion and Death cannot be separated from His Resurrection) we celebrate Mass on Sunday.   This is how we keep holy the Sabbath and since the Sabbath is the only required day, Catholics are therefore required, at the least, to attend Sunday Mass each week. 

 

 

 

The professor seems to adhere to the "spiritual, not religious" line of thought.  She states the Bible does not state we need to attend Mass.  Just that we need to keep the day holy.  I need to cite without it turning into a religious debate.

[Aloysius]

if you're making the claim that the Catholic Church requires its members to attend mass, then the Code of Canon Law is of course authoritative on that point.  It is viewed within the Church as an actual body of law, we have lawyers and tribunals, and even a Supreme Court known as the Apostolic Signatura...  the Code is most certainly a living body of law, I cannot imagine anyone claiming it was not an authoritative source for what the church requires of its members.  Now of course this is to prove what the Church requires of its members as a matter of discipline, if you need to prove it as a matter of doctrine or teaching, and you're not allowed to use the CCC... well I'm sure you could trace down encyclicals on the matter... John Paul II's Dies Domini comes to mind.

 

Anyway, it depends on what the class is and what the claim you're making is, of course, but for the basic claim that the Church requires it, I'd use the Code of Canon Law and that authoritative commentary by Beal to supplement it (you can find that page on Google Books, which is how I quoted it lol, as always Google Books is good for supplementing research with some quotes in a pinch when you already know what you want to prove)

[Credo in Deum]

I can work on doing the actual citation.  But would code of Cannon law be held in the same esteem as any other law book?  My prof is being super picky.  She nixed the catechism as a source for another part of my report.

 

If she nixed the Catechism then I do not think she will accept Cannon Law.  Maybe try the Early Church Fathers?

 

 

Assemble on the Lord’s Day, and break bread and offer the Eucharist: but first make confession of your faults, so that your sacrifice may be a pure one. Anyone who has a difference with his fellow is not to take part with you until he has been reconciled, so as to avoid any profanation of your sacrifice [Matt. 5:23—24]. For this is the offering of which the Lord has said, "Everywhere and always bring me a sacrifice that is undefiled, for I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is the wonder of nations" [Mal. 1:11, 14] (Didache 14 [A.D. 70).

Edited August 14, 2014 by Credo in Deum

[Catherine Therese]

Deleted because the answer i gave was already supplied and I was just too slow!

Edited August 14, 2014 by Catherine Therese

[Aloysius]

Credo, all that proves is that the first century church met on Sundays.  It is my understanding that we are looking for proof that currently the Catholic Church requires its members to attend Mass on Sundays.  This is for a paper you're writing, correct?  If the claim is that the hierarchy of the Catholic Church considers it required for its members to attend Mass on Sundays, then Canon Law plus commentary is your answer.  If the claim is that the hierarchy teaches that it is obligatory to attend Mass on Sundays, well then you've got a lot of stuff to pick from but if they won't accept the Catechism you're probably out of like.

 

If you are trying to prove the broader thing--that Christians should attend Mass on Sundays, well then good luck to you because it does sound like this person has already made up their mind on that and it's unlikely to be a matter of logic to change that.  But it is a simple enough matter to prove as a matter of factual evidence that the Catholic Church hierarchy requires its members to attend Mass on every Sunday... it even isn't too hard to prove that fact, even without the Catechism, like I said, I'd start with Dies Domini of John Paul II.  Sections 46-49 lay out his argument and even trace the history of the Sunday obligation.

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_05071998_dies-domini_en.html

[blazeingstar]

It's an NPO  (nonprofit) Marketing class. 

 

We were told to find an NPO and write a marketing plan.  A 30 page marketing plan with many intricate parts.

 

Since the beginning she has fought me on so many stupid things.  This isn't a debate class.  This is a class on trying to write a campaign for an NPO. 

 

My fellow classmate told me that she must have a chip on her shoulder because he's doing an after-school NPO and she didn't even have him cite how many school days there are in a year.  Apparently that's ok because it's common knowledge.

 

Will probably have to go with cannon Law.  Again Credo, without the understanding of transubstantiation "gathering" doesn't mean at Mass to this instructor.

[Aloysius]

hmm... well if you're fitting the Catholic Church in as your NPO, I would probably try to frame the Code of Canon Law as the internal administrative policies of the organization.  There are no public sanctions or censures associated with that particular code (only in the moral life, which is treated as a matter of the internal forum in the Code of Canon Law and thus not subject to any enforcable penalty through the public forum, which is the side of the Church's law you'd be focused on... the only interaction you would ever have with the living legal structures of the code of canon law in regards to a matter of the internal forum is if you sent a question into the apostolic penitentiary), but it is still a requirement of their internal policies.  For your purposes, it's an unenforced administrative policy of the Catholic Church organization that all its members should attend Mass every Sunday. :cyclops:

[Luigi]

As a general rule, one does not have to cite "commonly known facts" such as Lincoln's assassination in 1865 or that wolves are mammals. A research paper doesn't have to document every single solitary fact that way.

 

I'd say anyone who knows anything at all about western culture knows that the Catholic Church has required Sunday Mass attendance for the last eighteen centuries or so. And Tradition is one of the pillars of Catholic theology. 

[Anastasia13]

It's an NPO  (nonprofit) Marketing class. 

 

We were told to find an NPO and write a marketing plan.  A 30 page marketing plan with many intricate parts.

 

Since the beginning she has fought me on so many stupid things.  This isn't a debate class.  This is a class on trying to write a campaign for an NPO. 

 

My fellow classmate told me that she must have a chip on her shoulder because he's doing an after-school NPO and she didn't even have him cite how many school days there are in a year.  Apparently that's ok because it's common knowledge.

 

Will probably have to go with cannon Law.  Again Credo, without the understanding of transubstantiation "gathering" doesn't mean at Mass to this instructor.

Sounds like a chip on her shoulder, or at least a little intentional denseness.

[Ash Wednesday]

I can only supply opinion from personal observation: failure to attend mass weekly is often the first step towards falling away from the church. I don't know any Catholic that failed to attend regularly and remained practicing. Almost everyone I know fell away.

 

Going "when I can" can becomes "once in a while off and on" which becomes "special occasion (Christmas and Easter)" which becomes "who cares? Only God can judge me" which can become "I don't know if there even is a God/hey this non-denominational church has great music/or whatever else"

 

 

 

 

[Credo in Deum]

Blaze should ask the professor what she means when she says "you just need to keep it holy"? 

Edited August 15, 2014 by Credo in Deum