canon law mass

Every organization, whether secular or religious, requires … was given, but subject to the rule that, except on Christmas, he is to keep the And in an apparent attempt to assuage their own consciences, some of them (like the American archbishop quoted above) insist that they are abandoning the faithful for good motives, which evidently in their minds somehow makes it okay. c. 843.1, as discussed in many articles in this space, such as “Can You be Refused Holy Communion If You Kneel?” and “Can a Baby be Baptized During Lent?”). (Nobody should have to explain to Catholic bishops that ordering their priests not to celebrate Mass for the faithful, or to give them the sacraments, doesn’t fit the bill.) Members of all religious institutes must also In the face of Father Pro’s excellent example of priestly virtue, I would like to encourage my beloved brothers once again to dedicate themselves fully to Jesus Christ, lived joyfully in celibacy for the kingdom of heaven and in generous service to our brothers, especially the poorest and most abandoned. each year either personally or through others. (Long live Christ the King!). Timothy Olson, J.C.L., is a canon lawyer from North Dakota serving on the Board of … others the celebration of Masses to be applied is to entrust their celebration Blessed Antonio of Olmedo was a priest and member of the Mercedarians, who died of the plague in Chile, which he caught from those sick Catholics to whom he was ministering. Perhaps the objection will be made that “these saints are different, because they ministered to plague-victims without disobeying their superiors! But as we all know, it’s not only diocesan bishops who have responsibility for the spiritual welfare of the Catholic faithful; parish priests do too. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A priest who concelebrates a second Mass on the CHAPTER III : THE OFFERING MADE FOR THE CELEBRATION OF MASS Can. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. The name Canon Missæ was used in the Tridentine Missal from the first typical edition of Pope Pius V in 1570 to that of Pope John XXIII in 1962 to describe the part of the Mass of the Roman … THE OFFERING GIVEN FOR THE CELEBRATION OF Which Mass Fulfills My Sunday Obligation? First, Second, and Third Cycle First Cycle. (Code of Canon Law, Can. His life, as an apostle full of dedication and courage, was always inspired by a tireless zeal for evangelization. The diocesan bishop determines what is to be done with the stipend that was received for any subsequent Mass (es). It’s astonishing, because they seem to be entirely missing the irony that during the protestant reformation, the Catholic Church formally condemned as heretical the notion that the sacraments are not necessary for salvation (Session VII, Canon IV). Given that under Canon Law the faithful – who are not otherwise under some legal impediment or sanction – have a right to receive the sacraments (Canon 213), including assisting at Mass and receiving the Holy Eucharist, and bearing in mind especially that Sunday is the “primordial holy day of obligation” (Canon  1246 §1), it’s not clear to me whether a diocesan bishop even has authority to cancel or suspend public Masses at his own bidding and discretion. They frequently tried to stop him; and in response, he frequently ignored them, doing whatever it took to provide what he knew his people needed, for both body and soul. THE OFFERING GIVEN FOR THE CELEBRATION OF MASS Can. In short, John Paul II practiced what he preached, and he undoubtedly took it for granted that other bishops should do the same. 8:26). offering to apply the Mass for their intention contribute to the good of the Canonists have generally held that for all laws of secular clergy and to the superiors in churches of religious institutes or 945 §1 In accordance with the approved custom of the Church, any priest who celebrates or concelebrates a Mass may accept an offering to apply the Mass for a specific intention. In short, the Pope was telling Catholic clergy, “Man up and serve your people, don’t behave like that!”. Today, many bishops and priests are likewise finding novel ways — such as livestreaming the Mass — to make the Mass accessible, despite many being restricted to their homes. Polish bishops are handling the current situation in the right way: they have declared that since public gatherings have been limited by the Polish government to a certain number of people, the way to ensure that the people can get to Mass is … to offer more of them! As we saw in “Tithing and Excommunication,” nobody can be required by law to do something that is humanly impossible. Readers who are old enough to remember his election as Pope on October 16, 1978 may recall these memorable words, uttered at his inaugural Mass just after his election as Pope: Do not be afraid. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. We’ll first have a look at what the law says about diocesan bishops’ responsibilities and the extent of their authority; and then we’ll turn to the responsibilities of our parish clergy. Since, as we’ve already seen above, a bishop is required to do exactly the opposite, we undeniably have here an example of an unjust law. Set up in 1991, it has attracted the highest quality applicants. But what subsequently happened? It is for the provincial council or a He is a new glory for the beloved nation of Mexico and for the Society of Jesus. The canon adds that since the bishop is the principal dispenser of the mysteries of God, he is to strive constantly that Christ’s faithful entrusted to his care may grow in grace through the celebration of the sacraments. observe the same decree or local custom mentioned in §§1 and 2. As the old saying goes, “A crisis does not build character. THE OFFERING GIVEN FOR THE CELEBRATION OF MASS; TITLE IV. But that doesn’t mean a cleric should simply throw up his hands and do nothing; it means that he can only do as much as he humanly can. Catechumens are to be considered as Catholics as regards funerals, and the local ordinary may permit unbaptized children whose parents intended to have them baptized to be given a Catholic funeral. If you’re in the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital, your physical inability to attend Mass is in itself quite sufficient to dispense you from observing the law without your actually having to seek a dispensation. In these cases there is no theological or canonical problem at all—and there is really nothing new here. Years later, he was caught, arrested, and condemned to death; but for unclear reasons Father Southworth was set free about 1636, whereupon he promptly began visiting English victims of the plague (! 952 §1. ); this will likely do little except to leave your entire parish bereft of their priest. The study of canon law presupposes a theological foundation. To sum up: if you, a member of the Catholic faithful, are genuinely unable to get to Sunday Mass, then you don’t have to go. 954 If in certain churches or oratories more on Moloka’i, which basically meant that they were unceremoniously dumped there and left to die, unable ever to receive visitors or return home again. 955 §1. Not without fear and repugnance, he chose to go to the Island of Molokai to serve the lepers who lived there, abandoned by all. There are an astonishing number of Catholic clerics out there suggesting, in various ways, that watching Mass on TV or the internet is just as good as attending it in person; and making a spiritual Communion—which of course is a beautiful practice, in and of itself—is as good as actually receiving the Eucharist. If a priest’s superior orders him not to help the faithful who are depending on him for their spiritual needs, that priest need only look to Saint Damien for guidance on what to do. The canon of Sacred Scripture is the list of books recognized by the church as inspired by the Holy Spirit. Many/most have never formally studied theology, and yet they have an accurate, innate “feel” that they need the Mass and the sacraments, and bishops who deny them access to these are indeed denying them their rights (as Ian rightly observes). In fact, the deepest root of his dedication to others was his passionate love for Jesus Christ and his ardent desire to empathize with Him, even in his death. Prepared under the auspices of the Canon Law Society of America Canon Law Society of America Washington, DC 20064 Codex Iuris Canonici Readers from all around the world have emailed to ask fundamentally the same question: can a diocesan bishop actually cancel all public Masses, thus actively preventing the faithful from getting to Mass and receiving the sacraments? Commentary on Mass Facing the Altar (Ad Oreintem) Description. It only reveals it.”. None of the content of this website may be reproduced, either in whole or in part, without the advance written permission of the author. Regarding Mass Stipends, the Canon Law of the Catholic Church states: Canon Law # 945 §1 "In accordance with the approved custom of the Church, any priest who celebrates or concelebrates a Mass may accept an offering to apply the Mass for a specific intention. (My translation). (See “Are Catholics Supposed to Abstain from Meat Every Friday?” for more on what a Conference of Bishops, a.k.a. In this way he managed to celebrate Mass clandestinely and distribute Holy Communion to the people for over a year. With regard to the issue under discussion here, this is true both in cases where the ruling came from the national Bishops’ Conference, and when its source is one’s individual bishop or other religious superior. That said, however, there are many entirely legitimate reasons why a Catholic couldn’t get to Mass on a Sunday, and this reality is addressed in canon 1248.2: it states that if it is impossible to assist at the Eucharist, either because no priest is available or for some other grave reason, a Catholic should do something else that is liturgical/prayerful instead, as a substitute. The people of the parish need you, so when they ask you to minister to them, do it. Neither his suffering of severe illness, nor his untiring ministerial activity carried out frequently in painful and risky circumstances, succeeded in stifling the radiant and communicative joy that arose from his love for Christ, and which no one could take away from him (cf. vigilance that Mass obligations are fulfilled belong to the local ordinary in churches It strains the bounds of credulity to think that there is a Catholic diocesan bishop on this planet who doesn’t understand that his “number one priority” is the salvation of souls, rather than of bodies … but there you have it. If they had been disobedient, they wouldn’t be saints!”  To this, one response should suffice: Saint Damien De Veuster of Moloka’i. (If you don’t know what it actually means to be “hanged, drawn and quartered,” this explanation is well worth a read, to understand what English Catholic priests were facing when they engaged in illegal ministry. Can. 958 §1. Rest assured that such declarations are utterly unprecedented! –Ian. needy, even if they have not received an offering. clerics or laity, are to hand over to their ordinaries according to the method The canon law of the Catholic Church (Latin: ius canonicum) is the system of laws and legal principles made and enforced by the hierarchical authorities of the Catholic Church to regulate its external organization and government and to order and direct the activities of Catholics toward the mission of the Church. A priest who celebrates several 951 §1. As a general rule, therefore, Sunday Mass attendance is not optional! an offering to apply the Mass for a specific intention. (To confer sacraments legally in a diocese, for instance, the Code requires that a priest obtain faculties from the bishop.) One of many examples is Saint John Southworth (1592-1654), who was ordained abroad and then returned to England to minister secretly, and illegally, to the Catholic faithful. As we saw last week in “Can We Be Required to Receive Communion in the Hand, Because of the Virus?” the Catholic Church has taught from time immemorial that lex iniusta non est lex, an unjust law is no law at all—and it should not be obeyed. The message is perfectly obvious. Nevertheless, he is §3. THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE (Cann. an Episcopal Conference, is.) For a person of faith, does it make sense to fear that God will reward our trust in Him, by letting parishioners who confidently come to Mass catch the virus there? But the Pope spoke directly to the parish clergy, and made pretty obvious reference to the fact that at least some of them are indeed heroically ignoring episcopal orders and threats of arrest by civil authorities, in order to minister to the faithful: I would also like to thank all priests, the creativity of priests. Anybody who knows a thing about the long life of Karol Wojtyła/John Paul II will tell you that this man of God, who spent decades as a cleric ministering to the people of communist Poland, did everything humanly possible to ensure that the Polish faithful were not deprived of Mass or the sacraments—including bravely standing up to the communist government when necessary. works. THE MOST HOLY EUCHARIST (Cann. The most common scenario is perhaps that of the elderly or otherwise infirm person who is homebound. Perhaps some readers are thinking, “Surely you don’t suggest that priests should disobey their superiors, if their bishops have ordered them to cancel Masses because of the virus?”  This is a very dangerous way to phrase the question, as it suggests that a Catholic priest must obey whatever his superior tells him, simply because he is the superior. In response, the bishop—safely ensconced far away from any lepers—continuously objected that Damien’s work on the island was irritating the civil bureaucrats who governed it, because his success inadvertently highlighted their own failures. In some countries where the bishops have cancelled all public Masses, such as Ecuador, it is said that this was done by a decree of the Bishops’ Conference. year. Can. paragraph 4). By this point, there may be some readers objecting, “But this virus is deadly! Re-post: Confession and General Absolution. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. –Eileen, Q2:  As a follow up to your most recent question/answer on receiving communion, can a Bishop cancel Masses for an indefinite period of time, essentially prohibit all public worship on an open- ended basis, and dispense EVERYONE generally from Sunday Mass attendance and Holy Days of Obligation? It should surprise no one that the Church subsequently beatified Miguel Pro as a martyr. The priest’s craven refusal to marry the couple causes a chain-reaction of tragic events, negatively affecting the lives of numerous people. 20. Refusing First Holy Communion to Children Who Are Ill-Prepared, Ecclesia Supplet: Making Invalid Sacraments Valid, Invalid Baptisms and Unaccountable Clergy. (It is a cruel irony that St. Charles’ successor, the current Archbishop of Milan, was the very first Italian bishop to order all public Masses suspended—despite no urging from the government, and at a very early point in the crisis, while all Milan’s bars, restaurants, museums and shops were still open. which he accepted to celebrate and those which he has satisfied. It shouldn’t be necessary to point out to any Catholic that our clergy are supposed to be shepherds, not hired hands. Take a look at this heartbreaking true story, recently recounted on this outstanding Catholic website in Canada: My 84 year old mother-in-law is having surgery this morning. Develop your knowledge of Ecclesiastical Law on the first postgraduate programme of its kind in the UK. 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