I hear you, Daniel. Mass is offered in my home diocese (Grand Rapids) between 7a and 7p at parishes within a 20-minute drive from my home and office. If your work commitment does not allow you to attend (e.g., because you're a doctor or nurse working a mandatory 12-hour shift), the DDF already makes clear -- and Canonist Flynn confirms -…
I hear you, Daniel. Mass is offered in my home diocese (Grand Rapids) between 7a and 7p at parishes within a 20-minute drive from my home and office. If your work commitment does not allow you to attend (e.g., because you're a doctor or nurse working a mandatory 12-hour shift), the DDF already makes clear -- and Canonist Flynn confirms -- that you're "in the clear" (because of the impossibility of attending) and no specific dispensation is required.
Is what makes your blood boil a function of not having enough time to modify your calendar to ensure that you could attend to the obligation?
It's more how it tends to be phrased by the canonists who work directly for the Vatican dicasteries. I haven't managed to find, for instance, that "what is impossible is not required" in canon law. Or, in the article above, the dicastery's representative is indicated as expressing that a work obligation does not in fact excuse you from the Mass obligation.
Real-world canonists and pastors know these things. Laymen who have access to such people therefore know these things. But what about well-meaning laymen who happen to have pastors who don't care?
I just wish the Vatican could state these things more carefully. Otherwise it encourages despair through the dual issues of scruples and apathy.
Expressed in a more blood-boiling form: They bent over backwards so hard to accommodate blessings for individuals who were members of couples in irregular situations, can the Catholics who try to stay on the right side of the divine law get the same treatment?
Can. 1752 In cases of transfer the prescripts of can. 1747 are to be applied, canonical equity is to be observed, and THE SALVATION OF SOULS, WHICH MUST ALWAYS BE THE SUPREME LAW IN THE CHURCH, IS TO BE KEPT BEFORE ONE'S EYES.
You are right, you won't find it explicitly in the Code, you will however find it in the Regulae Iuris (of the Liber Sextus), which are the basic interpretive framework of canon law. The Sixth maxim is "No one can be held to the impossible."
Your point, however, that it would be difficult to find a typical layman who would be familiar with such things, certainly stands.
I would LOVE to see dioceses organize better staggered Mass times: maybe at each individual parish, 6pm works for the greatest number of people, but within a reasonable drive of my home/work/the route between I have like 20 6pm options... and absolutely nothing else
(And pastors, please please please put your holy day Mass times on your website's home page. Honestly if your parish doesn't have anyone who knows how to that, I will do it for you)
This reminds me that before the most recent round of parish mergers in my area there was confession every day within a very decent driving radius. I know there's fewer priests, but it seems like after the mergers it's still pretty close to the same amount of time, but many parishes have it simultaneously now.
There is of course the humility of requesting an appointment or keeping to one regular confessor, but man was it nice to know, "I gotta get to confession, good thing I know St. A has it on Monday and St. B on Tuesday," etc.
I hear you, Daniel. Mass is offered in my home diocese (Grand Rapids) between 7a and 7p at parishes within a 20-minute drive from my home and office. If your work commitment does not allow you to attend (e.g., because you're a doctor or nurse working a mandatory 12-hour shift), the DDF already makes clear -- and Canonist Flynn confirms -- that you're "in the clear" (because of the impossibility of attending) and no specific dispensation is required.
Is what makes your blood boil a function of not having enough time to modify your calendar to ensure that you could attend to the obligation?
It's more how it tends to be phrased by the canonists who work directly for the Vatican dicasteries. I haven't managed to find, for instance, that "what is impossible is not required" in canon law. Or, in the article above, the dicastery's representative is indicated as expressing that a work obligation does not in fact excuse you from the Mass obligation.
Real-world canonists and pastors know these things. Laymen who have access to such people therefore know these things. But what about well-meaning laymen who happen to have pastors who don't care?
I just wish the Vatican could state these things more carefully. Otherwise it encourages despair through the dual issues of scruples and apathy.
Expressed in a more blood-boiling form: They bent over backwards so hard to accommodate blessings for individuals who were members of couples in irregular situations, can the Catholics who try to stay on the right side of the divine law get the same treatment?
What makes my blood boil is the absence of any message to bosses to help accommodate their workers spiritual obligations.
With respect, Daniel:
Can. 1752 In cases of transfer the prescripts of can. 1747 are to be applied, canonical equity is to be observed, and THE SALVATION OF SOULS, WHICH MUST ALWAYS BE THE SUPREME LAW IN THE CHURCH, IS TO BE KEPT BEFORE ONE'S EYES.
You are right, you won't find it explicitly in the Code, you will however find it in the Regulae Iuris (of the Liber Sextus), which are the basic interpretive framework of canon law. The Sixth maxim is "No one can be held to the impossible."
Your point, however, that it would be difficult to find a typical layman who would be familiar with such things, certainly stands.
I would LOVE to see dioceses organize better staggered Mass times: maybe at each individual parish, 6pm works for the greatest number of people, but within a reasonable drive of my home/work/the route between I have like 20 6pm options... and absolutely nothing else
(And pastors, please please please put your holy day Mass times on your website's home page. Honestly if your parish doesn't have anyone who knows how to that, I will do it for you)
This reminds me that before the most recent round of parish mergers in my area there was confession every day within a very decent driving radius. I know there's fewer priests, but it seems like after the mergers it's still pretty close to the same amount of time, but many parishes have it simultaneously now.
There is of course the humility of requesting an appointment or keeping to one regular confessor, but man was it nice to know, "I gotta get to confession, good thing I know St. A has it on Monday and St. B on Tuesday," etc.