solemnity

A Solemnity of the Roman Catholic Church is a principal holy day in the liturgical calendar, usually commemorating an event in the life of Jesus, his mother Mary, or other important saints. The observance begins with the vigil on the evening before the actual date of the feast. Unlike traditional feast days, because of their importance, solemnities replace Sunday in importance and the solemnity is celebrated if it falls on a Sunday (for most).

The word is taken from the Latin sollemnitas, a term of uncertain origin but possibly derived from sollus (whole) and annus (year), indicating a Holy day of obligation occurring at yearly intervals. The Church always celebrates each solemnity every year.

Solemnities of the Liturgical Year

The following solemnities are observed by the entire Catholic Church. Holy days of obligation of the Worldwide Church are given in bold letters; they are however often dispensed from by the several episcopal conferences, which is explicitly dealt with in the article. Note that holy days of obligation, when transferred to a Sunday, are of course technically still of obligation, on the Sunday to wit; the expression used in the "notes about date" box is meant to put the things in short terms.

Special Solemnities

There are also special solemnities, which are observed in particular places, regions, or in particular religious orders. For instance, when a parish or other church celebrates the feast or memorial of its titular saint or when it celebrates the anniversary of its dedication, it is treated as a solemnity.^[1] The feast of Saint Patrick on 17 March is a solemnity in Ireland, the feast of Saint Josemaría Escrivá on 26 June is a solemnity within the prelature of Opus Dei, and the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on 16 July is a solemnity for the Carmelites.

Some but not all solemnities are also Holy Days of Obligation, on which Catholics are required to attend Mass. All Holy Days of Obligation carry the rank of Solemnity, although some dioceses observe holy days of obligation on solemnities not celebrated with such rank outside the diocese. Moreover, the canon law of the Catholic Church requires that on Holy Days of Obligation Catholics are to avoid "work" and "affairs" that "hinder the worship to be rendered to God" or interfere with "suitable relaxation of mind and body" just as is required on Sundays.^[2]

Scheduling

Solemnities never impede the Easter Triduum, Pentecost, Sundays of Advent, Sundays of Lent, Sundays of the Easter Season, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, and the Easter Octave. No solemnity except the Resurrection of the Lord on Easter Sunday can fall during Holy Week or during the Octave of Easter; the Church transfers any otherwise scheduled solemnity to another available date.

Solemnities of the Lord (Epiphany, Annunciation, Ascension, Corpus Christi, Trinity, Christ the King, Nativity), Solemnities of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mother of God, Assumption, Immaculate Conception), Solemnities of Saints Listed in the General Calendar (Joseph, Nativity of John the Baptist, Peter and Paul, All Saints), All Souls Day, and proper solemnities can impede other Sundays throughout the year.

For all intents and purposes, this means that a solemnity always can impede a Sunday in Ordinary Time but never a Sunday of Advent or of Lent or of Easter (except the solemnities of the Resurrection and Ascension).

Observance

The Creed is recited at Mass, and there are two scriptural readings and a responsorial psalm before the Gospel. When a solemnity falls on a Friday, the obligation to abstain from meat is lifted.^[3]

See also

• Liturgical year
• Holy Day of Obligation
• Octave (liturgical)
• Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church
• Afterfeast

References

1. ^ See General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar § 59(I)(4).
2. ^ Can. 1247, Code of Canon Law
3. ^ Codex Iuris Canonici canon 1250, 1251, 1253.

(2 Cor. 5:17 New International Version)

External links

• Universalis An excellent liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church including the liturgy of the hours and the mass readings.
• "Solemnity" article from The Catholic Encyclopedia (1912)
• [1] Liturgical calendar for the year 2008 in the United States of America