0
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Why is Holy Thursday not a Holy Day of Obligation?
Roman Catholic AnswerBecause it has never been so designated by the Holy See as such.
Why did United States Catholic bishops change Holy Days of Obligation?
Catholic AnswerThe United States bishops do not have the authority to change the Holy Days of Obligation, of which there are ten (outside of Sundays) in the year for the universal church. However, they may petition Rome, and Rome will decided how many days must be observed in the national territory. The United States bishops have requested six Holy Days of Obligation be mandatory for the United States, but the universal Church allows each province to choose if they want to maintain Epiphany on the 6th of January or move the obligation to the nearest Sunday. Also, if a Holy Day of Obligation falls on a Saturday or Monday, the Holy See allows the Bishops' Conference to remove the Obligation for that day. Why did they do the things they did? Not really sure, you would probably have to ask the Bishops' conference or your own Bishop. 1) The Vatican decides which Holy Days are Obligatory for each bishops' conference, for instance here in the United States only six holy days are obligatory. The bishop has absolutely no say in the matter, beyond being able to vote at the Bishops' Conference to ask the Holy See to add or subtract a Holy Day of Obligation. So, no, each bishop may not decided which Holy Days are Obligatory, if someone told you that, you should ask someone else and find out what is going on.2) It is a serious (mortal) sin to miss ANY Holy Day of Obligation, it would just be the same as deliberately missing Sunday Mass without a grave reason. Missing Mass on a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation then makes you unable to receive Holy Communion until after you have been to confession - period.3) This is true of every diocese in the world, and for every Catholic in the world. You need to go to confession, in which you might ask these questions while you're at it.
Is the Easter vigil a day of holy obligation for Catholics?
No, but Easter is, so you can go to mass at the Vigil and have your Easter obligation fulfilled.
Is immaculate conception a holy day of obligation?
Yes, it is in the United States This year it falls on a Sunday, so the Sunday Mass is the obligation
Is Ash Wednesday an Holy Day of Obligation?
No. While Ash Wednesday is an important day to Catholics as the beginning of the season of Lent, it is not a Holy Day of Obligation. Ash Wednesday is however a special holy day and a day of abstinence and penance.
How long are Catholics in church for?
An hour or so, it depends on the priest and the church. At my church our mass is normally about an hour, sometimes it is faster. Holidays and holy days of obligation tend to be longer though.
How did the feast of the Assumption become a Holy Day of Obligation?
To the best of my knowledge, the Assumption has been a Holy Day of Obligation since 1950. It was in 1950 that Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption as a dogma of the faith. It has always been believed, but it was never defined before 1950. When the Holy Father raised it to a dogma, I assume that he also made it a Holy Day of Obligation. My A Catholic Dictionary was published in 1957 so it mentions the Assumption along with the fact that it is a Holy Day of Obligation.
In the United States bishops decide which holy days are obligatory for their diocese Why is it a sin in one diocese and not another to attend Holy Day Mass?
Catholic Answer1) The Vatican decides which Holy Days are Obligatory for each bishops' conference, for instance here in the United States only six holy days are obligatory. The bishop has absolutely no say in the matter, beyond being able to vote at the Bishops' Conference to ask the Holy See to add or subtract a Holy Day of Obligation. So, no, each bishop may not decided which Holy Days are Obligatory, if someone told you that, you should ask someone else and find out what is going on. 2) It is a serious (mortal) sin to miss ANY Holy Day of Obligation, it would just be the same as deliberately missing Sunday Mass without a grave reason. Missing Mass on a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation then makes you unable to receive Holy Communion until after you have been to confession - period.3) This is true of every diocese in the world, and for every Catholic in the world. You need to go to confession, in which you might ask these questions while you're at it.
Is the feast of the Ascension a holy day of obligation?
Yes but as a Catholic every Sunday you have to go to Sunday Mass (you will be committing a mortal sin if you don't)Actually it is, but you should already be going to mass that day because it is always on a Sunday, so it isn't listed as a holy day of obligation. So yes, you should go to mass, and yes it is considered a serious sin if you do not.
What are the major festivals of the Catholic Religion?
Catholic AnswerCatholic Festivals are normally called Holy Days of Obligation, which means that it is a Holy Day of such importance, that you need to attend Mass. There are ten of these (outside of every Sunday of the year - which are also considered Holy Days of Obligation): From Catholic Answers:The Code of Canon Law spells out when the holy days of obligation are on the Church's universal calendar: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.These ten are the exact holy days of obligation that are celebrated in Vatican City, but there is variation elsewhere (including in Italy). The reason is that the Code of Canon Law goes on to state:Can. 1246 §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.Thus different countries celebrate different holy days of obligation (apart from Sunday, which they all celebrate).The country with the fewest number of holy days of obligation seems to Hong Kong, which has only one: Christmas.Canada has two: Christmas and Mary, Mother of God.The United States, by contrast, has a fairly robust eight holy days of obligation, though two to three have been transferred to Sundays (depending on where you live).The details of how the holy days in the U.S. have evolved are found here.The details can be a little bewildering though, so here is a complete, up-to-date list of the holy days of obligation in the United States:Mary, Mother of God (always celebrated January 1, but if this occurs on a Saturday or a Monday there is no obligation to go to Mass)Epiphany (this has been permanently translated to the first Sunday after January 1)Ascension (this is celebrated on different days depending on which ecclesiastical province you live in; a few provinces celebrate it on the traditional date, which is the Thursday of the sixth week of Easter, but most provinces in the U.S. have transferred it to the seventh Sunday of Easter.)The Body and Blood of Christ (this has been permanently translated to the second Sunday after Pentecost)Assumption of Mary (always celebrated August 15, but if this occurs on a Saturday or a Monday there is no obligation to go to Mass)All Saints (always celebrated November 1, but if this occurs on a Saturday or a Monday there is no obligation to go to Mass)Immaculate Conception of Mary (always celebrated December 8)Christmas (always celebrated December 25)There is one other wrinkle to the holy days of obligation in the United States: the state of Hawaii.Hawaii is part of the United States, but it is located in a part of the world where most of the surrounding dioceses belong to the Conference of Bishops of the South Pacific (CEPAC).As a result, there is a special indult for Hawaii to regulate its liturgical days in accord with the surrounding dioceses. Therefore, since 1992, Hawaii has only had two holy days of obligation (besides Sundays), which are the Immaculate Concept (Dec. 8) and Christmas (Dec. 25).
What is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Roman Catholic Church?
A Holy Day of Obligation is a concept taken from the Catholic tradition of Christianity (i.e. Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Coptic ''et cetera''). A holy day, in and of itself refers to the Concept of a "Feast," "Memorial," or "Solemnity" of a certain saint, or a rememberance of an event in either Jesus' life or in the life of Mary (his mother). Throughout the entire year there are examples of these days scattered. What a Holy Day of Obligation is, is simply one of these days where people (of a church/denomination) are obliged to go to church, under obedience to the bishops of their country or to the pope. These particular days are usually days which are of a particularly sacred nature, or of interest to the nation in general. Examples of holy days of obligation are: All Sundays of the year, Christmas Day, Easter Sunday, and often in countries the day of the patron saint of the country, for example in Ireland: Saint Patrick's Feast Day is a holy day of obligation.
Is Nov 1 a holy day of obligation?
Yes, traditionally All Saints Day is a holy day of obligation but recently in Canada and the US, there has been granted special permission so that it has been changed so that it is not a day of obligation anymore. In some countries, it is not required that you attend mass on that day if it falls on a Saturday or a Monday. Otherwise, it is still in effect in certain countries outside Canada and the USA.
