Monday, November 10, 2008

EF and Holy Days


I had an email from the Latin Mass Society about Holy Days . A dubium was submitted asking whether the transfer of Holy Days to the nearest Sunday by the Bishops of England a Wales applied in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. The main points are below, simply the Bishops have a right to transfer the Obligation to attend Mass, but the have right to change the calendar, This applies only to Extraordinary Form, not the Ordinary Form, the modern Mass.




1. The legitimate use of the liturgical books in use in 1962 includes the right to the use of the calendar intrinsic to those liturgical books.

2. While in accordance with Canon 1246 §2 of the Code of Canon Law the Episcopal Conference can legitimately transfer Holydays of obligation with the approbation of the Holy See, it is also legitimate to celebrate the Mass and Office of those feasts on the days prescribed in the calendar of the liturgical books in use in 1962 with the clear understanding that, in accordance with the legitimate decision of the Episcopal Conference, there is no obligation to attend Mass on those days.

3. Thus, in accordance with nn. 356-361 of the Rubricae Generales Missalis Romani of 1962, it is appropriate to celebrate the external solemnity of Holy Days on the Sunday to which they have been transferred by the Episcopal Conference, as has been customary in many other countries hitherto.


full text here


Next Sunday I am going to celebrate a public Low Mass in the EF, for the first time, I am quite excited.

In this parish on Holy Days we have a number of people, especially foreigners who turn up expecting Mass, therefore I shall start celebrating the transferred feasts on the actual day in the EF.

I noticed a few young men at the last Mass who I am sure could be persuaded to serve and I am sure we get some singers, so maybe a Missa Cantata might be in the offing. It would be good way of exposing to more people to the ancient Mass.

8 comments:

Jane said...

Dear Fr.,

I look forward to hearing how it went!

In union of prayers,

In Christo pro Papa

Jane

Mulier Fortis said...

It will certainly be a great way to introduce people to the EF.

Good luck, and I hope you have the chance to have a Missa Cantata soon

Fr Ray Blake said...

Nicholas, I will

PeterHWright said...

As a matter of pastoral solicitude, and so that the faithful will not be confused, the Bishops' Conference of England & Wales will no doubt wish to post the full text of this clarification on their website at an early date.

Fr Ray Blake said...

sorry, I just deleted a couple of comments by accident.

Ttony said...

Father,

ask if there is anybody who learned to serve the EF as a boy and wants to learn again. That's how I was brought back into the EF.

And great fun it is too!.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Ttony, more likely to find servers in the under 30s.

PeterHWright said...

An afterthought ..

Could I add my earnest prayers and good wishes to those from other commenters for Father's splendid initiative.

I have great hope for the new traditional communities, and their expanding apostolates, such as the ICKSP, SJM, and so on.

But the re-introduction of the "old" Mass into regular parish life - and it is to everyone's benefit - depends on parish priests.

I hope Father knows that when he ascends the altar for his first public "old" Mass, he will do so with fervent prayers from many.

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