Holydays of Obligation 1. Background

Holydays of Obligation

1. Background

A Holydays

e following are holydays of obligation in the universal Church (Code of Canon Law 1246 §1):

• Sunday

• e Nativity of the Lord (25 December)

• e Epiphany of the Lord (6 January)

• e Ascension of the Lord (ursday Week 6 of Easter)

• e Body and Blood of Christ (ursday aer Holy Trinity)

• Mary, Mother of God (1 January)

• e Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (8 December)

• e Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven (15 August)

• Saint Joseph, Husband of the Virgin Mary (19 March)

• Saint Peter and Saint Paul, apostles (29 June)

• All Saints (1 November)

e Code also establishes that, with the prior approval of the Holy See, Episcopal Conferences may sup-

press certain holydays or transfer them to the Sunday. (Code of Canon Law 1246 §2)

B e obligation associated with days of obligation

Code of Canon Law (1983)

1247 On Sundays and other holydays of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass. ey

are also to abstain from such work or business that would inhibit the worship to be given to God, the joy

proper to the Lord’s Day, or the due relaxation of mind and body.

1248 § 1 e obligation of participating in the Mass is satised by one who assists at Mass where-ever it is cele-

brated in a catholic rite, either on the holyday itself or on the evening of the previous day.

§ 2 If it is impossible to participate in a eucharistic celebration, either because no sacred minister is available

or for some other grave reason, the faithful are strongly recommended to take part in a liturgy of the

Word, if there be such in the parish church or some other sacred place, which is celebrated in accordance

with the provisions laid down by the diocesan Bishop; or to spend an appropriate time in prayer, whether

personally or as a family or, as occasion presents, in a group of families.

C Universal Norms for the Liturgical Year

7 Where the Solemnities of the Epiphany, the Ascension and the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

are not observed as Holydays of Obligation, they should be assigned to a Sunday as their proper day in

this manner:

a. the Epiphany is assigned to the Sunday that falls between 2 January and 8 January;

b. the Ascension to the Seventh Sunday of Easter;

c. the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ to the Sunday aer Trinity Sunday.

2. e Situation in England and Wales

I. e Current Situation

With eect from the 1st Sunday of Advent 2017, two holydays of obligation are being reinstated. is

decision was made by the Bishops of England and Wales, and has been conrmed by the Holy See. e

days are:

• e Epiphany of the Lord — 6 January (transferred to the adjacent Sunday when it falls on Satur-

day or Monday)

• e Ascension of the Lord — ursday aer 6th Sunday of Easter

Consequently the Holydays of Obligation in England and Wales are:

• Sundays

• e Nativity of the Lord — 25 December

• e Epiphany of the Lord — 6 January §

• e Ascension of the Lord — ursday aer 6th Sunday of Easter

• Saint Peter and Saint Paul, apostles —29 June §

• e Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven — 15 August §

• All Saints — 1 November §

II. Prior to 2017

e obligation has been removed from 1 January, 19 March, and 8 December, since 1970.

Additionally, in November 1984 the Bishops’ Conference agreed that:

In conformity with canon 1246, when the solemnities of the Epiphany, the Assumption, All Saints

and Ss Peter and Paul fall on a Saturday or Monday, the solemnity is to be observed and the precept

discharged in England and Wales on the Sunday.

In 2006 the Holy See gave recognitio to the decision of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales to

transfer to Sundays the Solemnities of the Epiphany of the Lord, the Ascension of the Lord and the Body

and Blood of Christ following the provisions of the Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Cal-

endar

Appendix

I. Extract from e Catechism of the Catholic Church

e Lord’s Day

is is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

e day of the Resurrection: the new creation

2174 Jesus rose from the dead ‘on the rst day of the week.’ Because it is the ‘rst day,’ the day of Christ’s Res-

urrection recalls the rst creation. Because it is the ‘eighth day’ following the sabbath, it symbolizes the

new creation ushered in by Christ’s Resurrection. For Christians it has become the rst of all days, the

rst of all feasts, the Lord’s Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica) -Sunday:

We all gather on the day of the sun, for it is the rst day [aer the Jewish sabbath, but also the rst day]

when God, separating matter from darkness, made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ our

Saviour rose from the dead.

Sunday — fullment of the sabbath

2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for

Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ’s Passover, Sunday fulls the

spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man’s eternal rest in God. For worship under the

Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there pregured some aspects of Christ:

ose who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the

sabbath, but the Lord’s Day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death.

2176 e celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to

render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship ‘as a sign of his universal benecence to

all.’ Sunday worship fulls the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in

the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people.

e Sunday Eucharist

2177 e Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s life. ‘Sunday

is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be ob-

served as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church.’

‘Also to be observed are the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension of

Christ, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, the feast of Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate

Conception, her Assumption, the feast of Saint Joseph, the feast of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul,

and the feast of All Saints.’

2178 is practice of the Christian assembly dates from the beginnings of the apostolic age. e Letter to the

Hebrews reminds the faithful ‘not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to encourage

one another.’

Tradition preserves the memory of an ever-timely exhortation: Come to Church early, approach the

Lord, and confess your sins, repent in prayer… Be present at the sacred and divine liturgy, conclude its

prayer and do not leave before the dismissal… We have oen said: ‘is day is given to you for prayer

and rest. is is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.’

2179 ‘A parish is a denite community of the Christian faithful established on a stable basis within a particular

church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority

of the diocesan bishop.’ It is the place where all the faithful can be gathered together for the Sunday cel-

ebration of the Eucharist. e parish initiates the Christian people into the ordinary expression of the

liturgical life: it gathers them together in this celebration; it teaches Christ’s saving doctrine; it practices

the charity of the Lord in good works and brotherly love:

You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out

to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of

souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests.

e Sunday obligation

2180 e precept of the Church species the law of the Lord more precisely: ‘On Sundays and other holy days

of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.’ ‘e precept of participating in the Mass

is satised by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day

or on the evening of the preceding day.’

2181 e Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and conrmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the

faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious rea-

son (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. ose who deliberately

fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

2182 Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of

being faithful to Christ and to his Church. e faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith

and charity. Together they testify to God’s holiness and their hope of salvation. ey strengthen one

another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

2183 ‘If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in the celebration of the

Eucharist is impossible, it is specially recommended that the faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word

if it is celebrated in the parish church or in another sacred place according to the prescriptions of the

diocesan bishop, or engage in prayer for an appropriate amount of time personally or in a family or, as

occasion oers, in groups of families.’

A day of grace and rest from work

2184 Just as God ‘rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done,’ human life has a rhythm of

work and rest. e institution of the Lord’s Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to culti-

vate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.

2185 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activi-

ties that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, the performance of the works

of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body. Family needs or important social service

can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. e faithful should see to it that legitimate

excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.

e charity of truth seeks holy leisure; the necessity of charity accepts just work.

2186 ose Christians who have leisure should be mindful of their brethren who have the same needs and the

same rights, yet cannot rest from work because of poverty and misery. Sunday is traditionally consecrat-

ed by Christian piety to good works and humble service of the sick, the inrm, and the elderly. Chris-

tians will also sanctify Sunday by devoting time and care to their families and relatives, oen dicult to

do on other days of the week.

Sunday is a time for reection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the

growth of the Christian interior life.

2187 Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common eort. Every Christian should avoid making

unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord’s Day. Traditional ac-

tivities (sport, restaurants, etc.), and social necessities (public services, etc.) require some people to work

on Sundays, but everyone should still take care to set aside sucient time for leisure. With temperance

and charity the faithful will see to it that they avoid the excesses and violence sometimes associated with

popular leisure activities. In spite of economic constraints, public authorities should ensure citizens a

time intended for rest and divine worship. Employers have a similar obligation toward their employees.

2188 In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sun-

days and the Church’s holy days as legal holidays. ey have to give everyone a public example of prayer,

respect, and joy and defend their traditions as a precious contribution to the spiritual life of society. If

a country’s legislation or other reasons require work on Sunday, the day should nevertheless be lived as

the day of our deliverance which lets us share in this ‘festal gathering,’ this ‘assembly of the rstborn who

are enrolled in heaven.’

II Extract from Pope John Paul II. Dies Domini (1998)

e Sunday obligation

46. Since the Eucharist is the very heart of Sunday, it is clear why, from the earliest centuries, the Pastors

of the Church have not ceased to remind the faithful of the need to take part in the liturgical assembly.

‘Leave everything on the Lord’s Day’, urges the third century text known as the Didascalia, ‘and run dili-

gently to your assembly, because it is your praise of God. Otherwise, what excuse will they make to God,

those who do not come together on the Lord’s Day to hear the word of life and feed on the divine nour-

ishment which lasts forever?’. e faithful have generally accepted this call of the Pastors with conviction

of soul and, although there have been times and situations when this duty has not been perfectly met,

one should never forget the genuine heroism of priests and faithful who have fullled this obligation

even when faced with danger and the denial of religious freedom, as can be documented from the rst

centuries of Christianity up to our own time.

In his rst Apology addressed to the Emperor Antoninus and the Senate, Saint Justin proudly described

the Christian practice of the Sunday assembly, which gathered in one place Christians from both the city

and the countryside. When, during the persecution of Diocletian, their assemblies were banned with the

greatest severity, many were courageous enough to defy the imperial decree and accepted death rather

than miss the Sunday Eucharist. is was the case of the martyrs of Abitina, in Proconsular Africa, who

replied to their accusers: ‘Without fear of any kind we have celebrated the Lord’s Supper, because it can-

not be missed; that is our law’; ‘We cannot live without the Lord’s Supper’. As she confessed her faith, one

of the martyrs said: ‘Yes, I went to the assembly and I celebrated the Lord’s Supper with my brothers and

sisters, because I am a Christian’.

47. Even if in the earliest times it was not judged necessary to be prescriptive, the Church has not ceased to

conrm this obligation of conscience, which rises from the inner need felt so strongly by the Christians

of the rst centuries. It was only later, faced with the half-heartedness or negligence of some, that the

Church had to make explicit the duty to attend Sunday Mass: more oen than not, this was done in the

form of exhortation, but at times the Church had to resort to specic canonical precepts. is was the

case in a number of local Councils from the fourth century onwards (as at the Council of Elvira of 300,

which speaks not of an obligation but of penalties aer three absences) and most especially from the

sixth century onwards (as at the Council of Agde in 506). ese decrees of local Councils led to a uni-

versal practice, the obligatory character of which was taken as something quite normal.

e Code of Canon Law of 1917 for the rst time gathered this tradition into a universal law. e present

Code reiterates this, saying that ‘on Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to attend

Mass’. is legislation has normally been understood as entailing a grave obligation: this is the teaching of the

Catechism of the Catholic Church, and it is easy to understand why if we keep in mind how vital Sunday is

for the Christian life.

48. Today, as in the heroic times of the beginning, many who wish to live in accord with the demands of

their faith are being faced with dicult situations in various parts of the world. ey live in surround-

ings which are sometimes decidedly hostile and at other times — more frequently in fact — indierent

and unresponsive to the Gospel message. If believers are not to be overwhelmed, they must be able to

count on the support of the Christian community. is is why they must be convinced that it is crucially

important for the life of faith that they should come together with others on Sundays to celebrate the

Passover of the Lord in the sacrament of the New Covenant. It is the special responsibility of the Bishops,

therefore, ‘to ensure that Sunday is appreciated by all the faithful, kept holy and celebrated as truly ‘the

Lord’s Day’, on which the Church comes together to renew the remembrance of the Easter mystery in

hearing the word of God, in oering the sacrice of the Lord, in keeping the day holy by means of prayer,

works of charity and abstention from work’.

49. Because the faithful are obliged to attend Mass unless there is a grave impediment, Pastors have the

corresponding duty to oer to everyone the real possibility of fullling the precept. e provisions of

Church law move in this direction, as for example in the faculty granted to priests, with the prior au-

thorization of the diocesan Bishop, to celebrate more than one Mass on Sundays and holy days, the

institution of evening Masses and the provision which allows the obligation to be fullled from Saturday

evening onwards, starting at the time of First Vespers of Sunday. From a liturgical point of view, in fact,

holy days begin with First Vespers. Consequently, the liturgy of what is sometimes called the ‘Vigil Mass’

is in eect the ‘festive’ Mass of Sunday, at which the celebrant is required to preach the homily and recite

the Prayer of the Faithful.

Moreover, Pastors should remind the faithful that when they are away from home on Sundays they are

to take care to attend Mass wherever they may be, enriching the local community with their personal

witness. At the same time, these communities should show a warm sense of welcome to visiting brothers

and sisters, especially in places which attract many tourists and pilgrims, for whom it will oen be nec-

essary to provide special religious assistance.

A joyful celebration in song

50. Given the nature of Sunday Mass and its importance in the lives of the faithful, it must be prepared with

special care. In ways dictated by pastoral experience and local custom in keeping with liturgical norms,

eorts must be made to ensure that the celebration has the festive character appropriate to the day com-

memorating the Lord’s Resurrection. To this end, it is important to devote attention to the songs used by

the assembly, since singing is a particularly apt way to express a joyful heart, accentuating the solemnity

of the celebration and fostering the sense of a common faith and a shared love. Care must be taken to

ensure the quality, both of the texts and of the melodies, so that what is proposed today as new and cre-

ative will conform to liturgical requirements and be worthy of the Church’s tradition which, in the eld

of sacred music, boasts a priceless heritage.

A celebration involving all

51. ere is a need too to ensure that all those present, children and adults, take an active interest, by en-

couraging their involvement at those points where the liturgy suggests and recommends it. Of course,

it falls only to those who exercise the priestly ministry to eect the Eucharistic Sacrice and to oer it

to God in the name of the whole people. is is the basis of the distinction, which is much more than a

matter of discipline, between the task proper to the celebrant and that which belongs to deacons and the

non-ordained faithful.Yet the faithful must realize that, because of the common priesthood received in

Baptism, ‘they participate in the oering of the Eucharist’. Although there is a distinction of roles, they

still ‘oer to God the divine victim and themselves with him. Oering the sacrice and receiving holy

communion, they take part actively in the liturgy’, nding in it light and strength to live their baptismal

priesthood and the witness of a holy life.

Other moments of the Christian Sunday

52. Sharing in the Eucharist is the heart of Sunday, but the duty to keep Sunday holy cannot be reduced to this.

In fact, the Lord’s Day is lived well if it is marked from beginning to end by grateful and active remem-

brance of God’s saving work. is commits each of Christ’s disciples to shape the other moments of the

day — those outside the liturgical context: family life, social relationships, moments of relaxation — in such

a way that the peace and joy of the Risen Lord will emerge in the ordinary events of life. For example, the

relaxed gathering of parents and children can be an opportunity not only to listen to one another but also

to share a few formative and more reective moments. Even in lay life, when possible, why not make provi-

sion for special times of prayer — especially the solemn celebration of Vespers, for example — or moments

of catechesis, which on the eve of Sunday or on Sunday aernoon might prepare for or complete the gi of

the Eucharist in people’s hearts?

is rather traditional way of keeping Sunday holy has perhaps become more dicult for many people;

but the Church shows her faith in the strength of the Risen Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit by

making it known that, today more than ever, she is unwilling to settle for minimalism and mediocrity

at the level of faith. She wants to help Christians to do what is most correct and pleasing to the Lord.

And despite the diculties, there are positive and encouraging signs. In many parts of the Church, a

new need for prayer in its many forms is being felt; and this is a gi of the Holy Spirit. ere is also a

rediscovery of ancient religious practices, such as pilgrimages; and oen the faithful take advantage of

Sunday rest to visit a Shrine where, with the whole family perhaps, they can spend time in a more intense

experience of faith. ese are moments of grace which must be fostered through evangelization and

guided by genuine pastoral wisdom.