|
2 members (San Nicolas, Roman),
2,459
guests, and
121
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Forums26
Topics35,542
Posts417,792
Members6,208
| |
Most Online4,112
Mar 25th, 2025
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 195
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 195 |
Hello,
Is there such thing as Sunday Obligation for Eastern Catholics? I know Latin Catholics have Sunday Obligation to go to Church on Sunday. The reason that I'm asking the question is because sometimes I recieve communion in Antiochian Orthodox Church. Do I need to go to a Catholic Church to fillful my Sunday Obligation. It's hard to go to Church twice on Sunday, please let me know.
Thank you
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,342 Likes: 1
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,342 Likes: 1 |
Shlomo Chaldean Catholic, Is there such thing as Sunday Obligation for Eastern Catholics? Yes. Do I need to go to a Catholic Church to fillful my Sunday Obligation. No. Since you have gone to service at an Orthodox Church you do not need to then go to a Catholic Church. Fush BaShlomo, Yuhannon
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,505
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,505 |
Hello,
Is there such thing as Sunday Obligation for Eastern Catholics? I know Latin Catholics have Sunday Obligation to go to Church on Sunday. The reason that I'm asking the question is because sometimes I recieve communion in Antiochian Orthodox Church. Do I need to go to a Catholic Church to fillful my Sunday Obligation. Yes, if you have access to a Catholic Church (of any Rite) you MUST fulfil your Sunday obligation by attending Mass or Liturgy. Going to an Orthodox Church does not fulfil this obligation. You may freely attend an Orthodox Church but it does not replace your Catholic Sunday obligation. Foe a while after Vatican II it *was* permitted to fulfil your Sunday obligation by attending an Orthodox service but this was later forbidden. Someone here, such as Irish Melkite, will be able to refer you to the canon law of the Catholic Church on this matter.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,505
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,505 |
Hello,
Is there such thing as Sunday Obligation for Eastern Catholics? One point to remember is that your Sunday obligation as an Eastern Catholic is fulfilled by attendance at Vespers on Saturday evening. I always find that quite interesting.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,309 Likes: 3
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,309 Likes: 3 |
I love the way in which Roman Catholics and the Orthodox are always telling Eastern Catholics what they must do and must believe. I think we are quite capable of deciding this for ourselves.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 638 Likes: 1
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 638 Likes: 1 |
Good point mate! Spot on!
And what is the Eastern view on this? ChaldeanCatholic, best to speak to an Assyrian or Chaldean priest about this. Cheers mate!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,930
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,930 |
However, we fulfill the 'Sunday Obligation' not because of the law, but because of love.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,173 Likes: 1
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,173 Likes: 1 |
However, we fulfill the 'Sunday Obligation' not because of the law, but because of love. Amen.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 5,725 Likes: 2
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 5,725 Likes: 2 |
Obligation?  Isn't that just like the legalistic Latins? If you don't do it, first they send you to hell, then they drag your body through the streets, then they cut off you arms, then they really find a way to punish you. 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,309 Likes: 3
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,309 Likes: 3 |
Cardinal Fang, bring out the. . . soft cushion!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,505
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,505 |
I love the way in which Roman Catholics and the Orthodox are always telling Eastern Catholics what they must do and must believe. I think we are quite capable of deciding this for ourselves. Forgive me. I replied because after 9 hours nobody had answered the question correctly and the one answer provided was misleading. Since I know the answer I felt charity obliged me to offer it. Scanning the messages I see that there is still no answer from any Catholic member -where's Irish Melkite when you need him?! :-)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,028
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,028 |
I love the way in which Roman Catholics and the Orthodox are always telling Eastern Catholics what they must do and must believe. I think we are quite capable of deciding this for ourselves. It is statements such as these that make me wonder what "being in communion with Rome" really means for Eastern Catholics. It seems to me that too many Eastern Catholics have the attitude that: "we are in communion with Rome, but that doesn't mean that Rome can tell us what to do, or that we should even believe the same things that the Romans believe." What for, then? What for? But when the question of latinizations come up, we suddenly hear the same people saying "Rome tells us to give up Latinizations! We must obey!"
Last edited by asianpilgrim; 07/12/09 11:36 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,028
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,028 |
Foe a while after Vatican II it *was* permitted to fulfil your Sunday obligation by attending an Orthodox service but this was later forbidden. Father Ambrose is partly correct. Ad totam ecclesiam, the first Directory Concerning Ecumenical Matters, whose first part was published on May 14, 1967 by the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, contains the following proviso: 47. A Catholic who occasionally, for reasons set out below (cf. n. 50), attends the holy liturgy (Mass) on a Sunday or holiday of obligation in an Orthodox Church is not then bound to assist at Mass in a Catholic Church....
50. Catholics may be allowed to attend Orthodox liturgical services if they have reasonable grounds, e.g. arising out of a public office or function, blood relationships, friendships, desire to be better informed, etc. In such cases there is nothing against their taking part in the common responses, hymns, and actions of the Church in which they ae guests..." I am citing here the English translation of Ad Totam Ecclesiam, part 1, contained in "Vatican II: The Conciliar and Postconciliar Documents" edited by Fr. Austin Flannery OP and published by Liturgical Press in 1977. The actual qouotes are in page 497 (for no. 47) and 498 (no. 50). Ad totam ecclesiam did say that a Catholic may only "occasionally" make use of this concession, so this was not a blanket permission for Catholics to go to Orthodox churches to fulfil their Sunday obligation. However, the document omits to specify what "occasionally" means, all the while giving very broad reasons for attending Orthodox services (friendship, "desire to be better informed") "Ad totam ecclesiam" was quite controversial, and has been superseded by a new Ecumenical Directory that omits to mention this earlier concession. It is not clear to me if this concession was ever formally reversed, though.
Last edited by asianpilgrim; 07/12/09 11:51 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 4,678 Likes: 1
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 4,678 Likes: 1 |
"However, we fulfill the 'Sunday Obligation' not because of the law, but because of love."
But Latins don't? Dear Rose, you seem to be drawing a distinction between Latins and non-Latins and their reasons for fulfilling their obligations...I was just wondering if that's the case.
Does anyone really think that any Catholics nowadays attend Mass every Sunday because otherwise they think they'll go to Hell? The people still attending Holy Mass or Divine Liturgy are there because they want to be there.
Fr. Ambrose, you have done nothing wrong, and don't need forgiveness. But that's very humble of you. I will remember you in my prayers tonight.
asianpilgrim,
Most canon lawyers I've heard discuss it agree that it has, indeed, been reversed. Anyway, "[a] person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass" [CIC Can. 1248 §1].
I think I have an idea of what "a Catholic rite" is, but I suppose it could be argued that the D.L. of St. John Chrysostom, for example, is indeed a "Catholic rite," no matter in what church it's celebrated, Catholic or not. Though I find that somewhat disingenuous. Thank goodness I'm not a canon lawyer!
Alexis
Last edited by Logos - Alexis; 07/12/09 11:58 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,028
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,028 |
The topic of "Sunday obligation" for Eastern Catholics has been discussed to death on the Internet. Here in ByzCath there is the following thread, which also discusses Sunday Obligation for Eastern Catholics: Vespers obligatory for the faithful The Code of Canons of the Oriental Churches [ jgray.org] , promulgated in 1990 by the Holy See, has the following (emphases mine): Art. III. Feast Days and Days of Penance
Canon 880 - §1. Only the supreme authority of the Church can establish, transfer or suppress feast days and days of penance which are common to all of the Eastern Churches, with due regard for §3.
§2. The authority of a Church sui iuris which is competent to establish particular law can constitute, transfer or suppress feast days and days of penance for that Church sui iuris, however having sought the opinions of the other Churches sui iuris and with due regard for can. 40, §1.
§3. Holy days of obligation common to all the Eastern Churches, beyond Sundays, are the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Dormition of the Holy Mary Mother of God and the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul except for the particular law of a Church sui iuris approved by the Apostolic See which suppresses a holy days of obligation or transfers them to a Sunday.
Canon 881 - §1. The Christian faithful are bound by the obligation to participate on Sundays and feast days in the Divine Liturgy, or according to the prescriptions or legitimate customs of their own Church sui iuris, in the celebration of the divine praises.
§2. In order for the Christian faithful to fulfill this obligation more easily, the available time runs from the evening of the vigil until the end of the Sunday or feast day.
§3. The Christian faithful are strongly recommended to receive the Divine Eucharist on these days and indeed more frequently, even daily.
§4. The Christian faithful should abstain from those labors or business matters which impede the worship to be rendered to God, the joy which is proper to the Lord's day, or to the proper relaxation of mind and body.
Canon 882 - On the days of penance the Christian faithful are obliged to observe fast or abstinence in the manner established by the particular law of their Church sui iuris.
Canon 883 - §1. The Christian faithful who are outside the territorial boundaries of their own Church sui iuris can adopt fully for themselves the feast days and days of penance which are in force where they are staying.
§2. In families in which the parents are enrolled in different Churches sui iuris, it is permitted to observe the norms of one or the other Church, in regard to feast days and days of penance. Now, you may not like these canons. You may not like the very idea of Canons for the Eastern Churches being proimugated by the Holy See. You may even think these canons are Latinized. BUT... these ARE the canons, so don't shoot the messenger. There is an interesting discussion on whether attending an Orthodox DL satisfies the Sunday obligation here: Can I attend an Orthodox "Mass"? [ forums.catholic.com]
Last edited by asianpilgrim; 07/13/09 01:06 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
