Immaculate Conception Holy Day - did it change?

By FATHER DAVID ESQUILIANO
Judicial Vicar
 
Each priest is different. Some of us like to plan our parish schedule months in advance, while others prefer to do it just weeks prior. A few weeks ago, we received news from the Vatican regarding the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, which led all priests, both the long-term planners and the spur-of-the-moment kind of guys, to try to figure out how to accommodate a holy day of obligation in an already busy time of the year.
 
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on Dec. 8. This year, though, Dec. 8 falls on Sunday, and not just any Sunday, but the Second Sunday of Advent, a privileged or special season. When holy days of obligation fall on Sundays of privileged seasons, the celebration is transferred to the following day. That is why this year the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception will be celebrated on Monday, Dec. 9.
 
In U.S. dioceses, there is a rule that says that when certain holy days of obligation fall on Monday, the obligation is abrogated, which means that people are not required to attend Mass. That is why at the beginning of the year, it was announced that the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception would not be a holy day of obligation this year; so what happened? Why are we now being told that we have to go to Mass?
 
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) legislated in 1991 that the holy days of obligation in the country would be the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God on Jan. 1, the solemnity of the Ascension on the seventh Thursday of Easter (although in most U.S. dioceses it is transferred to the following Sunday), the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Aug. 15, the solemnity of All Saints on Nov. 1, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 and the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, or Christmas, on Dec. 25.
 
It was as part of that same legislation that the USCCB also decided that whenever the solemnities such as Mary, Mother of God on Jan. 1, the solemnity of the Assumption on Aug. 15, or the solemnity of All Saints on Nov. 1, fell on Saturday or Monday, the obligation to attend Mass would be abrogated.
 You may have already noticed that this list is shorter, and that is why last year, when Christmas fell on Monday, we had to go to Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Advent and then right away for Christmas, two obligations within two days. Another solemnity that does not lose the obligation on Saturday or Monday is the Immaculate Conception because that is our national patronal feast.
 
Now, a big difference is that this year, Immaculate Conception does not fall on Monday; that is, Dec. 8 is a Sunday, but the solemnity is being transferred to Monday. Originally, the assumption was made that there would be no obligation, but because this is not clear in the law, the department within the USCCB in charge of church law asked the office in charge of interpreting law at the Holy See whether the obligation to attend Mass also transferred to Monday. Last October, the reply was shared with all of us, and that is that the obligation does transfer, and therefore we Catholics are required to attend Mass on Dec. 9.
 
Some bishops have decided to dispense all Catholics in their dioceses of this obligation. That is not the case in our diocese, and I’m of the opinion that Bishop Nickless is right in not offering a blanket dispensation. So, what does this mean for you in practical terms?
 
Well, if you live in the Diocese of Sioux City, you are required to attend Mass on Sunday, Dec. 8, for the Second Sunday of Advent and again on Monday, Dec. 9, for the Immaculate Conception. If you live in another diocese, and your local bishop has not offered a general dispensation, the same applies to you. Remember that we are required to follow church rules based on where we live, and not based on where we are registered.
 
As with other obligations, we can satisfy this by going to Mass the evening prior, from after 4 p.m., or any time of the day of the obligation. So, we could satisfy our obligation for the Second Sunday of Advent by going to Mass anytime between 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec.7, and end of day on Sunday, Dec. 8; and we could satisfy our obligation for the Immaculate Conception by going to any Mass between 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, and end of day on Monday, Dec. 9.
 
Because some parishes have Sunday evening Masses, an inquisitive mind may be asking now if one could satisfy both obligations by going to a 7 p.m. Mass on Sunday, Dec. 8, for example. The answer is no. Two obligations, two Masses. But that 7 p.m. Mass could be used to satisfy either of the obligations, regardless of what readings and prayers are used. Parishes will be required to use the propers for the Second Sunday of Advent at all Masses on Dec. 8, but if a person went to Mass early in the morning of that same day or Saturday evening, then the hypothetical 7 p.m. Mass on Sunday would satisfy the obligation for Immaculate Conception.
 
Lastly, something that I have written about before and which is important to remember now is that the church never subjects us to the impossible. This means that if someone truly cannot go to Mass for the Immaculate Conception (within the allotted time from Sunday evening to Monday end of day), then he or she would not be committing mortal sin. It is important, though, that we are honest and do our best to make it to Mass for both obligations.