FILIPINOS are no longer obliged to attend Mass of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Monday, Dec. 9 after a petition by Philippine bishops to the Vatican.
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments approved the appeal, where Ilagan Bishop David Antonio cited the near-impossibility of many Filipinos finding time during a working day to attend Mass.
“The Philippine bishops made this request considering that it would be difficult or even impossible for many Filipino Catholics to go to Mass on a working day since they are daily wage earners and rely on this for their family’s sustenance,” said Antonio, chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Liturgy.
In response, the Vatican said, “the obligation to attend Mass does not apply this year.”
This rescinds the earlier announcement of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and the Archdiocese of Manila, which echoed the clarification of the Holy See’s Dicastery on Legislative Texts marking the Second Sunday of Advent and Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 and 9, respectively, as holy days of obligation under the Church’s Canon Law.
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception coincides with this year’s Second Sunday of Advent on Dec. 8, prompting the Marian’s feast transfer to Monday, Dec. 9.
According to the General Norms on the Liturgical Year and Calendar, a solemnity shall be transferred to the closest day if impeded by another liturgical day that takes precedence, such as the Sundays of Advent.
Holy days of obligation are days when Catholics must attend Mass without exceptions unless prevented by serious reasons such as illness.
