Part — Gury-Ballerini, Compendium of Moral Theology (8th ed., 1884)
On the First and Second Precepts of the Church, or On the Observance of Feasts
- Holy mother Church enjoys the power of instituting feasts, and of commanding their sanctification under grave sin for all the faithful, inasmuch as she received from Christ every power in order to the spiritual good of her children. No controversy about this is agitated among Catholics.
The precept of celebrating feasts, if you regard the obligation by which we are sometimes held to venerate God by some worship, is certainly divine and natural; but as to what concerns the time and days to be consecrated to this worship, this in the old law is sanctioned by a ceremonial precept, in the new by an ecclesiastical one. - St. Lig., l. 3, n. 263. The Pope alone can appoint feasts for the universal Church, because he alone enjoys jurisdiction over the universal Church. Bishops also can institute feast days in their own diocese; for they have the faculty of making laws in their diocese. Nevertheless, according to the present discipline, lest feast days be multiplied beyond measure through too great facility of Ordinaries, Bishops are forbidden to establish feasts without consulting the Clergy and the faithful. - Thus commonly from c. Conquestus, de Festis. - St. Lig., n. 266. A vow of celebrating certain feasts of precept with vigil and procession, although confirmed by the Bishop, obliges only those vowing. - S. R. C., 19 Nov. 1650. - Gardellini.
Many feasts were formerly instituted which, in the course of time, when the fervor of the faithful had grown cold 1, went into desuetude, or were abolished by Ecclesiastical authority itself.
1 While the Author ascribes the diminution of feasts to the cooling of the charity of the faithful, perhaps he had especially before his eyes the most miserable condition of the Gallican regions, when the savage barbarity of certain men who had taken possession of public affairs had advanced to such madness and fury that it both enacted and took care that every worship of God be exterminated: and that a wholly noble nation might emerge from that mire, the wickedness, partly, and partly the sloth, of the times and of the men who seized or held the sceptre there, has not yet allowed.
But the Roman Pontiffs brought forward an entirely different cause for the diminished number of feasts. For Urban VIII (Const. Universa, § 1) says that he was moved because "the frequent cry of the poor has ascended to Us, complaining that the same multitude [of feast days], on account of the necessity of acquiring daily sustenance by their labors, is very harmful to them." And Pius VI (Const. Ex quo divina, 7 June 1780, § 5): "While we consult the consciences of the peoples, and provide for the need of those who eat bread in the sweat of their face," etc.
- Urban VIII, Const. Universa (13 Sept. 1642), suppressed many feasts, and established a new catalogue of feast days, as follows:
"By Apostolic authority we decree and declare that only the days written below are to be observed as feasts of precept... namely the Sundays of the whole year; - the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ; - the Circumcision; - the Epiphany; - the Resurrection with the two following ferial days; - the Ascension; - Pentecost with the two following ferial days likewise; - the Most Holy Trinity; - the Solemnity of the Body of Christ, and the Invention of the Holy Cross; - and also the festivities of the Purification, - Annunciation, - Assumption, - and Nativity of the Virgin Mother of God; - the Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel; - the Nativity of St. John the Baptist; - Saints Peter and Paul, - St. Andrew, - St. James, - St. John, - St. Thomas, - Saints Philip and James, - St. Bartholomew, - St. Matthew, - Saints Simon and Jude, - and St. Matthias; - likewise St. Stephen Protomartyr; - the Holy Innocents; - St. Lawrence Martyr; - St. Sylvester Pope and Confessor; - also St. Joseph Confessor, - and St. Anne, mother of the Mother of God; - the Solemnity of all Saints; and one of the principal Patrons in any kingdom or province whatever, and likewise another more principal one in any city, town, or village, where it happens that these Patrons are held and venerated."
To this catalogue must be added the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which Clement XI wished to be held as of precept, through the Constitution Commissi Nobis (6 December 1708).
The Patron is in no way to be confused with the Titular. Therefore the feast of some Saint, indeed the Titular of some Church, is not to be observed as of precept, unless it is established that he has been canonically elected as Patron, all the prescriptions of Urban VIII concerning this matter having been observed.
Pius VI, on account of the calamity of the times, condoned for the Roman faithful the obligation of celebrating certain feasts. These, however, are the following, namely, the feasts of the Holy Apostles besides the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul; the two ferial days which follow Easter and Pentecost; the Invention of the Holy Cross; the feasts of St. Anne, St. Lawrence, St. Stephen, the Holy Innocents, St. Sylvester, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, St. Michael, and St. Joseph; of which, however, the last three were afterwards restored. Moreover, as to other matters, nothing was changed by this as to the obligation imposed on Pastors of celebrating Mass for the people; and therefore one must still stand by the catalogue of Urban VIII. Thus it was solemnly declared by Pius IX through the Constitution Amantissimi, 3 May 1858.
But in France, after the Indult of Card. Caprara, 9 Apr. 1802, from the concession of the Supreme Pontiff Pius VII, only four feasts besides Sundays remain of precept for the faithful, namely: 1. the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord; 2. of His Ascension; 3. of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; 4. the Feast of all Saints. From the same Indult, the feasts of the Epiphany of the Lord, of the Most Sacred Body of Christ, of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and of the Holy Patrons of any diocese and parish are to be transferred to the nearest occurring Sunday. The remaining feasts, formerly prescribed, are now celebrated on the same days as before, but without any obligation for the faithful.
Concerning the things required for observing feast days, namely concerning hearing Mass, etc., see what we said above, where we treated the third precept of the Decalogue.
- Questions. - Q. 1. Whether, besides the obligation of abstaining from servile works and also of hearing Mass, the liturgical solemnity of suppressed or transferred feasts was also taken away?
Resp. It is denied. For the Sacred Congregation of Rites has responded many times: "As to choir and the ecclesiastical functions customarily performed, absolutely nothing is to be innovated in relation to feasts on which the people is released from the precept of hearing the Holy Sacrifice." 18 Oct. 1818, in Alifana, in Aquilana, in Tarentina.
Q. 2. Whether the same decision is to be applied to France?
Resp. It is affirmed. For these words of the Cardinal Legate are clear: "He [Pius VII] nevertheless wished this law to have been added, that on the feast days and vigils which are decreed suppressed, in all Churches nothing be innovated concerning the accustomed order and rite of divine offices and sacred ceremonies, but that all things be performed in precisely that manner in which they had hitherto been accustomed."
Q. 3. Whether the same is to be said concerning feasts whose solemnity was transferred to the next following Sunday, for example, Epiphany, Corpus Christi, etc.?
Resp. It is affirmed. For the Sacred Congregation of Rites, to the question: "Whether on feasts whose solemnity is deferred to the nearest occurring Sunday, the public Office, both morning and evening, is to be performed as before the reduction?" - responded: "Affirmatively." - 23 May 1835, in Namurcen. - The same Sacred Congregation had decreed this in Cenomanen., 29 Nov. 1831.