Article First. On the Mode of Hearing Mass

Required conditions. Five things are required for satisfying the precept of hearing Mass: a. due intention; b. due attention; c. an entire Mass; d. presence of the body; e. a due place.

262. Due intention, which indeed ought not to be the intention of obtaining the end of the precept, nor the intention of satisfying the precept, but of positing the work prescribed by the Church, that is, of hearing Mass. Wherefore he does not satisfy the precept who goes to church merely to hear music; but he does satisfy who goes there only from fear of his parents.

263. Due attention. A twofold attention is distinguished: external and internal. The latter excludes internal distraction; the former, external distraction.

External attention consists negatively in the removal of an external action which cannot stand at the same time with internal attention, for example sleeping, conversing; positively it consists in a certain confused attention, by which one adverts that sacrifice is being offered on the altar (n. 139).

1. For satisfying the ecclesiastical precept, external attention is certainly required, without which assistance would not be a human nor a religious action; therefore he does not satisfy who during the time of Mass attentively reads profane books, or attentively considers pictures, reads inscriptions, etc.

From the law of nature, or from the virtue of religion, internal attention is required under light obligation, which the reverence owed to God demands while we worship Him.

2. From the precept of the Church internal attention is not required, but external suffices; wherefore he satisfies the precept of hearing Mass who during the whole time of Mass is distracted, whether involuntarily or voluntarily. And indeed prayer does not require internal attention; therefore a fortiori the hearing of Mass does not require it.

a. Since for satisfying the precept of hearing Mass there is no need to pray, because the Church commands nothing other than an act of divine worship, the whole question comes back to this, whether an act of divine worship can truly be furnished with the mind distracted. Now just as prayer, so also any other act of external divine worship as to its substance can be exhibited with the mind distracted (n. 139).

b. For practice, there is scarcely a distinction between each opinion, namely that affirming and that denying that internal attention is required: since the patrons of the affirmative opinion with St. Alphonsus (n. 313) demand so slight an internal attention that from defect of attention the hearing of Mass is invalid only when the distraction has been total and voluntary; but it is valid, provided there be an attention by which in some way one adverts that sacrifice is being offered; but this attention is present, provided external distraction is excluded.

c. Therefore he does not satisfy the precept who sleeps heavily through a notable part of Mass, so that he does not advert to what is being done at the altar; but he who only dozes, yet in such a way that he can confusedly discern what is being done at the altar, satisfies the precept, even if this happens through a notable part of Mass. - He satisfies the precept who sometimes converses with a companion, because this does not impede the confused attention which suffices for satisfying the precept. - Likewise organists, singers, and those collecting alms satisfy, even if they are occupied with this matter the whole time, because these actions do not impede attention to the Mass. For the same reason, those who are half-asleep or half-drunk satisfy if they are present at the sacrifice of the Mass.

Whether he satisfies the precept who confesses his sins during the time of Mass. - He would not satisfy insofar as confession impeded external attention; but confession, just as the hearing of confession, does not exclude external attention, which several authors hold not improbably.¹

¹ Cf. Ballerini-Palmieri, II, n. 773 ff.; Genicot, I, n. 431.

264. Hearing an entire Mass. 1. It does not suffice to assist at the essential and integral part of the sacrifice, but by the precept of the Church one must assist at the whole Mass, that is, at the entire liturgical function from the psalm Iudica up to and including the priestly blessing.¹ The Gospel of St. John does not seem to pertain to the integrity of the Mass.

2. He who cannot assist at an entire Mass is held to assist at least at the essential and integral part, that is, the consecration and communion, if he can; he who cannot assist even at these parts is not held to assist at the accidental parts, because he can no longer fulfill the precept even as to its substance.

Therefore he who comes before the consecration and cannot assist at another Mass is held to hear the remaining part; but he who comes after the consecration is not held to hear the remaining part, because he does not assist at the essence of the sacrifice, for which the consecration is certainly required. Hence in this case he cannot satisfy the precept as to substance; but the Church does not command us to assist at ceremonies alone without the sacrifice. Therefore in practice in this case the obligation cannot be urged.²

3. Therefore to omit a part of Mass is a sin, and indeed grave or light according as the part omitted is notable or slight. But the gravity of the omitted part must be established not only from duration, but especially from its dignity; wherefore a third part of the Mass is judged notable, and if it is from the more worthy parts, even a lesser part can constitute a notable part. Accordingly:

a. A slight part, the omission of which is a light sin: from the beginning up to and including the Creed, or up to the offertory exclusively; all things after communion; up to the epistle exclusively and at the same time those things which follow communion; the offertory alone; the preface alone.

b. A notable part: alpha. by reason of duration, from the beginning up to and including the offertory; all things before the Gospel and at the same time those things which follow communion; beta. by reason of dignity: from the preface exclusively up to the consecration; from the consecration up to the Pater noster; consecration and communion together, even if the intervening parts are heard; the consecration alone, yet not (at least probably) the communion alone. - He who goes out of the church before the consecration and, the consecration having been completed, immediately enters, in rigor does not satisfy the precept. Yet because the time in which he is absent is very brief, he need not necessarily be compelled to assist at another Mass, provided the consecration and communion are not omitted together.³

c. For determining the sin of those who come to church later, when Mass has already begun, attention must be given not so much to the part of the Mass omitted, but chiefly to the greater or lesser negligence in caring for the integrity of the Mass and to the foresight of the danger to which they voluntarily exposed themselves of not hearing an entire Mass.⁴ For he who thinks that he will omit only a slight part unless he dispatches himself more quickly sins lightly, even if he finally comes after the offertory; but he who doubts or thinks that he will omit a notable part unless he dispatches himself more quickly, and culpably neglects this, sins gravely, even if he comes at the Gloria.

Whether he satisfies the precept who hears two half Masses. - He certainly does not satisfy if he hears them at the same time, because a Mass by its nature consists of successive parts.⁵ If he hears them successively and the consecration and communion are had in the same Mass, he satisfies, because he hears one entire Mass; but if the consecration and communion are not had in the same Mass, he does not satisfy, because the parts do not constitute one and entire sacrifice; but the Church commands assistance at one and entire sacrifice.

4. From these things is gathered the obligation of supplying the defect in another Mass, where it can be done, if someone has omitted a part of the Mass at which he was present for the consecration and communion: for since anyone is held to hear an entire Mass, he who omitted a notable part is held under grave obligation to supply it, and he who omitted a slight part, under light obligation; yet a little is accounted as nothing, and a reasonable cause excuses from the obligation of supplying a light defect.

¹ C. Missas 64, De cons., d. 1.

² Ballerini-Palmieri, II, n. 781.

³ Suarez, De eucharistia, q. 88, sect. 2, n. 6.

⁴ Genicot, I, n. 339.

⁵ This proposition (53) was proscribed by Innocent XI: He satisfies the precept of the Church concerning hearing Mass who hears two parts of it, indeed four, at the same time from diverse celebrants.

265. Bodily presence, which must be at least moral; but he is judged morally present who a. is morally joined with the celebrant, and b. whether standing inside or outside the church, can see or hear the celebrant or at least can follow the Mass from signs of those assisting. Hence he satisfies:

a. He who is inside the church, even if he stands in the choir behind the altar, or behind a wall or column, or in some chapel where he cannot see or hear the priest, provided that either from the sound of the bell or from the signs of others who hear Mass, he discerns what is being done by the celebrant. Likewise he who in a great church is even very far (beyond thirty paces) distant from the altar at which Mass is being celebrated, provided he can advert to what the priest does, because he is morally joined with the celebrant.¹

b. He who is in the sacristy or in another place near the altar, from which he can see the priest; or even if, the door being closed, he cannot see the priest, provided he hears what is being done at the altar. Likewise those who withdraw from the church for a brief time to ring the bells or to bring wine, because they do not morally withdraw: for they cooperate with the sacrifice and withdraw from the intention of cooperating.

c. He who is outside the church but near the door, even if closed, provided he can follow the Mass by hearing. Likewise he who is at some distance from the church, which cannot hold the multitude of the faithful, provided he is joined to the multitude. Finally also he who from the window of a private house looks at the altar, even if a street is interposed, provided the house is not more than thirty paces distant from the church (as de Lugo has it). But he does not satisfy who is outside the church at a distance which exceeds about thirty paces, even if he can follow the Mass, because he is no longer morally joined with the celebrant.

¹ St. Alphonsus, n. 312.

266. Due place. 1. The faithful can satisfy the precept of hearing Mass in any church or in any public or semi-public oratory.

a. The ancient law by which the faithful on Sundays and feasts were held to hear Mass in the parish church has long since been abrogated, both through privileges granted to mendicants¹ and through a contrary custom prevailing in the whole world. Therefore a bishop cannot command his faithful to hear Mass in the parish church, because he cannot abrogate a universal custom which has already put on the nature of common law.²

b. What from the common doctrine of authors has long since been brought into practice, namely that for satisfying the precept it suffices to hear Mass in a semi-public oratory, has recently been confirmed by an authentic declaration of the Holy See.³

2. With special privilege excluded, he who hears Mass in a private oratory does not fully satisfy the precept:⁴ for the precept is twofold, of hearing Mass and of hearing it in the due place; he satisfies the first, but not the other.

He who has an indult of a private oratory satisfies the precept by hearing Mass there. Yet in order that it be established who and when satisfy the precept by hearing Mass in a private oratory, the indults must be considered. Ordinarily these things are gathered from the indults:

a. Only one Mass can be celebrated on the same day.

b. On any day one Mass can be celebrated except on more solemn feasts. But these more solemn feasts which are excepted are: the Nativity of the Lord, Epiphany, Thursday in the Lord's Supper, Resurrection, Ascension, Pentecost, Immaculate Conception, Annunciation and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, the feast of St. Joseph, of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and of All Saints, the feast of the patron of the place.⁵

c. But when an indult of a private oratory is granted because of infirmity, no day is excepted; indeed, even on the day of the Nativity three Masses can be celebrated.

d. In order that it be lawful to celebrate in a private oratory, it is required that there be present at Mass someone from those to whom the indult has been principally granted; but the indult is understood to have been principally granted only to those to whom the brief of concession is directed, namely to those persons who are named by their proper name on the back of the same brief.

e. The following satisfy the precept: alpha. those to whom the indult has been principally granted; beta. their blood relatives and relations by affinity up to the fourth degree living in the same house; gamma. their guests; delta. their household members or servants whose service at the time of Mass is actually necessary, whether because they serve the Mass itself, or because they must accompany their masters.

3. He who has the privilege of a private oratory is not held to use the privilege for satisfying the precept if he cannot go to a church, even if he can conveniently have a priest. He is held to this neither by force of the privilege, because no one is held to use a privilege, nor by force of the precept, which does not obligate one to employ an extraordinary means so that the precept can be observed.

For the same reason a priest is not held to use the privilege of celebrating on a portable (movable) altar or in a private oratory for satisfying the precept of hearing Mass on a feast day.

¹ Const. of Pius V, Etsi mendicantium, 16 May 1567, Section 2, n. 8.

² Benedict XIV, De synodo, l. 14, n. 10.

³ S. C. R., 23 Jan. 1899.

⁴ Oratories which are erected with the license of the Holy See in the villas of religious are merely private oratories, because villas of this kind are not religious houses, but profane houses. Therefore in them the precept of hearing Mass cannot be satisfied by those who do not belong to the religious, unless this has been granted by a special privilege, as was granted by Gregory XIII to the Society of Jesus.

⁵ S. C. R., 10 Apr. 1896, n. 3896.