Chapter I. On Keeping Certain Days Holy

WHAT pertains to the obligation of hearing Mass and abstaining from servile work on Sundays and holy days of obligation has been already explained under the Third Commandment of the Decalogue. It only remains to add a few observations to what was there laid down.

Before Urban VIII issued his Bull Universa, September 13, 1642, various feasts were kept as of obligation in different countries. ‘For the purpose of introducing greater uniformity, Urban VIII drew up a list of feasts which were everywhere to be observed and besides which no others might be observed without the sanction of the Pope. Besides all the Sundays of the year, the list contained the following feasts: Christmas Day, the Circumcision, Epiphany, Resurrection and two following days, the Ascension, Whit Sunday and two following days, the Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, Finding of the Cross, the Purification, Annunciation, Assumption, and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin; the Dedication of St Michael, the Nativity of St John the Baptist, SS Peter and Paul, St Andrew, St James, St John, St Thomas, SS Philip and James, St Bartholomew, St Matthew, SS Simon and Jude, St Matthias; St Stephen, St Sylvester, St Joseph, St Anne, the feast of All Saints, and one of the principal patrons in each kingdom or province, and another principal patron in each city, town, or village, where such are venerated.

In most countries the number of these feasts has been greatly reduced, and in England they have been reduced to eight by decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda dated March 9, 1777, and May 17, 1830. ‘Those eight are: Christmas Day, the Circumcision or New Year’s Day, the Epiphany, the Ascension of our Lord, Corpus Christi, SS Peter and Paul, the Assumption of our Lady, and All Saints. The suppressed feasts are still observed as days of devotion.

As in England we had no patrons such as those whose feast was to be observed according to the Bull of Urban VIII, by . a decree dated May 24, 1863, Pius IX granted permission for the name of St George to be inserted in the prayer A Cunctis at Mass, and for a commemoration of St George to be made in place of that of the patron among the suffrages of the saints in the Office. By a decree S.R.C. (December 2, 1891 [n. 3758]), regulars may add the name of their saintly founder as well. In Ireland the feast of St Patrick is celebrated as the feast of the patron and as a day of obligation in addition to those observed in England. in the United States the following are the holy days of obligation: Christmas Day, the Circumcision, the Ascension, the Assumption, the Immaculate Conception of our Lady, and All Saints.

Canon 1247 is as follows: “‘ The festival days of obligation in the Church universal are these only: Each and all Sundays, the feasts of the Nativity, Circumcision, Epiphany, Ascension, and Corpus Christi, of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Blessed Mary Mother of God, of St Joseph. her Spouse, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and finally of All Saints.”

The feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of St Joseph have not so far been introduced in England.