Article II: The Positive Part of the Sanctification of Feasts

— Substance of the obligation. What it is to hear Mass. "On feast days of precept, Mass must be heard": i.e., human, bodily, and devout presence must be exhibited to it.

That it may be human, there is required the intention of furnishing this act of external worship, or of honoring the sacrifice by one's presence, but not the intention of satisfying the precept (cf. I, n. 198).

That it may be bodily, it is required that the faithful person externally be and appear present, whether from the place where he is: the church; or through conjunction with those who surround the altar, when the crowded multitude is not contained by the church, or hears Mass under the open sky; or through the external manner by which he manifests attention, when, for example, from a neighboring house, behind a wall, in the sacristy, he intends to participate in the Mass. He is not considered present who by the aid of a telescope observes Mass in a distant place.

That it may be devout, at least the attention which is called external must be furnished, i.e., that the faithful person externally do nothing alien to divine worship, or by which he is prohibited from at least confusedly turning his mind to the fact that the sacrifice is being offered there. It does not stand in the way that he himself does not attend internally.

All attention of itself is internal. Yet they distinguish the just-named external attention, which rather negatively excludes external distractions, from the interior attention by which one positively wills to apply his mind to sacred things, whether by observing the sacred rites of the priest (superficial attention), or by considering their signification (literal attention), or by thinking again on God or divine things (spiritual attention) (cf. Lugo, d. 22, n. 25).

Wherefore it is not necessary that someone pray during Mass, or truly notice the various or principal actions of the priest, as if pious reading or contemplation has occupied the whole man. Therefore they satisfy the precept who play the organ: the playing refers to the Mass itself; who collect alms: that good work is a certain accession to the sacrifice and does not impede every attention; who serve at Mass, even while they withdraw for certain moments to seek wine, a host, incense, lights, or to ring the bell for the consecration: they are not considered absent; who pray at another altar, perform the way of the cross, make confession: those pious works do not impede confused attention, and the mind of the Church is not opposed to this benign interpretation; who now converse, now attend, if not too much time is spent in conversation. A priest who celebrates can hear another Mass at the same time.

They do not satisfy the precept who sleep for a notable time, although involuntarily, or trifle, play, laugh, fixedly look at other things, read profane things, even learn a sacred text by memory: for these things take away either bodily or devout assistance.

One who half-asleep preserves a certain confused consciousness of his presence at Mass is not compelled to hear another Mass (St. Alph., l. 3, n. 316); and by epikeia he is dispensed from another attempt who, from his physical state, is exposed to too great a danger of new sleep.

— Mass must be heard when celebrated in some Catholic rite, under the open sky or in a non-private oratory, excepting private cemetery chapels (c. 1249).

Therefore it is not established that he does not satisfy the precept who hears a Mass which a true priest of a schismatic or heretical sect has celebrated in a Catholic rite: although formal communication with a celebrant of this kind is prohibited, and therefore his Mass must not be heard.

Oratories of a religious or pious house are not considered private, unless there is question of a Mass which is said in the room of a private person, even a religious, for example because of infirmity. The oratory of a private house is recognized by this sign, that a pontifical indult is required so that Mass may habitually be celebrated there. In the indult are numbered the persons who can satisfy there the precept of hearing Mass. And the one serving the Mass, as also the celebrant himself, seems to satisfy the precept in such an oratory.

The precept is also satisfied by him who hears a Mass celebrated by a cardinal or bishop, or for the convenience of either. For concerning a bishop the Sacred Congregation of Rites responded this on June 8, 1896.

— Mass must be heard whole, i.e., from the beginning up to the last Gospel exclusively. An omission is mortal which affects grave matter. Gravity depends both on quantity, if this reaches the third part of an ordinary Mass, and on the dignity of the part omitted, or proximity to the substance of the sacrifice. Wherefore a brief absence during the part which extends from the canon to communion more easily becomes grave. We add certain moral estimations:

It is not certainly grave: to omit the Mass of the catechumens, or all things up to the offertory exclusively (at least if then the last Gospel is heard); or all things after the reception of the Holy Blood; to omit all things up to the epistle exclusively and all things after the reception of the Blood.

It is not grave to omit only the first Gospel (even if it is the Passion of the Lord), or only the offertory, or only the preface.

It is reputed grave to omit all things from the canon to the consecration, or from the consecration to the Pater noster. It is grave to omit both the consecration and communion. The omission of communion alone, especially since it is sufficiently established that it is not essential to the sacrifice, can be held light. With greater reason several condemn as mortal the omission of the consecration, whether of either species or certainly of both. On account of extrinsic authority, however, the more benign opinion can be held, which rather, with Lehmkuhl, I, 718 note, we explain thus: when a momentary withdrawal has as its cause a very brief necessity, which is not considered to have interrupted moral conjunction with the others standing by (cf. Lugo, d. 22, n. 45).

He is excused from grave sin (from all sin, if the cause is reasonable) who hears successively two half Masses; provided that, as after St. Alphonsus, l. 3, n. 311, they commonly require, he is present at one whole sacrifice, and therefore the consecration and communion are of the same sacrifice: the law receives this benign interpretation.

To supply the light part which has been omitted is best; but concerning a strict obligation of such imperfect reparation it is not established. But he who has arrived only after the consecration does not now seem to be held to hearing the remaining part, since he cannot satisfy the substance of the precept.

— Excuse. From hearing Mass, besides the impossibility under which, for example, one labors who is at once blind and deaf, there excuses any notable or moderately grave inconvenience, whether in mind, or in body, or in goods of fortune, or in honor, reputation, shame, which is reasonably feared (Lehmk., I, 722). Yet habitual omission can be conceded with more difficulty, since from the divine precept itself Mass seems sometimes to have to be heard. Wherefore those who are regularly impeded on Sunday should be present at least at some Masses through the year, on another day. Therefore he is excused:

who by reason of health prudently omits visits to friends; or has to fear notable heaviness of the head, weariness of strength, or delay in convalescing. And in doubt that precept does not seem to have to be urged;

who must guard a city, flock, or infants; or must be a comfort to a sick person who would suffer at least grave disturbance or sadness. If from two spouses one is retained at home, there is at least great fittingness that they exchange turns;

who does not seem able to hear Mass without grave offense of husband, parents, masters. If, however, this happens rather often, inquiry must be made about another means, e.g., about changing service. It is licit for a father, for correction, to keep a son closed at home, even if thus he omits Mass; it is licit for a master to require service which is thought necessary from servants with the same foresight. The servants themselves must take care with moderate diligence that they be able to be present at Mass; nevertheless they are not bound to bear a notable diminution of sleep from this;

who otherwise would lose a convenient occasion of travel. Otherwise, he is forbidden to set out on Sunday unless before the journey or on the journey he hears Mass;

who would have too great a distance to overcome. By a pedestrian journey of one good hour or five quarters (understand this of the going alone), all seem absolutely to be excused, and a lesser distance excuses if from the condition of weather, road, or person, the trouble is increased. But for one to whom, without new expenses in some way serious, there is easily available a private or public carriage (tramway) or even a "bicycle," a greater distance is needed for him to be excused;

who, from the custom of the country, is not accustomed to go out, for example in time of mourning or after childbirth;

who would suffer notable embarrassment, whether because he lacks suitable clothes (unless in the first hours or in another church the cause ceases), or would have to hear the proclamation of his own marriage, etc.;

who wishes to avoid another's scandal, e.g., a young man by whom a girl is loved desperately;

who would lose extraordinary profit and profit notable to himself (e.g., double the profit of one day), or in exercising the office of driver, sailor, miller, would suffer notable loss;

who is dispensed for a just, although lesser, cause. In individual cases, local Ordinaries and pastors can, by force of c. 1245, dispense for a just cause individual faithful subject to themselves or individual families even outside the territory, and, in their own territory, even pilgrims.

The same power, after the manner of a pastor, is had by Superiors in an exempt clerical religion, as regards professed members, novices, or others dwelling in the religious house day and night by reason of service, or education, or hospitality, or infirm health (c. 1245, §3).

— Must someone use a privilege for hearing Mass? We think one must respond with this distinction. It need not be arranged that Mass be said from a privilege; but if it is said, one must assist at it, at least if it is said in that place where the precept can of itself be satisfied, for example in an open place on a ship.

— Things to be desired. Two things are chiefly to be striven for in this matter: 1. that the faithful formally and therefore also by other exercises strive to sanctify feasts, and chiefly use that occasion for learning religion better; 2. that the faithful, even the humbler, be taught a reasonable manner, at once pious and accessible, in which they may be present at Mass, so that, as befits man, they may be able to esteem the most august things by their own consciousness.