Chapter — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology
Chapter II. On the Obligation by Reason of Office
Those who have care of souls are bound by office either to celebrate or to take care that Mass be celebrated on those days on which the people committed to them are bound to hear Mass. Hence the Council of Trent says: "Let the bishop take care that those... who have had care of souls celebrate Mass as frequently as is sufficient to satisfy their office."1
1 Session 23, chapter 14, on reform.
I. The source of the obligation is divine right or law, as the Council of Trent expressly teaches.1 Now bishops are bound by absolute or immediate divine law; namely, the Holy Spirit Himself placed them to rule the Church of God, so that they cannot be lacking in the organism of the Church. But to the office of ruling and feeding is annexed the obligation of applying. Pastors are bound by hypothetical or mediate divine law; namely, on the hypothesis that by the Supreme Pontiff or by the bishops they are called into a share of pastoral solicitude, or for ruling a part of the flock. Thus from the Constitution of Leo XIII In suprema.2 From these things it is also explained why pastors obtain some moderation of the obligation more easily than bishops (St. Alphonsus, VI, 324, question 2).
1 Session 23, chapter 1, on reform.
2 10 June 1882.
II. The subject and object of the obligation. 1. Bishops, after having taken possession of the see, with every excuse from scantiness of revenues or any other exception removed, must apply Mass for the people committed to them on all Sundays and other feast days of precept, even suppressed ones (canon 339, § 1).
a) The feast days on which application is prescribed, according to the declaration of the Pontifical Commission,1 are to be taken according to the catalogue established by Urban VIII in the Constitution Universa,2 and again promulgated by the Sacred Congregation of the Council,3 with the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary added from the Constitution of Clement XI Commissi nobis,4 and by force of the cited canon. They are therefore: the Nativity of the Lord, Circumcision, Epiphany, Easter with the two following days, Ascension, Pentecost with the two following days, Trinity, Corpus Christi, Invention of the Holy Cross, Purification, Annunciation, Assumption, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, Immaculate Conception, Dedication of St. Michael, Nativity of St. John the Baptist, all the Holy Apostles, St. Stephen, Holy Innocents, St. Lawrence, St. Sylvester, St. Joseph, St. Anne, All Saints, and the feast of one of the principal patrons in any kingdom or province, and likewise of another principal patron in any city, town, or village where it happens that these patrons are had and venerated. Moreover, if somewhere by concession of the Holy See a particular feast of precept is celebrated, on this feast too there is the obligation of applying for the people (canon 339, § 1).
There is dispute about the obligation on feast days which previously were of precept from particular law, but now have been suppressed by force of the Code. Now the obligation seems to be maintained, both because of a particular response issued,5 and because canon 466, § 1 generally declares that on feast days of precept, even suppressed ones, the obligation persists.
b) Although a bishop governs two or more dioceses equally principally united, or besides his own diocese has another or others in administration, nevertheless he satisfies the obligation by the celebration and application of one Mass for the whole people committed to him (canon 339, § 5).
As regards titular bishops, canon 348, § 2 states: It is fitting from charity, yet without obligation, that they sometimes apply the sacrifice of the Mass for their diocese.
A capitular vicar is bound in the same way as a bishop to apply Mass for the people (canon 440).
Vicars and prefects apostolic must apply the sacrifice of the Mass for the peoples committed to them at least on the solemnities of the Nativity of the Lord, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, the Most Holy Body of Christ, the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph her spouse, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and All Saints (canon 306).
An apostolic administrator, if he has been constituted permanently, is bound to apply as a bishop; if he has been given for a time, he is not bound by the obligation, which burdens a bishop, of applying Mass for the people (canon 315).
Pastors,6 after having taken possession of the parish, are bound on the same days and by the same obligation as bishops to apply Mass for the people committed to them (canon 466, § 1). Nevertheless:
a) A pastor who perhaps governs several parishes equally principally united, or besides his own parish has another or others in administration, must apply only one Mass for the peoples committed to him on the prescribed days (canon 466, § 2). The same holds of a vicar-economus who governs several parishes during a vacancy.7 If, however, the matter concerns the feast of the patron of the place, the pastor who, besides his own parish, has another or several others in administration, is bound to apply Mass for the people not only on the feast day of the patron of his own parish, but also on the feasts of the patrons of the other parish or parishes, unless the patrons occur as to be honored on the same day, either because the same one is the patron, or because the feast of the patrons is celebrated on the same day from liturgical laws.8
b) The local Ordinary can for a just cause permit the pastor to apply Mass for the people on another day than the one on which he is bound by law (canon 466, § 3); this permission can also be granted habitually.
c) The pastor should celebrate the Mass to be applied for the people in the parish church, unless circumstances of things require or suggest that Mass be celebrated elsewhere (canon 466, § 4); for example if because of a special feast there is a concourse of the people in some chapel or succursal church within the limits of the parish. Likewise one who applies through another must per se take care that the other celebrate in the parish church.9
d) A solemn or sung Mass is not prescribed, but a private Mass suffices.10
Quasi-pastors are bound on the same days as vicars and prefects apostolic, under 3, to apply Mass for the people committed to them (canon 466, § 1).
A vicar-economus, constituted while the parish is vacant, is bound as a pastor (canon 473, § 1).
1 17 February 1918, ad II (Acta Apostolicae Sedis 1918, p. 170).
2 13 September 1642.
3 28 December 1919 (Acta Apostolicae Sedis 1920, p. 42).
4 6 December 1708.
5 In Il Monitore Ecclesiastico 1920, p. 72.
6 Who come under the name of pastor and quasi-pastor, see in the treatise on Matrimony.
7 Pontifical Commission, 14 July 1922, ad VI (Acta Apostolicae Sedis, p. 528).
8 Sacred Congregation of the Council, 12 November 1927 (Acta Apostolicae Sedis 1928, p. 84).
9 Sacred Congregation of the Council, 23 December 1872.
10 Sacred Congregation of Rites, 27 February 1847, n. 2939, ad IV; 22 July 1848, n. 2967.
III. A fuller explanation of the object of the obligation. 1. On the feast of the Nativity of the Lord, and if some feast of precept falls on a Sunday, it suffices that they apply one Mass for the people (canon 339, § 2). If a feast is transferred in such a way that on the day to which it is transferred not only is the office with the Mass of the transferred feast performed, but also the obligations of hearing Mass and abstaining from servile works are observed, the Mass for the people must be applied on the day to which it is transferred; otherwise on the day from which it is transferred (canon 339, § 3).
One who is bound by the obligation of applying must himself apply Mass personally (canon 339, § 4, compared with canons 306 and 466, § 1). Nevertheless, a legitimately absent pastor can apply Mass for the people either personally in the place where he is staying, or through the priest who takes his place in the parish (canon 466, § 5). If someone on the same day is urged by the burden of both Masses, namely for the people and conventual, let him celebrate and apply the latter personally, and the former through another or personally on the following day (canon 419, § 2).
A pastor legitimately absent, if he does not apply personally, and likewise one legitimately impeded from personally applying Mass for the people, should apply through another on the appointed days.
Legitimately impeding causes are: 1. physical or moral inability; 2. the obligation of celebrating conventual Mass, if the pastor is also a canon (canon 419, § 2). But the following do not legitimately impede: 1. the mere custom of applying through another;1 2. the custom of applying now personally, now through another, for example through a chaplain, if the latter celebrates solemn Mass;2 3. the liturgical precept which wills that the Mass for the people be conformed to the office. Hence if the external solemnity of some feast is transferred, and in the transfer a votive Mass is sung, the pastor cannot, so that he himself may celebrate that votive Mass, leave the application for the people to the chaplain or another; 4. the celebration of a funeral Mass, even with the corpse present.3
One who can apply neither personally nor through another on the appointed days should apply as soon as possible, either personally or through another, on another day (cited canon).
The real obligation, that is, either of applying for the people or of taking care that it be applied for them, is grave. The obligation of applying personally, at the fixed time, and, if the matter concerns a pastor, in the parish church, is grave from its genus, so that he would sin gravely who frequently neglected these things.
One who has not satisfied the obligation should as soon as possible apply for the people as many Masses as he omitted (canon 339, § 6, compared with canons 306 and 466, § 1).
One who applies Mass for the people in place of the pastor can receive a stipend for that Mass; but an impeded pastor is bound at his own expense to take care that it be applied for the people.
1 Sacred Congregation of the Council, 22 September 1847.
2 Sacred Congregation of the Council, 9 April 1881.
3 Sacred Congregation of the Council, 26 January 1771.