The Irish standard., 1911-08-05
In Motu Proprio the Holy Father
Gives Reasons for Reducing
Number of Holydays.
High Cost of Living Requires That
Labor Should not be interrupt
ed, Says Plus x.
Faithful Are Asked to Remember
God on the Days Now Removed
From Strict Precept.

In the "Mortu Proprio" which was
given out at Rome on July 2, the Holy
Father carries into effect the intention
which he announced as far back as
two years ago of reducing the number
of holy days. According to thu new
decree there will be but eight holy
days of obligation in addition to the
Sundays of the year. The decree, en-
titled the mortu proprio, which will
have effect in Europe but not in this
country, reads as follows:
The Roman Pontiffs, supreme GUS
todians and moderators of ecclesiastic-
al discipline, have always been accus'
toned to benignantly relax the laws OF
the Sacred Canons as often as the good
of the Christian people counselled it.
We also, as We have before now con-
sidered it wise that other matters
should be changed, OH account of the
changed conditions of the times and of
civil society, so likewise at the pres
ent time We think it Our duty, consid-
ering the special circumstances of Our
age, to introduce some opportune mod
ifications in the Ecclesiastical Law as
to the observance of Feast days of
precept. For men today traverse with
marvellous rranidity the greatest dis
tances by land and sea, and through
wider facilities for travelling find read
ier access to those nations where the
number of Feast days of precept is
less. Also increased commerce and
the additional demands of business
seem to suffer loss from the delays
caused by frequent Feast days. Final
ly the daily increasing cost of the nee
essaries of life makes it additionally
desirable that the servile work Of
those who gain their living by labor
may not be too often interrupted.
For such reasons repeated petitions,
particularly in these later times, have
been made to the Holy See that the
number of Feast days Of precept be
diminished.
Having all these things present in
Our mind, it has seemed to Us, who
have at heart the wellbeing of the
Christian people, counsel in the high
est degree opportune to diminish the
number of Feast days declared by c1e
Church to be of precept.
h1y UMort,, pronrioD and
after mature deliberation, having heard
the counsel of Our Venerable Brothers
the Cardinals of Holy Roman Church
who are charged with the codification
OF Ecclesiastical law, we prescribe
with regard to Feast days as follows:
I. The ecclesiastical precept of
hearing Holy Mass and Of abstaining
from servile work remains in force
only for the following days: All and
every Sunday, the Feast of the Nativ-
ity, of the Circumcision, of the Epi-
phany and of the Ascension of Our
Lord Jesus Christ; of the Immaculate
Conception and of the Assumption OF
Blessed Mary Mother of God; of the
Holy Apostles Peter and Paul; and
finally of All Saints.
II. The Feasts of Saint Joseph,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
and of the Nativity of Saint John Bap.
tist, both with Octave, shall be cele.
brated as in their proper place-tne
first on the Sunday following the nMe
teenth day of March, the Feast re-
naming fixed on the nineteenth day
of March If that day falls on Sunday;
the other on the Sunday preceding the
Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter an6
Paul. The Feast, too, of Corpus Chris
ii, equally with privileged Octave
shall be celebrated, as in it's proper
place, on the Sunday after the Mos
Holy Trinity, the Feast of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus remaining attached tt
the Friday within the Octave.
III. To the ecclesiastical precep
spoken of above the Feasts of Patrons
shall not be subject Ordinaries, how
ever, may transfer the solemn celebra
tion of them to the Sunday immediate
ly following.
Nv. If in any place any one Of thu
Feasts indicated has been legitimatel.
abolished or transferred. let nothing
be done without consultation with Il