The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-08-05
RECENT DECREE ON HOLY
DAYS OF OBLIGATION.

In the decree, OupIcm1 DlSCl-
plinae," issued on July 2, the
Holy Father has been pleased to
relax somewhat the discipline of
the Church in regard to the num-
Der Of holydays of obligation to
be observed, as the Sunday, by
hearing Mass and abstaining from
servile work. Hitherto there has
been no uniformity in regard to
the number Of holydays in the
Church. In some countries as
many as ten or twelve were OBJ
served. In the United States the
Council of Baltimore, with the
consent Of the Roman authorities,
fixed the number Of holydays at
six, namely, the feasts of the Ma
tivity, or Christmas Day, of the
Circumcision, or New Years Day,
Of the Ascension Of our Lord, Of
the Assumption Of the Blessed
Virgin, of All Saints, and Of the
Immaculate Conception. The new
Motu Proprio does not affect this
legislation. The number Of holy
days in the United States remains
as heretofore. In all other coun-
tries where the number has been
in excess of eight it is now reduced
to eight, comprising, in addition to
the foregoing, the feasts of the
Epiphany of Our Lord, and Of
Saints Peter and Paul. These will
be observed, as is the custom at
present, on the days of the week
on which they fall.
The feasts Of patron saints, how
ever such, for instance, as that
Of st. Patrick in Ireland-are no
longer holydays Of obligation
but permission is given to the Or
dinaries to transfer the observance
of them to the following Sunday
The Bishops may also petition the
Holy See to have these feasts
maintained as holydays of obliga.
ton if they think this advisable
Moreover, the feasts of St. Joseph
Of St. John the Baptist and OF
Corpus Christi are no longer fixed
but movable feasts, to be observed
respectively, on the Sunday fol
lowing or coinciding with March
10, the Sunday preceding June 20
and the Sunday following Trinity
Sunday. The solemnity Of these
feasts is to be enhanced by attach
ing to each one the privilege of az
octave.
Finally, the Holy Father dis
penses the faithful from the obi
cation of fast and abstinence OF
any Of the eight holydays of oh
legation herein designated, as wei
as on any other holydays Of obi
cation, such as patronal feasts, 70,
the observance of which, in any
country or diocese, permission ha
been granted by the Holy See
Thus, for instance, if the feast O.
the Immaculate Conception fall
on Friday the obligation of alb
staining from the use of meat doe
not hold for that day. This re
Taxation Of the general discipline
Of the Church is made for the wei
fare Of the faithful and on accoun
Of the changed conditions Of tn
age which make it necessary fo
so many people to work on holy
days Of obligation in the bushes
and professional world. Then
too, the great increase in the cos
of the necessaries Of life furnishe
an additional reason why the ser
vile work Of those who gain thei
living by labor should not be to
often interrupted.
In conclusion, His Holiness ez
. horts all to be more than eve
vigilant in the observance of tn
Sundays and holydays in accord
ance with the spirit of tn
: Church S precepts. In givin
this new proof Of Apostolic sole:
tude, We nourish the certain hop
that all the faithful even on thos
days which We now remove fro1
the number of those of strict pre-
E cept, will no less than before Civ
testimony of their piety toward
God and of their veneration 70
the Saints, and that on the othe
{ Feasts that are preserved by tn
Church they will care with create
diligence than before for the oil
: servance of the precept. 7"