(Roto Reuters) The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has been planning for some time to move all Holy Days of Obligation to Sunday.
"This is something that the bishops have actively been considering since 1996," said secretary of department for Christian Life & Worship Catholic Bishops’ Conference England and Wales Fr Allen Morris.
"The circumstances of modern life in England and Wales has made it impossible for a large proportion of the Catholic community to attend Holy Days. And these three Holy Days are very important mysteries of our faith and it is important that the whole community should be able to attend."
"In fact once we decided on this course of action we soon realized that we should just go ahead and make the next step. To ensure that all Catholic’s can participate in these important mysteries of faith and are do not have any occasion to miss Mass because of work/entertainment scheduling we have decided to not only transfer Holy Days of Obligation that do not occur on Sunday to Sunday, but will also move and combine all 52 Sundays to one day a year."
"By only having one day of Holy Obligation a year we ensure that all Catholic can both attend and fully participate. If Catholics can’t be expected to attend one extra Mass a couple times of year can we really expect them to keep coming each and every Sunday? The laity really can’t be expected in this busy world to take time out for worship God. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength is fine and all of that, at least until it comes to scheduling conflicts."
There is still a debate going on with the Bishop’s conference as to what to call this annual Mass and which Sunday to schedule it for. Suggestions of ‘Chriseastercost’" or "Pentemaster" have been put forward, but are not inclusive of all feasts. For the time being Annual Unified Feast Day is what is being used. The day to celebrate the AUFD is being carefully chosen to pick a day where people are least likely to have sports activities/vacations and other such conflicts that might prevent them from attending. The liturgy for the AUFD will include Christmas Carols and imposition of ashes, which will be promptly washed off by aspersion during the Easter promises. There is some consideration to have one makeup day for people unable to attend the AUFD, but this idea was tabled since someone might attend both by mistake and exceed their annual Mass requirement.
A statement from the bishops added: "We have responded to requests from Diocesan Councils of Priests and many others, deeply concerned at the diminishing observance of these days. As evidenced by the plummeting attendance of Mass in England and Wales it is obvious we are on the right track by not demanding or expecting anything of parishioners."
This is obviously one of my parody stories, but some of the paragraphs, or parts of, are from this article on The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales decision to move most Holy Days of Obligation to Sundays. [Via Orthometer]
15 comments
While they’re at it, they should decide what time midnight Mass should be.
“Pentemaster” seems more appropriate than Chriseastercost due to it’s Satanic sounds. Seems like this is part of Satan’s plan.
Megabummer. I was in England on Corpus Christi Thursday, and it was an HDO. I thought that was because the English Church, given the heritage of the Tudor Martyrs, had more balls that the Church in the U.S. So much for that.
I’d love to see a bishop’s conference come out with the following statement on changing Holy Days,”You’re Catholic. Live with it.”
You got me! SHEW! I was getting really upset as I was reading, and about half way through all I could think is, “Is this a joke?”
Oh and don’t forget to include “General Absolution” for those that don’t really want the scarament of Reconciliation.
Jeff, that was great! — rather Knoxian, indeed.
Tracy,
did you really mean “scarament”? That’s funny! — but I’m afraid that’s how some people view Reconciliation.
Oh and don’t forget to include “General Absolution” for those that don’t really want the scarament of Reconciliation.
Why not port it into some “Universal Absolution” service, for all the people who don’t even show up?
I’m not sure I like the idea of having one Holy Day of Obligation a year. What if I’m busy that particular Sunday, or if I stay up too late the night before and sleep in? I want a choice; it’s my right, innit? I think they should offer one mass sometime in the spring, vaguely reminiscent of the colored egg and candy holiday, and sometime in the winter, vaguely reminiscent of the gift-buying and tree-decorating holiday. We could still just call it “mass” and refuse to tie it to a specific event or season, so the folks who choose one won’t think they’re missing anything by not choosing the other.
Here in Ireland a few years ago (can’t exactly remember when!) our Hierarchy decided that Ascension Thursday and Corpus Christi would (liturgically) move to the following Sunday.
Thus two Thursdays were no longer Holydays of obligation.
Now, remember, that since most schools in Ireland are Catholic, they close for Holydays of Obligation.
Thus the poor kiddies would have two fewer days off than when I was at school!!
Or at least that was seen as being the main consequence!
Perhaps a better name would be “Annual Feasts Unified Day” or “AFUD” . . . ;^)
LOL I meant sacrament…my fingers are dyslexic!
Putting the Holy Days of Obligation on Sunday is the triumph of Calvinism/Puritanism and its socialist descendants — 6 days work and 1 day of rest (unless of course your work place is 24/7). The Christian Calendar should not give in to the modern ‘work ethic’. It should remind us that God’s time is not ours, nor is it so easily tamed to a ‘workaday calendar’. The Bishops are acting on this in a PC way, but they are also ‘selling the farm’. Holydays are at least as important as holidays — and historically are from the same root — the Church’s calendar.
My suggestion is: All Christimassumptionstercost. It’s more inclusive that way.
It won’t make it any harder for God to tell whether people love him or not, regardless of the wishful thinking of all those who like to skip holy days. It will however, make it easier for people who’d just rather not bother.
Here ya go! Happy Everything!
http://www.funlol.com/pictures/everything.html
I despair ! Mammon has been well and truly been given precedence over God!
I’ve sent a letter to my own bishop, (copied to the Archbishop of Westminster) re this. Hope lots more do the same.
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