Catholic Facts
Catholic Facts 1
“Catholic Facts” is a series where we look at one teaching or practice related to our Catholic faith.
This week’s fact: Every Friday of the year is a penitential day.
The Code of Canon Law (1983), states in canon 1249 : “The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. In order for all to be united among themselves by some common observance of penance, however, penitential days are prescribed on which the Christian faithful devote themselves in a special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their own obligations more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence.” Canon 1250: “The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.” Canon 1251: “Abstinence from meat … is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday.”
Canon 1253 allows the bishops of a country to substitute a different penitential practice in place of abstinence from meat.
Thus, the form that Church-prescribed penance takes varies from country to country. In some places (such as England and Wales), the traditional practice of not eating meat is the mandated form of penance for every Friday of the year.
In 1966, the bishops of the USA decided that abstaining from meat would still be highly encouraged and the default penitential practice, but they also decided that it would no longer be mandatory outside of Lent and Good Friday. Instead, they allowed Catholics to substitute a different penitential practice on other Fridays of the year according to individual choice. (USCCB, Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence, 18 November 1966)
In short, if we don’t abstain from meat on Friday, we should choose some other penitential practice instead. We should never simply ignore Friday penance. In the USA (outside of Lent and Good Friday), we are free to choose a penitential practice for ourselves.
Besides abstaining from meat, here are some possibilities:
“Catholic Facts” is a series where we look at one teaching or practice related to our Catholic faith.
This week’s fact: There have been 21 general councils in the Church’s history.
A “council” in this sense is an official gathering of bishops. Many councils are regional, where bishops gather to discuss doctrinal or policy decisions on the local level. Some councils are “ecumenical” or “general,” when they involve bishops throughout the entire world and when their decisions are approved by the Bishop of Rome.
There have been 21 general councils in the Church’s history. The first was the Council of Nicaea in the year 325, and the most recent was the Second Vatican Council from 1962–1965. Councils are named after the place they are held.
Catholic Facts 3
“Catholic Facts” is a series where we look at one teaching or practice related to our Catholic faith.
This week’s fact: Catholics are generally required to fast before receiving Holy Communion.
Canon 919 of the Code of Canon Law states: “Whoever is to receive the blessed Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from all food and drink, with the sole exception of water and medicine.”
However, the same canon makes the following further exception (§ 3): “The elderly and those who are suffering from some illness, as well as those who care for them, may receive the blessed Eucharist even if within the preceding hour they have consumed something.”
Catholic Facts 4
“Catholic Facts” is a series where we look at one teaching or practice related to our Catholic faith.
This week’s fact: One must be in a state of grace to receive Holy Communion.
The Catechism states (number 1457): “According to the Church’s command, ‘after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year.’ Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession. Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.”
Receiving the Eucharist as Holy Communion is meant to nurture the life of grace present in the soul. This is impossible if the soul is not already in the state of sanctifying grace. Unlike Confession, Holy Communion is not meant for the forgiveness of mortal sins. Because mortal sin destroys sanctifying grace, anyone who has committed a mortal sin have sanctifying grace restored before receiving Communion. Normally this happens through the sacrament of Confession. Receiving Communion in the state of mortal sin is itself a grave sin of sacrilege.
This is why if someone has committed a mortal sin (for example, deliberately failing to attend Mass on a Sunday without a dispensation and without a serious reason for missing Mass), that person should usually not receive Holy Communion before making a good confession.
Catholic Facts 5
“Catholic Facts” is a series where we look at one teaching or practice related to our Catholic faith.
This week’s fact: It is a precept of the Church to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
The Catechism states (number 2181): “The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.”
The precept is to attend Mass, not to receive Holy Communion (which we are only obligated to do once per year). The reason why Mass is so important is that it is the re-presentation of Christ’s whole Paschal Mystery, including his sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension. The third commandment obliges us to keep holy the Lord’s Day. From the time of the apostles, the Church has held participation in the Eucharistic sacrifice (Mass) on the Lord’s Day (or the evening before) to be an essential part of keeping this commandment, unless exceptional circumstances intervene.
As the Catechism states, exceptions to the obligation to attend Mass exist either through dispensation (in the Diocese of Jefferson City, any priest can grant this dispensation) or when there is a serious reason. Examples of serious reasons could include: sickness, inability to drive, mobility problems, having to care for children or someone who is infirm, having to work a necessary job. God knows our hearts, and he knows whether we make an honest effort to keep the precept of attending Mass.
Catholic Facts 6
“Catholic Facts” is a series where we look at one teaching or practice related to our Catholic faith.
This week’s fact: Catholics may generally receive Holy Communion up to twice in one day.
Canon 917 of the Code of Canon Law states: "A person who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist can receive it a second time on the same day only within the eucharistic celebration in which the person participates."
Note that "day" here means a calendar day (i.e., from midnight through 11:59pm). "Eucharistic celebration" means the Mass or the Eucharistic liturgy of an Eastern Catholic Church.
So, if someone receives Holy Communion Saturday morning, if that person participates in Mass on Saturday evening, they can receive again. On the other hand, if a person goes to three Masses on Sunday, he could only receive Holy Communion at two of them.
There is an exception to the rule that the second reception must be within a Mass that the recipient has participated in given by canon 921. That exception is for someone who is dying. Such a person could receive Holy Communion again even outside of Mass. There is also an exception for priests who celebrate a third Mass on the same day, since the priest who celebrates Mass must take Holy Communion under both forms for the integrity of the Mass, whereas the faithful present at Mass do not have to receive Holy Communion.
“Catholic Facts” is a series where we look at one teaching or practice related to our Catholic faith.
This week’s fact: Every Friday of the year is a penitential day.
The Code of Canon Law (1983), states in canon 1249 : “The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. In order for all to be united among themselves by some common observance of penance, however, penitential days are prescribed on which the Christian faithful devote themselves in a special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their own obligations more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence.” Canon 1250: “The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.” Canon 1251: “Abstinence from meat … is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday.”
Canon 1253 allows the bishops of a country to substitute a different penitential practice in place of abstinence from meat.
Thus, the form that Church-prescribed penance takes varies from country to country. In some places (such as England and Wales), the traditional practice of not eating meat is the mandated form of penance for every Friday of the year.
In 1966, the bishops of the USA decided that abstaining from meat would still be highly encouraged and the default penitential practice, but they also decided that it would no longer be mandatory outside of Lent and Good Friday. Instead, they allowed Catholics to substitute a different penitential practice on other Fridays of the year according to individual choice. (USCCB, Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence, 18 November 1966)
In short, if we don’t abstain from meat on Friday, we should choose some other penitential practice instead. We should never simply ignore Friday penance. In the USA (outside of Lent and Good Friday), we are free to choose a penitential practice for ourselves.
Besides abstaining from meat, here are some possibilities:
- An extra work of charity, such as a visit or call to the elderly or homebound
- Giving up television for the day
- Giving up social media for the day
- Extra time in prayer
- An extra chore around the house to help one’s family
“Catholic Facts” is a series where we look at one teaching or practice related to our Catholic faith.
This week’s fact: There have been 21 general councils in the Church’s history.
A “council” in this sense is an official gathering of bishops. Many councils are regional, where bishops gather to discuss doctrinal or policy decisions on the local level. Some councils are “ecumenical” or “general,” when they involve bishops throughout the entire world and when their decisions are approved by the Bishop of Rome.
There have been 21 general councils in the Church’s history. The first was the Council of Nicaea in the year 325, and the most recent was the Second Vatican Council from 1962–1965. Councils are named after the place they are held.
Catholic Facts 3
“Catholic Facts” is a series where we look at one teaching or practice related to our Catholic faith.
This week’s fact: Catholics are generally required to fast before receiving Holy Communion.
Canon 919 of the Code of Canon Law states: “Whoever is to receive the blessed Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from all food and drink, with the sole exception of water and medicine.”
However, the same canon makes the following further exception (§ 3): “The elderly and those who are suffering from some illness, as well as those who care for them, may receive the blessed Eucharist even if within the preceding hour they have consumed something.”
Catholic Facts 4
“Catholic Facts” is a series where we look at one teaching or practice related to our Catholic faith.
This week’s fact: One must be in a state of grace to receive Holy Communion.
The Catechism states (number 1457): “According to the Church’s command, ‘after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year.’ Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession. Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.”
Receiving the Eucharist as Holy Communion is meant to nurture the life of grace present in the soul. This is impossible if the soul is not already in the state of sanctifying grace. Unlike Confession, Holy Communion is not meant for the forgiveness of mortal sins. Because mortal sin destroys sanctifying grace, anyone who has committed a mortal sin have sanctifying grace restored before receiving Communion. Normally this happens through the sacrament of Confession. Receiving Communion in the state of mortal sin is itself a grave sin of sacrilege.
This is why if someone has committed a mortal sin (for example, deliberately failing to attend Mass on a Sunday without a dispensation and without a serious reason for missing Mass), that person should usually not receive Holy Communion before making a good confession.
Catholic Facts 5
“Catholic Facts” is a series where we look at one teaching or practice related to our Catholic faith.
This week’s fact: It is a precept of the Church to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
The Catechism states (number 2181): “The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.”
The precept is to attend Mass, not to receive Holy Communion (which we are only obligated to do once per year). The reason why Mass is so important is that it is the re-presentation of Christ’s whole Paschal Mystery, including his sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension. The third commandment obliges us to keep holy the Lord’s Day. From the time of the apostles, the Church has held participation in the Eucharistic sacrifice (Mass) on the Lord’s Day (or the evening before) to be an essential part of keeping this commandment, unless exceptional circumstances intervene.
As the Catechism states, exceptions to the obligation to attend Mass exist either through dispensation (in the Diocese of Jefferson City, any priest can grant this dispensation) or when there is a serious reason. Examples of serious reasons could include: sickness, inability to drive, mobility problems, having to care for children or someone who is infirm, having to work a necessary job. God knows our hearts, and he knows whether we make an honest effort to keep the precept of attending Mass.
Catholic Facts 6
“Catholic Facts” is a series where we look at one teaching or practice related to our Catholic faith.
This week’s fact: Catholics may generally receive Holy Communion up to twice in one day.
Canon 917 of the Code of Canon Law states: "A person who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist can receive it a second time on the same day only within the eucharistic celebration in which the person participates."
Note that "day" here means a calendar day (i.e., from midnight through 11:59pm). "Eucharistic celebration" means the Mass or the Eucharistic liturgy of an Eastern Catholic Church.
So, if someone receives Holy Communion Saturday morning, if that person participates in Mass on Saturday evening, they can receive again. On the other hand, if a person goes to three Masses on Sunday, he could only receive Holy Communion at two of them.
There is an exception to the rule that the second reception must be within a Mass that the recipient has participated in given by canon 921. That exception is for someone who is dying. Such a person could receive Holy Communion again even outside of Mass. There is also an exception for priests who celebrate a third Mass on the same day, since the priest who celebrates Mass must take Holy Communion under both forms for the integrity of the Mass, whereas the faithful present at Mass do not have to receive Holy Communion.