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Category Archives: Parish Life
Did the Spanish Flu of 1918 Create a Precedent for Closing Churches and Cancelling Masses Today?
Q: A priest in residence at my parish is defending the bishop’s decision to lock all the churches indefinitely … claiming that there is canonical precedent for doing this. He says the same thing was done during the Spanish Flu … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Holy Mass, Parish Life, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments, The Eucharist
Tagged 1918, bishops, canon law, Catholic, churches, Mass, Spanish Flu, virus
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Stressed-Out Shepherds and Ungrateful Parishioners
Q1: Our archbishop issued a decree that we parishioners can satisfy our Sunday Mass obligation on any other day of the week, as a way to lessen the number of people at Mass on Sundays, given that there is still … Continue reading
Posted in Holy Mass, Parish Life, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments, The Eucharist
Tagged bishop, canon law, Catholic, dispensation, Mass, parish, parishioners, sacraments
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Can I Attend an SSPX Church, Since My Parish Is Closed?
Q1: In these trying times when our Archbishop is denying the sacraments to the faithful, what do you think of attending Mass at the nearby SSPX church? It’s my understanding that currently all their sacraments excepting marriage are licit. The … Continue reading
Posted in Annointing of the Sick, Canonical Issues Involving Non-Catholics, Confession, Holy Mass, Parish Life, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments, The Eucharist
Tagged anointing of the sick, canon law, Catholic, confession, holy communion, Mass, Old Catholics, Orthodox, sedevacantist, SSPX
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Can Priests Cancel Public Masses, and Say a Private Mass Instead?
Q: I’d like to help my fellow parishioners clarify the difference between “canceling all Masses,” and priests who are saying a “private” Mass and either recording it or live-streaming it for the faithful to watch from home. Would this be … Continue reading
Posted in Holy Mass, Parish Life, Rights of the Faithful
Tagged canon law, Catholic, Charles de Foucauld, George Orwell, Mass, private Mass, public Mass, Quam plurimum
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Holy Week in the Era of Coronavirus
Q: The pastor of my parish told me that your recent article is wrong. He says that both Cardinal Sarah [Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship] and Pope Francis approved of the bishops’ decision to cancel all Masses. The … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Holy Mass, Parish Life, Rights of the Faithful
Tagged bishop, canon law, Catholic, Easter, Easter vigil, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Holy Thursday, holy week, Mass, Palm Sunday, priest
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