> Date: Fri, 31 Dec 1999 12:26:21 +0200
> From: "Stefaan Vermeire" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Three Masses
> Message-Id: <000401bf538c$a1d0b640$1ec178d4@LocalHost>
>
> Dear List Members,
>
>
> Who knowes the origin of the three Masses in the Roman Rite at the Holy
> Feast of Christ's Birth? Is this not a contradiction of the rule which do
> not allowed to celebrate more than one Mass on the same day at the same
> altar by the same priest?
I don't think that the rule referenced above is correct as given, now or at
any
time in the past. I could have sworn that the rule had more to do with how
often members of the congregation could take communion, and that one
extra time was allowed over Christmas -- but it has been many years since
I had occasion for that question to come up in any way that I had to deal
with. Whatever the general rule is, Christmas would be an exception to
and not a simple contradiction of the rule, I suspect.
In any case, I know that the rule as cited above is not observed in my
own (Roman Catholic) church. We have four masses on Sunday but
generally no more than two priests available as celebrants and only
a single altar, so at least one of these priests must celebrate two or
more masses the same day at the same altar. The situation would
be even worse if we count the Saturday afternoon mass as a "Sunday"
mass -- after all, it does count for the weekly obligation.
-- David Knott
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