Occasionally we have a collision of Holy Days of Obligations and Feasts in the calendar. Feasts get transferred. Does the obligation get transferred? We had this situation recently regarding the Feast/Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception which fell on an Advent Sunday. In the Novus Ordo the liturgical day was bumped to Monday. In the Vetus Ordo it remained on Sunday. In these USA, Immaculate Conception is supposed to be a day of obligation. So, was the obligation bumped to Monday in the Novus Ordo? Confusion reigned.
Now there is a new “Note” from the Vatican’s liturgy office under date of 23 January 2025.
Bottom line: When Feasts/Solemnities which would otherwise be Holy Days of Obligation are transferred to another days, the obligation is NOT transferred.
Message: It is too much to require that people go to Mass twice in a week or two days in a row.
What I fear from this is the subtext. I fear that a message is being sent that integrating the Church’s calendar, our feasts and seasons, is not important. Going to church for Mass, together as a worshiping body fulfilling the virtue of Religion, is not important.
These diminutions of expectations matter. We are our rites. There are consequences for our identity within the Church and out in the public square.
Ad intra, isn’t this what happened with the eucharistic fast? Reduction from midnight to 3 hours, to 1 hour? Maybe it isn’t that important after all. Ad extra, a diminishing of public identity may have been an effect of no longer asking women to cover their heads in church. It was an identifiable social phenomenon on Sundays as families made their way to church. Ad extra et intra, isn’t this what may have happened with Friday abstinence? Pretty much everyone was acutely aware that Catholics shouldn’t eat meat on Fridays. People adjusted for their dinner guests on Fridays or were mortified if they forgot.
It could be that in the case of this Note, the law was properly interpreted (odiosa restringenda, etc.). However, it might have resulted in an alteration of the law.
If you keep whittling, pretty soon there’s nothing left to whittle.
Some think that AI is here to stay. If that is so, then I am not convinced that we are (cf. Skynet).
I slept in this morning, so I was not aware of the sunrise at 07:24. I will surely see the sunset at 17:22.
The Roman day with sunlight began at 07:25 which will significantly dwindle after 17:21.
Today the sun was up by 07:26 and it was down by 17:20. Getting longer. Last I was here, they were getting shorter. The Ave Maria Bell, back in November, was also in the 17:30 cycle. It is now, too. But unless you are in a special place, you won’t hear it.
The Fishwrap piece is deeeeeeply stupid. 
Today in Rome the sun rose at 0727 and it set at 1719 and the Ave Maria Bell was to ring at1730.
The sunset in Rome was at 1717. The sunset where I am now is…right now! (See below)
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