This came in via the usual suspects over in the happy Diocese of Black Duck. You will recall that Black Duck shares a border with Bp. F. Atticus McButterpant’s Diocese of Libville.
In this letter, Bp. Jude Noble deals with the coincidence of the 2nd Sunday of Advent and the Immaculate Conception. He provides an interesting solution. The cover letter instructed that this be published in the diocese paper, on the diocesan website, be placed in all parish bulletins, and that notice of these provisions be included in pulpit announcements leading up to and including Sunday 8 December.
November 17, 2024
To the Faithful of the Diocese of Black Duck
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In this Year of Salvation 2024 it will occur that the Solemnity or Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of our great nation, will coincide on December 8, 2024 with the Second Sunday of Advent.
This coincidence has raised questions about the day of celebration of the Feast as well as the Obligation to attend Holy Mass. The issue is complicated by the fact also of having large and active congregations of the faithful who participation in their rites and sacraments according to the pre-conciliar Roman Rite.
In the post-conciliar “Novus Ordo” calendar the celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception has been transferred to Monday, December 9. A document from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Legislative Texts clarified on September 4th, 2024 in a letter to our dear brother the Bishop of Springfield in Illinois that the obligation to participate at Holy Mass was also transferred with the transferal of the liturgical observance.
Therefore, this year, both Sunday, December 8 and Monday, December 9 are Holy Days of Obligation.
Unless there is a serious reason or a moral or physical impossibility, the faithful in the Diocese of Black Duck are obliged under pain of mortal sin to attend Holy Mass on both days.
However, I would like also to make a special provision for those who will have attended Holy Mass according to the 1962 Missale Romanum on Sunday, December 8, on which day there will be celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception with a commemoration of the Second Sunday of Advent.
With this letter I dispense from the obligation of Mass attendance on Monday, December 9, 2024 all those who attend Holy Mass in the “Vetus Ordo”, the Traditional Latin Mass, on Sunday, December 8, 2024 for the celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Those who on Sunday, December 8, 2024 attend Holy Mass according to the Novus Ordo for the Second Sunday of Advent are not dispensed from Mass on Monday, December 9. For them, the obligation on Monday, December 9, still applies under the usual circumstances.
Remember: God can neither deceive nor be deceived (Dei Filius 3, CCC 156)
In addition, I invite both those who attend Holy Mass on Sunday, December 8 according to either the Novus Ordo or the Traditional Roman Rite, to participate at St. Fidelia in Tall Tree Circle on the morning of Monday, December 9, at 10:00 AM in celebration by Bishop Emeritus Joseph W. Novak of liturgical hour of Terce followed by Pontifical Mass at the Faldstool according to the pre-conciliar Roman Rite. In addition, you may attend on the evening of Monday, December 9, at 7:00PM, at the Cathedral of the Circumincession, my celebration of Pontifical Vespers followed by Pontifical Mass at the Throne according to the same Roman Rite.
Clergy and seminarians are invited as always to participate in choro in the proper garb.
These Masses will fulfill the December 9th obligation for those who are not dispensed as described above.
Imparting my blessing with prayers, your servant in Christ,
+ Jude Noble
Bishop of Black Duck
From a priest reader…
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