Originally published at crisis magazine
The title of this essay comes from a 2021 Christmas movie, the kind that run in places like the Hallmark Channel. But I think it better fits the American bishops’ approach to holy days of obligation.
Regular readers know that I have criticized detachment of holy days from their historical context (e.g., Ascension Thursday becoming Ascension-next-Sunday) or the “pastoral” don’t-make-people-go-too-much-to-church-so-Saturday-and-Monday-holy days-sometimes-don’t-count rule (especially ludicrous when it comes to January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God).
Well, the latest installment of episcopal follies just exploded over this year’s status of Immaculate Conception. According to universal church calendar rules, when December 8 falls on a Sunday, Immaculate Conception is automatically transferred to Monday, December 9 because Advent Sundays outrank feasts but solemnities have to be observed. The U.S. bishops basically said, “OK, but the transfer of the feast means the obligation to attend Mass is abrogated.”
Orthodox. Faithful. Free.
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That approach would tally nicely with their “Saturdays-or-Mondays-time-out” rule, except that I remember reading somewhere that there should be at least two holy days on a national liturgical calendar: Christmas and a Marian feast. Since Immaculate Conception is also our
