The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has issued a decree granting permission for priests to celebrate up to four Masses on Christmas Day, in order to facilitate the participation of the faithful in the Holy Liturgy. The concession is also granted for January 1, the solemnity of Mary, the Virgin Mary and for the Epiphany.
For Vatican News
A decree published on the website of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments seeks to make more Masses possible on Christmas Day, in order to encourage the participation of the faithful in the Holy Liturgy. The decree, dated December 16, 2020, was signed by the prefect of the congregation, Cardinal Robert Sarah, and the secretary, Archbishop Arthur Roche.
“In view of the situation caused by the worldwide spread of the pandemic,” says the decree, “by virtue of the powers granted to this Congregation by St. Francis, and because of the persistence of the general contagion of society called the Covid virus. 19, we gladly grant the local Ordinary ”permission to allow priests residing in their dioceses to celebrate four Masses on certain days during the Christmas season.Only this year, permission is granted for additional Masses on the following days: Christmas Day (December 25), the Solemnity of Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mary (January 1), and Epiphany (January 6). [the Ordinary] he considers it necessary for the benefit of the faithful. “
According to the Code of Canon Law, “if there is a shortage of priests, the local ordinance may allow priests to celebrate twice a day for a just cause, or if pastoral necessity requires it, even three times on Sundays and Sundays. holy days of obligation ”(Can. 905, para. 2). Normally, therefore, a priest cannot celebrate more than three times in a single day.
With the current decree, and only in these particularly important holidays during the time of the pandemic, has been added the possibility of celebrating a fourth Mass for Christmas Day, the solemnity of Mary the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Epiphany , so that there will be more people to participate in the liturgies, always respecting the current anti-life regulations.