Filipinos not obliged to attend Mass for Feast of Immaculate Concepcion on Dec. 9

Filipino Catholics are not obliged to attend the Holy Mass for the celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Monday, December 9, 2024.

It was announced earlier that the church celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation, has been moved. This year the celebration falls on a Sunday, which is also the second Sunday of Advent.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)'s sent a petition to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments at the Vatican seeing a clarification on whether the faithful should hear mass on Monday.

"The Philippine bishops made this request considering that it would be difficult or even impossible for many Filipino Catholics to go to Mass on a working day since they are daily wage earners and rely on this for their family's sustenance," the Episcopal Commission on Liturgy said in a statement posted on Friday.

"The Dicastery responded positively to the request, stating that 'the obligation to attend Mass does not apply this year'," it said.

The celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation, celebrates the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary without original sin.

Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission head and Vice Chancellor Fr. Carmelo Arada explained the change in schedule for this year's celebration, saying that “The norms of the Liturgical Calendar provide that in cases when there is a concurrence of a solemnity and a Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Advent takes precedence over the solemnity.” — Sundy Locus/BAP, GMA Integrated News