Canon 1244. §1 Only the supreme ecclesiastical authority can establish, transfer or suppress holydays or days of penance which are applicable to the universal Church, without prejudice to the provisions of can. 1246 §2.

§2 Diocesan Bishops can proclaim special holydays or days of penance for their own dioceses or territories, but only for individual occasions.

§1. Dies festos itemque dies paenitentiae, universae Ecclesiae communes, constituere, transferre, abolere, unius est supremae ecclesiasticae auctoritatis, firmo praescripto can. 1246, §2.

§2. Episcopi dioecesani peculiares suis dioecesibus seu locis dies festos aut dies paenitentiae possunt, per modum tantum actus, indicere.

Canon 1245. Without prejudice to the right of diocesan Bishops as in can. 87, a parish priest, in individual cases, for a just reason and in accordance with the prescriptions of the diocesan Bishop, can give a dispensation from the obligation of observing a holyday or day of penance, or commute the obligation into some other pious works.
The Superior of a pontifical clerical religious institute or society of apostolic life has the same power in respect of his own subjects and of those who reside day and night in a house of the institute or society.

Firmo iure Episcoporum dioecesanorum de quo in can. 87, parochus, iusta de causa et secundum Episcopi dioecesani praescripta, singulis in casibus concedere potest dispensationem ab obligatione servandi diem festum vel diem paenitentiae aut commutationem eiusdem in alia pia opera; idque potest etiam Superior instituti religiosi aut societatis vitae apostolicae, si sint clericalia iuris pontificii, quoad proprios subditos aliosque in domo diu noctuque degentes.

Canon 1246. §1 The Lord’s Day, on which the paschal mystery is celebrated, is by apostolic tradition to be observed in the universal Church as the primary holyday of obligation. In the same way the following holydays are to be observed: the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension of Christ, the feast of the
Body and Blood of Christ, the feast of Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate
Conception, her Assumption, the feast of St Joseph, the feast of the Apostles SS
Peter and Paul, and the feast of All Saints.

§2 However, the Episcopal Conference may, with the prior approval of the Apostolic
See, suppress certain holydays of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.

§1. Dies dominica in qua mysterium paschale celebratur, ex apostolica traditione, in universa Ecclesia uti primordialis dies festus de praecepto servanda est. Itemque servari debent dies Nativitatis Domini Nostri Iesu Christi, Epiphaniae, Ascensionis et sanctissimi Corporis et Sanguinis Christi, Sanctae Dei Genetricis Mariae, eiusdem Immaculatae Conceptionis et Assumptionis, sancti Ioseph, sanctorum Petri et Pauli Apostolorum, omnium denique Sanctorum.

§2. Episcoporum conferentia tamen potest, praevia Apostolicae Sedis approbatione, quosdam ex diebus festis de praecepto abolere vel ad diem dominicam transferre.

Canon 1247. On Sundays and other holydays of obligation, the faithful are obliged to assist at Mass. They are also to abstain from such work or business that would inhibit the worship to be given to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, or the due relaxation of mind and body.

Die dominica aliisque diebus festis de praecepto fideles obligatione tenentur Missam participandi; abstineant insuper ab illis operibus et negotiis quae cultum Deo reddendum, laetitiam diei Domini propriam, aut debitam mentis ac corporis relaxationem impediant.

Canon 1248. §1 The obligation of assisting at Mass is satisfied wherever Mass is celebrated in a catholic rite either on a holyday itself or on the evening of the previous day.

§2 If it is impossible to assist at a eucharistic celebration, either because no sacred minister is available or for some other grave reason, the faithful are strongly recommended to take part in a liturgy of the Word, if there be such in the parish church or some other sacred place, which is celebrated in accordance with the provisions laid down by the diocesan Bishop; or to spend an appropriate time in prayer, whether personally or as a family or, as occasion presents, in a group of families.


§1. Praecepto de Missa participanda satisfacit qui Missae assistit ubicumque celebratur ritu catholico vel ipso die festo vel vespere diei praecedentis.

§2. Si deficiente ministro sacro aliave gravi de causa participatio eucharisticae celebrationis impossibilis evadat, valde commendatur ut fideles in liturgia Verbi, si quae sit in ecclesia paroeciali aliove sacro loco, iuxta Episcopi dioecesani praescripta celebrata, partem habeant, aut orationi per debitum tempus personaliter aut in familia vel pro opportunitate in familiarum coetibus vacent.

Canon 1249. All Christ’s faithful are obliged by divine law, each in his or her own way, to do penance. However, so that all may be joined together in a certain common practice of penance, days of penance are prescribed. On these days the faithful are in a special manner to devote themselves to prayer, to engage in works of piety and charity, and to deny themselves, by fulfilling their obligations more faithfully and especially by observing the fast and abstinence which the following canons prescribe.

Omnes christifideles, suo quisque modo, paenitentiam agere ex lege divina tenentur; ut vero cuncti communi quadam paenitentiae observatione inter se coniungantur, dies paenitentiales praescribuntur, in quibus christifideles speciali modo orationi vacent, opera pietatis et caritatis exerceant, se ipsos abnegent, proprias obligationes fidelius adimplendo et praesertim ieiunium et abstinentiam, ad normam canonum qui sequuntur, observando.

Canon 1250. The days and times of penance for the universal Church are each Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

Dies et tempora paenitentialia in universa Ecclesia sunt singulae feriae sextae totius anni et tempus quadragesimae.

Canon 1251. Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the
Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday.

Abstinentia a carnis comestione vel ab alio cibo iuxta conferentiae Episcoporum praescripta, servetur singulis anni sextis feriis, nisi cum aliquo die inter sollemnitates recensito occurrant; abstinentia vero et ieiunium, feria quarta Cinerum et feria sexta in Passione et Morte Domini Nostri Iesu Christi.

Canon 1252. The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.

Lege abstinentiae tenentur qui decimum quartum aetatis annum expleverint; lege vero ieiunii adstringuntur omnes aetate maiores usque ad annum inceptum sexagesimum. Curent tamen animarum pastores et parentes ut etiam ii qui, ratione minoris aetatis ad legem ieiunii et abstinentiae non tenentur, ad genuinum paenitentiae sensum informentur.

Canon 1253. The Episcopal Conference can determine more particular ways in which fasting and abstinence are to be observed. In place of abstinence or fasting it can substitute, in whole or in part, other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety.

Episcoporum conferentia potest pressius determinare observantiam ieiunii et abstinentiae, necnon alias formas paenitentiae, praesertim opera caritatis et exercitationes pietatis, ex toto vel ex parte pro abstinentia et ieiunio substituere.



LIBER V: DE BONIS ECCLESIAE TEMPORALIBUS