Fr. Finigan (Unreconstructed Ossified Manualist) on whether it is a sin to be late for Mass

My good friend, His Hermeneuticalness, The Dean of Bexley, the P.P. of Blackfen, Fr. Tim Finigan, has a useful post on his blog, which is also one of his columns for the UK’s best Catholic weekly, The Catholic Herald.

Each week in The Catholic Herald, on the same page where my column appears as a matter of fact, Fr. Finigan answers reader’s questions. For example:

CD 263 on being late for Mass

If I am late for Mass, at what point have I failed to fulfil the Sunday Mass obligation? For example if I miss the Gospel, have I missed Mass?

In older manuals of moral theology, this subject was discussed extensively. In the first place, it was always stated, and remains the case today, that Catholics are under obligation to attend the whole of Mass on days of precept. The answer to the question “When am I late for Mass?” is the same then as now: “If you arrive after it has started.”

The secondary question that was asked by the manualists, and considered at length, was what omission would constitute a mortal sin rather than a venial sin. Briefly, the answer is that …

[...]

Yes, I am going to make you go THERE to read the rest.

Kudos to Fr. Finigan for this service and to The Catholic Herald for printing his Q&A.  If you don’t subscribe to the digital version… well….  One of these days I hope they will have a “Fr. Z Subscription Promo”.

Also, in homage, I just sent Father an Unreconstructed Ossified Manualist car magnet.