Dated: 29.01.2013
DIOCESAN REGULATIONS – 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
All Christ’s faithful are obliged by divine law, each in his or her own way, to
do penance. The Church, however, prescribes some days when all the faithful are
in a special manner to devote themselves to prayer, to engage in works of piety
and charity and to deny themselves, especially by observing the fast and abstinence
(c.1249). Following Church Law and in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution
“Penitemini” of Feb 27, 1966, some regulations and instructions for the year
2013 are given below. They are to be faithfully observed in our Diocese:
1. Days of Fast and Abstinence: Ash Wednesday, (February 13) and Good Friday
(March 29). All Fridays of Lent are recommended as days of fast and abstinence in
our Diocese.
Abstinence becomes mandatory from the age of 14, and fast from the age of 18 to 60.
2. Days of Penance: All Fridays of the year, days of Lent and Advent.
Since on these days, one is no more bound by law to fast and abstain, a penitential
work must substitute them. Substitution may be one of the following devotional practices
and good works or similar ones:
a). Assisting at Holy Mass with devotion
b). Visit to the Church
c). Eucharistic Adoration
d). Reception of Communion
e). Stations of the Cross
f). Alms-giving
g). Visiting the poor
h). Visiting the sick either at home or in the hospital
i). Reading the Bible or Spiritual Books
j). The Family Rosary
k). Abstaining from watching movies or from smoking or from alcoholic drinks
or such other means of recreation or luxury
l). Bearing sickness or suffering patiently
m). Engaging in other corporeal works of mercy.
3. The usual faculties of Parish Priests or Confessors are still in force
for dispensing substitutes, even in case of No. 1.
4. The
time for fulfilling the Easter duty begins on Ash Wednesday,
i.e. February 13 and ends on Trinity Sunday, i.e. May 26.
5. Sundays and Holydays of Obligation: All Sundays of the year, Christmas
(25th December) and Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (15th August).
The obligation of assisting at Mass is satisfied whenever Mass is celebrated in a
Catholic Rite, either on a Sunday or Holyday itself or the previous evening (after
4.00 p.m.). One who has received Holy Communion may receive it once more on the
same day only within a Eucharistic celebration in which he/she participates (Can.
917). In other words, a person who assists at two or three Masses, say on All Souls’
Day or Christmas Day, may receive Holy Communion at two Masses.
6. Days on which Parish Priests are obliged to offer Masses
(Missa Pro
Populo) for the faithful:
a. All the Sundays of the Year. b. Christmas Day
(Dec 25) c. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Aug 15)
7. The following
collections for the Universal Church must be made
on the days mentioned in all the Churches and Institutions and sent to our Diocesan
Curia:
a. For the Society of the Holy Childhood -
February 10
f. For St.Peter’s Pence -
Aug 18
(Justice Sunday)
b. For Campaign against Hunger & Disease -
During Lent (Maundy Thursday, March 28)
c. For the maintenance of Holy Land -
Good Friday, March 29
d. For the Society of St. Peter the Apostle -
June 30
e. For the Society of the Propagation of Faith -
Mission Sunday, Oct 20
N.B. On other Sundays of the year and Holydays of obligation, the collection should
be taken for the maintenance of the church. Priests who take their monthly allowance
from the Diocese must send the Sunday collection to the Curia. Other priests who
do not take the monthly allowance from the Diocese may retain the Sunday collection
for Church maintenance.
8. Special Days During the Year:
a. World Day of Peace - 30th January
b. Day of Consecrated Life - 02nd February
c. Holy Childhood Day – 10th February
d. World Day of the Sick - 11th February
e. Divine Mercy Sunday – 07th April
f. Laity Sunday – 23th June
g. Justice Sunday – 18th August
h. Day of the Girl Child – 08th September
i. Mission Sunday – 20th October
j. World Communications Day – 17th November
9. Church Unity Octave -
January 18 to 25 every year.
10. The following Churches are declared to be
places of pilgrimage
in the Diocese:
a. Christ the King Cathedral - Chandigarh
b. St. Michael’s Cathedral - Simla
c. Holy Redeemer Church - Ambala
d. Our Lady of Fatima Church - Patiala
e. Holy Rosary Church - Bhatinda
f. Immaculate Heart Church - Karnal
Yours sincerely in Christ,
+Ignatius L. Mascarenhas
Bishop of Simla Chandigarh
Ref.DSC/Cir.01/2013
Dated: 30th January 2013
LENTEN PASTORAL LETTER - 2013
To All the Clergy, Religious and Lay Faithful of Simla-Chandigarh Diocese.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,
There are many sad incidents taking place, and we are aware of the growing spread
of evil tendencies, incidents, and experiences in our own cities, towns and villages,
Parliament, assemblies, and offices and these are getting daily coverage in the
media. We read reports of murder, rape, exploitation, insensitivity, female foeticide,
and also of death-producing phenomena, cancer, and natural disasters which inflict
death, pain, disease, and destruction randomly and senselessly. We continue to ask
repeatedly what’s going wrong
what’s wrong with the world. Hence a passionate
cry to stop such crimes, evil, and from the depths of our hearts we too cry out
and say
“God Come Back, Just Come Back take us out of this darkness.”
This is the very darkness that Christ came into the world to dispel.
Aren’t we also dejectedly conscious that no single law, no set of laws can eliminate
evil from the world or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society. Haven’t
we busied ourselves calling for the reform of structures, systems, institutions,
and people other than ourselves? Yes, this is good. But the answer to the question
'What's wrong with the world?” is not the politics, economy, secularism,
pollution, global warming... no." To quote G.K. Chesterton, the answer to the question
'What's wrong with the world?' is two words:
I am.' Admitting this
"leads
to conversion of heart and repentance” the core of the Gospel invitation. This happens
in the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance/confession.
Pope Benedict XVI
has said,
“The New Evangelization . . . begins in the confessional!”
This is the Sacrament of Evangelization."
“Peace be with you!” were the words, the Risen Lord greeted his frightened
Apostles in the Upper Room on the day of his Resurrection. They were troubled, anxious,
and fearful—much like each one of us at some point is experiencing in our lives.
Christ repeated the words, “Peace be with you.” But then He added,
“Receive the
Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them” (Jn 20:19-23).
What an extraordinary gift! The Risen Lord was proclaiming that all the suffering
he had just endured was in order to make available the gifts of salvation and forgiveness.
He wanted the Apostles to receive these gifts. He wanted them to become apostles
of this forgiveness to others. The U.S. Bishops recently released a statement encouraging
Catholics to go to confession, especially during the period of Lent,
In the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation also called confession; we
meet the Lord, who wants to grant forgiveness and the grace to live a renewed life
in him. In this Sacrament, He prepares us to receive him free from serious sin,
with a lively faith, earnest hope, and sacrificial love in the Eucharist. The Church
sees confession as so important that she requires that every Catholic go at least
once a year. The Church also encourages frequent confession in order to grow closer
to Christ Jesus and his Body, the Church. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, we seek
forgiveness and repentance, let go of patterns of sin, grow in the life of virtue,
and witness to a joyful conversion. We, whom Christ has ordained to minister this
forgiveness in his name, are also approaching this sacrament, as both penitents
and ministers, throughout our lives and at this special moment of grace during Lent.
We want to offer ourselves to you as forgiven sinners seeking to serve in the Lord’s
name.
During Lent— in addition to the various penitential services during which
individual confession takes place—we Priests will be making ourselves available
often for the individual celebration of this sacrament. We pray that through the
work of the Holy Spirit, all Catholics—Clergy/Religious and Laity—will respond to
the call of the New Evangelization to encounter Christ in the Sacrament of Penance
and Reconciliation.
“The Church also encourages frequent confession in order to
grow closer to Christ Jesus and his Body, the Church.” Come to the Lord
and experience the extraordinary grace of his forgiveness!
NB: This Lenten Pastoral Letter is to be read out or its contents to be explained in Hindi or Punjabi in all Churches on 1st or 2nd Sunday of Lent.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
+Ignatius L. Mascarenhas
Bishop of Simla Chandigarh