Holy Day of Obligation - Latin-Rite Observance By Country

Latin-Rite Observance By Country

In Vatican City, but not in the rest of the Diocese of Rome, Sundays and all ten days listed in canon 1246 are observed as holy days of obligation. This is also the case in the Swiss canton of Ticino, but perhaps nowhere else.

Some countries have as holy days of obligation feasts that are not among those listed in canon 1246. Ireland has Saint Patrick's Day. Germany has St. Stephen on the "Second Christmas Day" (26 December), Easter Monday and Pentecost Monday (Whit Monday).

In countries where they are not holy days of obligation, three of the ten feast days listed above are assigned to a Sunday as their proper day:

• The Epiphany to the Sunday that falls between 2 and 8 January;
• The Ascension of Our Lord to the following Sunday;
• The Body and Blood of Christ to the following Sunday.

If they are thus assigned to a Sunday, they are not included in the following national lists of holy days of obligation, since in every country all Sundays are holy days of obligation.