Celebrating at a Second Mass
Date: July 27, 2025
Author: Fr. Edward McNamara, LC
Question: The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) in No. 203 recommends priests to concelebrate whenever they gather together with their bishop. The GIRM in No. 204, however, only indicates that a priest has a faculty to celebrate or concelebrate more than once in a day, for the benefit of the faithful, in certain prescribed circumstances. If a pastor were to concelebrate a funeral Mass with his diocesan bishop, would he be able to celebrate again for the people of his parish on that same day? Ostensibly, it would seem that a funeral celebration is not really a "gathering of priests," even if there are many priests at it, and so the permission given in No. 204.e arguably does not apply. If so, does this mean that a priest, if he wanted to offer Mass for his parishioners on the same day as a funeral that he was attending, could only attend such a funeral "in choir," and not concelebrate? — F.D., Wagga Wagga, Australia
Answer: I would say that, in most cases, the answer would be that the priest could binate if he has concelebrated with his bishop for any good pastoral reason.
The general principles come from canon law:
“Can. 905 §1. A priest is not permitted to celebrate the Eucharist more than once a day except in cases where the law permits him to celebrate or concelebrate more than once on the same day.
“§2. If there is a shortage of priests, the local ordinary can allow priests to celebrate twice a day for a just cause, or if pastoral necessity requires it, even three times on Sundays and holy days of obligation.”
To understand better the meaning of the expression “except in cases where the law permits,” the GIRM offers further specifications.
With respect to all priests, it says:
“202. It is for the Bishop, in accordance with the norm of law, to regulate the discipline for concelebration in all churches and oratories of his diocese.
“203. To be held in particularly high regard is that concelebration in which the Priests of any given diocese concelebrate with their own Bishop at a stational Mass, especially on the more solemn days of the liturgical year, at the Ordination Mass of a new Bishop of the diocese or of his Coadjutor or Auxiliary, at the Chrism Mass, at the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, at celebrations of the Founder Saint of a local Church or the Patron of the diocese, on anniversaries of the Bishop, and, lastly, on the occasion of a Synod or a pastoral visitation. In the same way, concelebration is recommended whenever Priests gather together with their own Bishop whether on the occasion of a retreat or at any other gathering. In these cases the sign of the unity of the Priesthood and also of the Church inherent in every concelebration is made more clearly manifest.
“204. For a particular reason, having to do either with the significance of the rite or of the festivity, the faculty is given to celebrate or concelebrate more than once on the same day in the following cases:
“a) a Priest who has celebrated or concelebrated the Chrism Mass on Thursday of Holy Week may also celebrate or concelebrate the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper;
“b) a Priest who has celebrated or concelebrated the Mass of the Easter Vigil may celebrate or concelebrate Mass during the day on Easter Sunday;
“c) on the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day), all Priests may celebrate or concelebrate three Masses, provided the Masses are celebrated at their proper times of day;
“d) on the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day), all Priests may celebrate or concelebrate three Masses, provided that the celebrations take place at different times, and with due regard for what has been laid down regarding the application of second and third Masses;
“e) a Priest who concelebrates with the Bishop or his delegate at a Synod or pastoral visitation, or concelebrates on the occasion of a gathering of Priests, may celebrate Mass again for the benefit of the faithful. This holds also, with due regard for the prescriptions of law, for groups of religious.
“205. A concelebrated Mass, whatever its form, is arranged in accordance with the norms commonly in force (cf. nos. 112-198), observing or adapting however what is set out below.
“206. No one is ever to join a concelebration or to be admitted as a concelebrant once the Mass has already begun.”
Religious priests have a habitual exception to the one-Mass rule as they may always concelebrate at their community Mass even though they have another Mass scheduled for the faithful, to wit:
“114. Moreover, among those Masses celebrated by some communities, a particular place belongs to the Conventual Mass, which is a part of the daily Office, or the ‘community’ Mass. Although such Masses do not involve any special form of celebration, it is nevertheless most fitting that they be celebrated with singing, especially with the full participation of all members of the community, whether of religious or of canons. Therefore, in these Masses all should exercise their function according to the Order or ministry they have received. Hence, it is desirable that all the Priests who are not obliged to celebrate individually for the pastoral benefit of the faithful concelebrate in so far as possible at the conventual or community Mass. In addition, all Priests belonging to the community who are obliged, as a matter of duty, to celebrate individually for the pastoral benefit of the faithful may also on the same day concelebrate at the conventual or community Mass. For it is preferable that Priests who are present at a celebration of the Eucharist, unless excused for a just reason, should usually exercise the function proper to their Order and hence take part as concelebrants, wearing sacred vestments. Otherwise, they wear their proper choir dress or a surplice over a cassock.”
This is elevated to a general principle for all priests in the instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum of 2004:
“128. Holy Mass and other liturgical celebrations, which are acts of Christ and of the people of God hierarchically constituted, are ordered in such a way that the sacred ministers and the lay faithful manifestly take part in them each according to his own condition. It is preferable therefore that ‘Priests who are present at a Eucharistic Celebration, unless excused for a good reason, should as a rule exercise the office proper to their Order and thus take part as concelebrants, wearing the sacred vestments. Otherwise, they wear their proper choir dress or a surplice over a cassock.’ It is not fitting, except in rare and exceptional cases and with reasonable cause, for them to participate at Mass, as regards to externals, in the manner of the lay faithful.”
I think that the law also presumes normal circumstances. If priests concelebrate with the bishop for any good reason, then they would still retain their normal obligation toward the faithful entrusted to them. The law would be contradictory if it recommends that priests concelebrate but only if they have no other Masses. The result would be that very few priests would be able to concelebrate.
Some bishops have also issued particular decrees regulating concelebration in their diocese.
In many dioceses there are general permissions granted to priests to judge for themselves if the good of the faithful requires them to celebrate a second Mass. Here is an example from an Australian diocese issued for every priest resident in the diocese:
“Eucharist Frequency
“6.3.1. For a just cause, you may binate on weekdays and trinate on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation because of pastoral necessity (c. 905, §2).
“6.3.2. The binate or trinate applies to both when you preside and concelebrate. With respect to the law on bination and trination, the vigil Mass of Sunday counts as a Mass of Saturday, not Sunday, since the canonical day runs from midnight to midnight (c. 202 §1). The same is true for the vigil of Holy Days. The calculation of the number of Masses also includes the celebration of Nuptial and Funeral Masses.
“6.3.3. If celebrating the Most Holy Eucharist two or three times on the same day, you may consume food or drink before a second or third celebration, even if a period of one hour does not intervene (c. 919, §2).”
Given all of these considerations I would conclude that whenever a priest concelebrates with his bishop, he may also celebrate another Mass for the benefit of the faithful.
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