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Dear catholic.com visitors: This Catholic Answers website, with all its free resources, is the world’s largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. We receive no funding from the institutional Church and rely entirely on your generosity to sustain this website with trustworthy, accessible content. If every visitor this month donated $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. If you’ve never made a gift, now is the time. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar this week only. Thanks and God bless.
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Q&A

Does the Church excuse people from Sunday Mass obligation based on their age?

Catholic Answers Staff

Question:

My elderly mother was told that when you reach your golden years you are excused from attending Sunday Mass. Does the Catholic Church excuse people from their Sunday Mass obligation based solely on their age?

Answer:

No. The Sunday obligation can be dispensed for just cause, which may include physical illness or an inability to go to Mass, but there is no age limit on the Sunday obligation.

Perhaps there has been a confusion of the Sunday obligation with the fasting obligations during Lent, for which there is an age limit after which the person is automatically dispensed.

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