The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Soul’s Day)

Authority level: Authoritative doctrine
Disciplinary status: Church discipline
Theological status: Theological synthesis
GuideThe entry combines Catholic doctrine about worship with approved liturgical discipline and theological explanation; the labels do not make every ceremonial norm irreformable.
Contents

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Soul’s Day) is the liturgical commemoration in the Roman Rite on which the Church prays for all the faithful departed, especially those undergoing final purification before the vision of God.[1]

Mystery celebrated

The Church prays for all the faithful departed, especially those undergoing final purification before the vision of God.

The celebration belongs to the Church's objective liturgical worship; its doctrine is expressed in the proper prayers, readings, chants, and ritual observance appointed by the liturgical books.[2]

Date and calendar

It is observed on 2 November under its proper rules of precedence.

Its actual observance in a given year follows the universal table of liturgical days, including the rules for concurrence, occurrence, omission, and transfer.[3]

Celebration

The Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours use the propers assigned to the day. The rank determines whether the celebration begins with First Vespers, includes the Gloria or Creed, and supersedes another observance.

References

  1. 1.General Instruction of the Roman Missal — Universal norms for celebrating Mass in the Roman Rite
  2. 2.Lectionary for Mass — The Roman Rite cycle of readings for Sundays, solemnities, feasts, and weekdays
  3. 3.Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar — Universal norms governing seasons, Sundays, ranks, precedence, and the calendar