333.

QUERY 1: May the votive Masses of Jesus Christ the High Priest, the Sacred Heart, the Immaculate Heart of Mary be celebrated, respectively, on the first Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the month even if an obligatory memorial occurs?

REPLY: They may be celebrated observing the rule of GIRM no. 333: "If some real need or pastoral advantage requires, at the discretion of the rector of the Church or the priest celebrant, the Masses corresponding to such need or advantage may be used in a celebration with a congregation." The decision about a real need is based on consideration of the sensibilities and devotion of the people: Not 5 (1969) 404, no. 17.

QUERY 2: What is meant by the weekdays of Advent, Christmas, and the Easter season on which "if some real need or pastoral advantage requires, at the discretion of the rector of the Church or the priest celebrant, the Masses corresponding to such need or advantage may be used in a celebration with a congregation" (GIRM no. 333)?

REPLY: These are the weekdays that are listed in the Table of Liturgical Days no. 13, i.e., "weekdays of Advent up to December 16 inclusive; weekdays of the Christmas season from January 2 until the Saturday after Epiphany; weekdays of the Easter season from the Monday after the octave of Easter until the Saturday before Pentecost inclusive." Since the GIRM no. 333 does not speak of the weekdays of Lent, neither does it intend to speak of the weekdays of Advent from December 17 to 24 inclusive nor of the days within the octave of Christmas, which in the Table of Liturgical Days no. 9 are ranked with the weekdays of Lent: Not 10 (1974) 145, no. 1.