Expert: Father Dave Bechtel - 2/6/2012

Question
Laudetur Jesus Christus!
In some monasteries they offer private Masses and conventual Masses.
If the monastery would offer 10 private Masses and one coventual Mass there would be 11 Mass Intentions offered.
But if the they would only offer two Masses a day, which would be conventual Masses there would be 2 Mass Intentions offered. So private Masses are very effective since they allow you to offer more Mass intentions
What does the Chuch say about this?

Answer
I am not sure that the Church says anything "official" about this.

What I do know is this: The Church does NOT like Masses multiplied unnecessarily. This is evidenced by Canon Law. Canon Law says that a priest is to celebrate one Mass a day---and that the bishop may grant permission for a second Mass to be celebrated for pastoral necessity.  On Sunday and Holy Day's a third mass may be celebrated by a priest for pastoral necessity.

The point is that Mass should only be celebrated when there is a pastoral need.  Vatican II restored the concept of more communal Masses.  In other words Private Masses may be celebrated, but they are not considered ideal.  Indeed we should pray for the dead, but Mass is not the only way in which this is accomplished. We can pray for the dead outside of Mass. Therefore to multiply Masses simply for the sake of praying for the dead (or other intentions) would seem pastorally imprudent.  The reason the Church does not want Masses multiplied unnecessarily is precisely because Mass is special.  The Church does not want the Mass to become routine, nor does the Church want people to become superstitious about Mass.  While the Mass is a help to the deceased souls, it is not magic. In other words---the offering of Mass is not just about getting through Mass intentions.  That their CAN be an intention attached to a Mass does NOT entail that their MUST be an intention.  That people may request Mass intentions and offer stipends, does NOT entail Masses must be multiplied solely for the purpose of getting through those intentions.

In my parish for example we only generally accept intentions we know we can reasonably celebrate within about a year.  Many parishes have controls in place (where there is a high demand for Mass intentions) to ensure that if a person requests an intention that intention will be celebrated within about a year or two of the request.  Some parishes even limit 10 mass intentions per person, etc.  In other places if parishes can't celebrate the intention within a reasonable time frame they will send them to the missions.

Again, the point is that Mass is primarily about the sign of the covenant which God renews with us.  Mass is not just about getting through intentions. Treating the Mass like this makes Mass functional rather then relational.  At worst it can become superstitious.