Saint Paul-area members of the faithful who have not been able to attend Mass or receive Holy Communion, even during Easter, should not be too trouble, the Rev. John L. Ubel said.

"The time frame of one 'year' could reasonably be reckoned from the last Holy Communion received," Ubel, the rector of Cathedral of St. Paul, said in his article, part of "The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ" issued June 14 by the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The requirement to receive the body and blood of Christ at least once per year – and, traditionally, at Easter – is a "grave obligation" rooted in canon law, history and tradition, Ubel said.

"But in this time of pandemic with our limited return to Mass, the Easter Duty is certainly delayed for those unable or dissuaded from attending Mass," Ubel said in the liturgy guide. "Thus, those who have not received Holy Communion should have a clear conscience because COVID-19 certainly fulfills that 'just cause' criterion."

Ubel also referred to Bernard A. Archbishop Hebda's March suspension of the obligation to attend Mass and then public Masses for the duration of the pandemic.

"Fulfilling the grave obligation of Holy Communion during the Easter Season is best understood as a secondary obligation, because a 'just cause' permits it to be fulfilled at another time during the year," Ubel said, the liturgy guide reported. "There is still time. Hopefully, when the pandemic subsides, people can get back to Mass and Holy Communion before too long. "

Even with all those assurances, Ubel said he's recently heard quite a lot of talk about the annual obligation.

"I have heard more chatter of an 'Easter Duty' in the past seven weeks than I have heard in years," Ubel said in the liturgy guide. "And for obvious reasons, given COVID-19. On this Solemnity of Corpus Christi, it seems opportune to address these questions."