Liturgy Newsletter — May 2009

News

Roman Missal — completion of voting

At the Easter 2009 meeting of the Bishops’ Conference the remaining six sections of the translation of the Roman Missal were approved by the bishops. The volumes were: Proper of Saints, Common of Saints, Masses for the Dead and Votive Masses, Antiphons, Introductory documents, and Appendices. The text will now be prepared for submission to the Holy See for recognitio. The new Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship had previously written to Presidents of Bishops’ Conferences asking that voting in the translation could be completed by November 2009 so that the process of giving recognitio and then publication not be delayed. The Congregation has been kept informed by ICEL of the translation as it has developed and through its Vox Clara committee been able to comment on the text.

ICEL is currently working on the music to be included in the published Missal. Music will be provided in all the places it has been included in the Latin Missale Romanum. The ICEL website provides a useful summary of the progress of the Missal translation.

New Prefect for Congregation for Divine Worship

In December the Holy Father accepted the resignation of Cardinal Arinze and appointed Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera to replace him. Cardinal Cañizares has been a bishop since 1992, first in Avila, then as Archbishop of Granada and since 2002 Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain. He was made a Cardinal by Pope Benedict in 2006. As a Cardinal he served on the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. He is 63.

Missale Romanum

As reported in the last (December 2008) Liturgy Newsletter the Holy See has issued an emended Latin Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia (Roman Missal, 3rd edition). Many of the emendations are corrections of spelling, grammatical or typographical errors. Inaccuracies have been removed such as the insertion of ‘Unum’ at the beginning of the Apostles’ Creed. The text also includes the new additional dismissal formulas for the end of Mass.

The text of the Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children have been removed from the Missal and will be made available in a separate ritual text. The texts had been incorporated for the first time into an appendix of the first printing of the editio typica tertia. This appendix is now replaced with a supplement which includes the proper texts for 3 saints which have been added to the Universal Calendar since the first printing: St Pio of Pietrelcina (21 September), St Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (9 December) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (12 December). Also in this supplement are texts for an extended Pentecost Vigil which was first mentioned in the Congregation for Divine Worship’s Circular Letter Paschale Solemnitatis in 1988. The Vigil celebrated in a similar way manner of the Easter Vigil with a series of Old Testament Readings, Psalms and Collects. This sequence of readings follows the Penitential Act. After the last (fourth) reading Mass continues with the Gloria and then the Epistle (Romans 8:22–27) for the Vigil Mass of Pentecost which continues in the usual manner.

Liturgy Office website

Two new resources have been added to the Liturgy Office website. A prayer section which includes both traditional and familiar texts as well as prayers and devotions to accompany the liturgical seasons. The Liturgy Office has also made available the chants for Order of Mass which were included in Jubilate Deo — the publication of the Holy See which provides a basic repertoire of plainchant for parishes. The music is in both ‘pdf’ and ‘tiff’ format for inclusion in liturgy sheets.

Year for Priests

The Holy Father has announced a Year for Priests. The year will mark the 150th anniversary of the death of the Curé d’Ars, St John Vianney. It will begin on the feast of the Sacred Heart, 19 June, which is the World day of prayer for the sanctification of priest.

In his letter introducing the Year, Cardinal Hummes, Prefect of the Congregation of Clergy wrote, ‘May this year be an occasion for a period of intense appreciation of the priestly identity, of the theology of the Catholic priesthood, and of the extraordinary meaning of the vocation and mission of priests within the Church and in society… this special year it is intended “to encourage priests in this striving for spiritual perfection on which, above all, the effectiveness of their ministry depends”. For this reason it must be, in a very special way, a year of prayer by priests, with priests and for priests, a year for the renewal of the spirituality of the presbyterate and of each priest. The Eucharist is, in this perspective, at the heart of priestly spirituality.’

Year of St James

The archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, Julián Barrio, has officially announced that 2010 will be a Holy Year of St James. The Holy Year is celebrated each year that the feast of the Apostle James the Greater, 25 July, falls on a Sunday. The feast falls on a Sunday 14 times every century, giving rise to 14 holy years. Next year’s celebration will be the second Holy Year of the third millennium.

The Archbishop in a press conference invited the faithful of Spain, all of Europe and of other continents to ‘make a pilgrimage to the tomb of the Apostle James to confess faith in the Risen Christ and to receive the abundance of divine mercy as a manifestation of the love of God for each person’.

Churches’ Funeral Group

The Churches’ Funeral Group, an ecumenical body that deals with matters relating funerals, cemeteries and crematoria, has set up a website. The site intends to further the aims of the group to provide information relating to Christian Burial, promote good practice, engage in theological reflection in issues to do with death and dying. The Group’s useful leaflet Questions commonly asked about funerals can be downloaded from the site together with Conference and Seminar papers drawn up by members.

EuroCat

In May in Vienna there was the biennial meeting of the European ecumenical Network on the Catechumenate (EuroCat). More 70 people from 22 countries from across Europe came together to study the topic of Integration within the Catechumenate. Drawing on experts from the Church in Austria the theme was explored theologically, psychologically, sociologically and in terms of the role of local government.

Kevin Donovan Memorial Lecture

Kevin Donovan SJ who founded the MA in Pastoral Liturgy at Heythrop College and died last year will be commemorated in a memorial lecture at Heythrop in September. The lecture will be given by Professor John Baldovin, who currently teaches at Boston College, on Sacrosanctum Concilium, 45 years on.

There will Mass at 4pm before the Lecture at 5.30pm on Saturday 26 September. Details of the current Pastoral Liturgy MA can also be found on the website.