U.S. Bishops To Vote on Liturgical items at November meeting

WASHINGTON—The U.S. bishops will vote on five liturgical items presented by the Committee on Divine Worship during the annual fall General Assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) November 11-14, at the Baltimore Waterfront Marriott Hotel.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. bishops will vote on five liturgical items presented by the Committee on Divine Worship during the annual fall General Assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) November 11-14, at the Baltimore Waterfront Marriott Hotel.

Items include approvals of

•  The use of the Spanish-language Misal Romano from Mexico to serve as the base text for the U.S. Spanish-language missal. Mexico’s Conference of Bishops received a recognitio, or permission from Rome to use the text at the beginning of 2013. Plans call for a U.S. version of the Misal Romano to be available by the end of 2014 or spring 2015.

•  U.S adaptations and proper text for the Misal Romano. These are the adaptations to the Mexican Misal Romano required for use in the United States. They include for example translation of the prayer texts, a Spanish-language translation of the U.S. Norms for Holy Communion under both bread and wine, and Spanish-language translation of the prayer texts for saints, including Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos and others.

•  The Order of Celebrating Marriage. This is the final translation from the International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) of the 1991 Latin edition – second typical edition, which was never translated into English. It includes new prayers and rites not previously included in the first typical edition. Should the bishops vote affirmatively, the book will be sent to Rome for recognitio and then be published as the English-language ritual for marriage.

•  Adaptions to the Order of Celebrating Marriage. The Divine Worship Committee seeks approval for four adaptations. They include the option of alternatives forms of vows, the option to move the Nuptial Blessing from after the Our Father into the Rite itself, the option of using a litany of the saints, and the option of using the Spanish adaptations of giving coins and the Blessing and Placing of the Lazo/Veil over the couple during the nuptial blessing.

•  Order of Confirmation. This is a retranslation by ICEL of the order of Confirmation in accord with the norms of the document Liturgiam Authenticam.  

Coverage of the bishops’ meeting is open to credentialed media. Sessions open to the media will be Monday, November 11, and Tuesday, November 12. There will be media conferences after all public sessions. Reporters seeking to cover the meeting can download a credential application form at: www.usccb.org/about/media-relations/upload/application-news-media-credentials.pdf and submit it by November 1 via email to USCCB Media Relations, fax to (202) 541-3173 or mail to:

November Meeting Credentials
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Washington, DC 20017-1194
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Keywords: liturgy, bishops, USCCB, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Confirmation, Marriage, Committee on Divine Worship
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