Priests & Deacons

Engaging the Parish Priest to Prepare for the Third Edition of the Roman Missal

As the third edition of the Roman Missal will soon be upon us, it is important to note that pastors and other priests will be the key to a successful and grace-filled implementation in their respective parishes. It is good, therefore, to reflect on the ways in which they can foster a positive and spiritually enriched presentation of the new Missal.

The Priest and His Bishop

The chief shepherd of the diocese is the Bishop, in whom the promotion of the liturgical life of the diocese is entrusted in a special way. Number 22 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal reminds us that the bishop is the "moderator, promoter and guardian of the whole… liturgical life." By their ordination, "[p]riests… take part in the Bishop’s priesthood and mission. As virtuous co-workers with the episcopal Order, called to serve the people of God, they constitute one presbyterate in union with their bishop, while being charged with different duties" (Rites of Ordination, no. 101).

Presbyterorum Ordinis, the Second Vatican Council’s decree on the ministry and life of priests, reminds priests in paragraph 7 that their relationship to the bishop is based on sincere charity and obedience. This obedience involves the sharing of episcopal ministry conferred on priests by the sacrament of Holy Orders and the canonical mission. Bishops regard priests as indispensable helpers and advisors in their ministry. Conflicts are part of human nature, but, with the tasks that lie ahead of us, it is most important that priests see themselves as true helpers to their bishops.

One of the major responsibilities given to the bishops is the promotion of the faithful implementation of liturgical books. As a result of Liturgiam authenticam, the Church universal has started down a path that will involve the translation of all sacramental rites. Many of the questions about translation will have been resolved by the experience of preparing the third edition of the Roman Missal, but there will undoubtedly be challenges with the other rites that yet await us. The review process will be very similar to that of the Roman Missal. Some questions may arise, but many of these will be matters of personal preference regarding the style of translating. At the end of the process, however, it will be important to receive those texts with openness and understanding.

The Priest and His Parish

Priests who have been in ministry for a number of years may recall the implementation of new rituals after the Second Vatican Council. These were not always supported and accompanied by appropriate formation. In some places there was little or no catechesis. In fact, it was sometimes years later before the faithful finally received an explanation of any given particular change. The availability of resources for the average parishioner was quite limited; if one did not have access to a theological library, the information was simply not accessible.

This situation has changed drastically in recent years. While one must use discretion, there is a wealth of information now available on the Internet. It was thought-provoking to discover at a recent workshop given by the Secretariat of Divine Worship that the majority of lay men and women in attendance had visited the USCCB Roman Missal website while only a small percentage of the priests at the same conference were familiar with it. Parish priests, as leaders of communities, must be well-informed in order to provide the people with resources that are both accurate and helpful for deepening their knowledge about the liturgy in general and about the new Roman Missal in particular.

Unlike the implementation of the Roman Missal after the Second Vatican Council, there will be no significant ritual changes in the liturgy as a result of the third edition. This will afford parish priests the time to review their application of the ars celebrandi to ensure that any abuses or aberrations that may have crept into the liturgy are corrected. There is, to be clear, room for legitimate adaptation by the priest, but these should never reach the point that people no longer find the Mass celebrated in a consistent way in a particular place.

There will be some challenge in adapting to the new texts. Will the new text be perfect? Translation is always an art, not a perfect science. The very fact that English is a living language means that this art evolves from one generation to the next. Once the bishops of the United States set a date for the implementation of the new 15 translation, however, parish priests will be asked to embrace the challenge with positive energy. Many elements in the new translation will enrich our people’s spiritual lives and lead them to more active participation in the liturgical celebration.

The parish priest has the primary responsibility for leading the people in a positive manner to receive the new translation. Many have observed that we might also treat this as a special moment in history when we can either reiterate our catechesis on the liturgy, or for the first time with a new generation provide a living and dynamic catechesis on the fundamental principles of the liturgy.

Impetus to Leading a Successful Catechesis

At the ordination of a priest, the paten and chalice are presented to the newly ordained priest with the following words: "Receive the oblation of the holy people, to be offered to God. Understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross" (Rites of Ordination, no. 135). Parish priests must maintain a sense of respect and reverence for the liturgical texts, which often come from a long tradition handed down to us from age to age. Let us consider the example of the Collect of the First Sunday of Advent, found originally in the Gelasian Sacramentary (AD 628-715, Rome). The new draft translation has attempted to unpack even more of the Latin content: "Grant… to your faithful people the will to run to meet Christ with good deeds at his coming." The question here is not fascination with some arcane description of what it is we await in Advent, but rather awareness of the fact that from the earliest of times the Church has desired to prepare itself for the coming of the Lord. How does the Church prepare for the Lord’s coming if not by doing virtuous works? What is more, the new translation expresses the excitement with which the Church runs to meet the coming Messiah. Praying this prayer, the priest joins a long line of others who have expressed the joyous expectation of the season of Advent in prayerful worship. Even as we proclaim the text for our people we pray that they too will prepare for the coming of Christ by works of faith, hope, and love. "Understand what you do." Priests are encouraged to be informed about the meaning of the texts they proclaim and to meditate on them. Then such understanding can be shared with the liturgical assembly, especially in preaching, keeping in mind number 65 of the General Instruction on the Roman Missal: the homily "should be an exposition of some aspect of the readings from Sacred Scripture or of another text from the Ordinary or from the Proper of the Mass of the day and should take into account both the mystery being celebrated and the particular needs of the listeners." As time goes on, then, priests provide a type of mystagogical catechesis for their people. There is no doubt that priests will have to take time in order to be able to understand the text completely. As more and more resources appear, there will be more than enough bibliographical material for priests and people to use. At the present moment, the parish priest can read such classic works as The Eucharistic Prayers of the Roman Rite or The Origins of the Eucharistic Prayer by Enrico Mazza. To proclaim the new translation of the Eucharistic Prayers effectively will require more than just a familiarity with the new text. Celebrants must also rely on an understanding of the historical background and theological content of the prayers. Priests should plan to practice reciting and/or chanting the new prayers in advance of using them in the liturgy. Listening to prepared recordings of spoken and chanted texts (soon to be available from several publishers and online resources) might also be helpful in order to appreciate the cadence of the newly-translated texts. The priest should strive to imitate the text he so often proclaims: "Behold the Lamb of God." Whenever and wherever the priest finds himself, he is called to point out Christ Jesus to others. Even as the priest faces innumerable challenges in ministry, he is always encouraged to do so with an awareness that he joins all those who are happy to be "called to the supper of the Lamb." "Conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross." To implement the new translation will require effective pastoral leadership. Pastors must accept the challenge to lead their parish staffs in developing strategies to introduce the new translation to parish communities. It means making sure that the necessary steps are taken for the remote preparation (underway now) and that a strategy is developed for the proximate preparation that will lead to the implementation of the third edition of the Roman Missal. 16 Pastors cannot afford to let this historical moment pass. This is a unique opportunity to do something to improve the spiritual and liturgical life of the parish. A wealth of resources is available on the Web, in print, and in multimedia formats, although one must use some discretion in selecting what is appropriate for particular groups and in particular settings. Through the regional workshops under the sponsorship of the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship and the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, priests and diocesan leaders will be encouraged and given the tools to prepare parishes and dioceses for the implementation. Through our efforts now, we will be able to look back at this time and say that it was marked by effective catechesis that contributed to a renewed sense of "full, conscious, and active participation" in liturgical worship.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Helpful Information:

Preparing Your Parish for the Revised Roman Missal, Part I

Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications
1-800-933-1800, fax 1-800-933-7094
e-mail orders@ltp.org
Web site: www.LTP.org