Bishops approve liturgical changes

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has announced the approval of all four pending liturgical changes, but work on the translation of the new Roman Missal continues

Approved were translations of the Masses for Various Needs and Intentions, Votive Masses, Masses for the Dead, Ritual Masses, and the Ordo Missae II, which contains prefaces, solemn blessings, and additional Eucharistic Prayers.

The bishops engaged in heated debate over the translations during their June meeting in San Antonio. Each of the revised translations required a two-thirds vote (163 bishops) for approval. None of the them gained the required number of votes in San Antonio, requiring the mailing of ballots to the 55 bishops who were absent from the meeting.

In the end, the revised translation of the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Intentions gained the minimum number of votes for approval; it was approved by a 163-53 margin, with five abstentions. The other translations passed by wider margins.

“This vote marks a steady and sure movement toward the translation of the Roman Missal. The modifications and amendments made by the bishops should be very helpful to the development of the final translation,” said Msgr. Anthony Sherman, executive director of the Secretariat for Divine Worship.

Catechetical materials to educate the clergy and the faithful on the changes included in the new translation of the Roman Missal can be found at http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/missalformation