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Views from the Choir Loft

Gray Book for Baptism of Children Approved

Fr. David Friel · December 17, 2017

URING THE course of the November 2017 meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Latin Rite bishops gave approval to the “gray book” of the Order of Baptism of Children. The “gray book” is the final draft of any new translation by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). This translation, therefore, is ready to be sent to Rome for approval.

Along with numerous minor changes, this new translation of the Baptism rite includes five new adaptations for use in the United States of America:

1. A new “sample introductory monition” has been composed and included before the opening dialogue.

2. A sample acclamation to follow each Baptism is provided in the text.

3. Several rubrics have been altered to make clearer ritual variations that are already permitted (e.g., the option to omit the anointing with the Oil of Catechumens and the Ephphatha rite).

4. An optional, extended version of the Litany of Saints has been added to the chapter of “Various Texts” for use on more solemn occasions.

5. An appendix has been drawn up to facilitate the celebration of Baptism within Mass, in accordance with the instructions already provided in the praenotanda.

The first three of these adaptations have already been made in the Spanish version of this ritual book (Ritual para el Bautismo de los Niños); the last two are entirely new adaptations.

IGNIFICANTLY, this is the first ritual book that will be sent to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW) by the USCCB since the publication of Magnum principium. The confirmatio will be sought from the CDW for the translation, while the recognitio will be sought for the adaptations.

It will be interesting to watch how the confirmatio and recognitio processes unfold in light of Magnum principium.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: baptism, ICEL, Liturgiam Authenticam, Liturgy For Children, Magnum principium, Pope Francis, USCCB Secretariat of Divine Worship Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Fr. David Friel

About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at St. Anselm Parish in Northeast Philly. He is currently a doctoral candidate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

6 January 2021 • Anglicans on Plainsong

A book published by Anglicans in 1965 has this to say about Abbat Pothier’s Editio Vaticana, the musical edition reproduced by books such as the LIBER USUALIS (Solesmes Abbey): “No performing edition of the music of the Eucharistic Psalmody can afford to ignore the evidence of the current official edition of the Latin Graduale, which is no mere reproduction of a local or partial tradition, but a CENTO resulting from an extended study and comparison of a host of manuscripts gathered from many places. Thus the musical text of the Graduale possesses a measure of authority which cannot lightly be disregarded.” They are absolutely correct.

—Jeff Ostrowski
2 January 2021 • Temptation

When I see idiotic statements made on the internet, I go nuts. When I see heretics promoted by people who should know better, I get angry. Learning to ignore such items is difficult—very difficult. I try to remember the words of Fr. Valentine Young: “Do what God places in front of you each day.” When I am honest, I don’t believe God wants me to dwell on errors and idiocy; there’s nothing I can do about that. During 2021, I will strive to do a better job following the advice of Fr. Valentine.

—Jeff Ostrowski
31 December 2020 • “COMITES CHRISTI”

The feasts for Saint Stephen Proto-Martyr (26 December), Saint John the Evangelist The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved (27 December), and the Feast of the Holy Innocents (28 December) seem untouched by any liturgical reforms. These are very powerful feasts—I believe they once possessed octaves—and I believe they could sometimes “overpower” a Sunday feast. The rules for octaves in the olden days are extremely complex. These feasts are sometimes referred to as a single entity as: Comites Christi (“Companions of Christ”). This is just a guess, but there seems to be a triple significance: STEPHEN martyred after Christ lived, JOHN was a martyr who knew Christ personally, and the HOLY INNOCENTS were martyred before Christ’s birth.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

There is a lack of that kind of organization which favors mature judgment. Move on, move on, get it out. Schemata are multiplied without ever arriving at a considered form. The system of discussion is bad … Often the schemata arrive just before the discussions. Sometimes, and in important matters, such as the new anaphoras, the schema was distributed the evening before the discussion was to take place … Father Bugnini has only one interest: press ahead and finish.

— Cardinal Antonelli (Peritus during the Second Vatican Council)

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