Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani QUESTION from Fr. Thomas Collins February 15, 2001 When do the directives of the GIMR become mandatory for the United States? The NCCB Committee on the Liturgy says they become effective the day the Latin edition of the new Sacramentary is published. However, I am being told by diocesan personnel(Richmond, VA) that we are not to implement them until all the indult applications by the NCCB are completed and approved by Rome.
However,I have not been able to find any such applications being made by the NCCB at its meeting this past November. Considering the numerous abuses that continue in our diocese, I am eager to have some solid back-up for implementing real reforms. Do the new directives assume the force of Church law on the day the new Sacramentary is published, or should we wait for another date somewhere in the obscure future?
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, O.L.S.M. on March 12, 2001 Dear Father:
To the best of my knowledge the Latin Edition has already been published and therefore enforcable. Also the English Edition study edition is available from the NCCB right now. Since it takes a while to produce a professionally published edition, the NCCB is providing unbound copies for $12.
Your bishop should be in the process of implimenting this now as far as I know.
However, from looking at the summary of the new GIRM provided on the NCCB website, I find almost nothing new. Most of the restrictions and portions of text that shore up abuses were already in force and have been in force for some time through the legally binding Notitiae and other official documents. The new GIRM seems to merely bring the various explanations and decisions about various aspects of the Mass that have been made over the years into the GIRM proper, but they were and are still binding even before the new GIRM.
If there is a dispute about the actual implimentation date, I would advise contacting the NCCB directly and ask them for confirmation on this.
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