Roman Missal - Editio Typica Tertia QUESTION from A. Basto on March 24, 2002 It came to my knowledge that the 3rd editio typica of the Roman Missal of Pope Paul VI has been published this week by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, with the approval of Pope John Paul II.
With regard to the new edition of the Missal, I have the following questions:
1. When will the new typical edition enter into force?
2. (a) Has the Vatican already set a deadline for the use of the previous (2nd) typical edition in Latin language?
(b) When will the use of the new 3rd typical edition become mandatory in the Latin language?
3. (a) Is there a deadline in place for the use of the second typical edition in the vernacular languages?
(b) When will the use of the new edition of the Missal become mandatory in all languages?
4. When the new edition of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani was published, it was said that it would only come into force together with the editio tipica tertia of the Roman Missal. Therefore, now that the Missal has been published, I ask:
(a) Has the new General Instruction entred into force?
(b) If the new GIRM is not yet in force, when will it enter into force?
(c) What GIRM will govern the Masses offered in the vernacular in accordance with the 2nd typical edition of the Missal after the new typical edition of the Missal becomes operational with regard to Masses offered in the Latin language - the new GIRM or the old one?
(d) And when the use of the new Missal becomes the only option in Latin, which GIRM will govern Masses in the vernacular?
I am very concerned with that because the 2nd edition of the Missal was published in Latin in 1975, but only in 1991 the portuguese language translation of the 1975 missal became operational in Brazil.
Until 1991, we used in Brazil the vernacular Missal of the first typical edition, issued in 1970.
I hope that we will not have to wait so long this time for the new vernacular edition. But who knows? So, I would like to know what are the precise rules to be followed during the transition, because it can be a long transition.
ANSWER by Mr. Jacob Slavek on April 2, 2002 Dear Mr. Basto,
Yes, the new Roman Missal is available, to see it go to the Vatican publisher at www.ixtmedia.com.
Card. Jorge Medina Estevez, prefect of the congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, said that since the new missal is available, it is now law, according to Catholic News Service.
There is no deadline for use of the old Missal, since the new missal replaces the old. Only the new missal is to be used, effective immediately.
Each bishops' conference has been told to begin work on translating the new missal. Once a translation is completed and approved by Rome, it is to replace the vernacular that is currently in use. Rome has set no deadline for this, and I suspect that for the English it will be quite some time. (years) Until then, our current English translation can continue to be used.
The new GIRM is in effect for all Masses in the Latin Rite worldwide effective immediately. If priests are unable to read the Latin, they must find some other way to familiarize themselves with the new instruction. There are PLENTY of resources available in English. I believe that an official English translation of the new GIRM will become available when the new translation of the missal becomes available.
This is a good time to point out to my readers that from now on in this forum, when I refer to the GIRM I mean the new one, of which I will cease to refer to as new as I prefer to call it current. When quoting, I probably will reference both instructions for those that do not have the new.
Mr. Slavek
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