Liturgy Update

Archdiocese of New YorkVol 11.3 - June 2024

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LITURGY UPDATE

Liturgical Memos

June 23:
Vigil of the Solemnity of SaintJohn the Baptist
On the evening of Sunday, June
23, the 12th Sunday in Ordinary
Time should be celebrated atscheduled parish Masses. At
other Masses, the prayers andreadings for the Vigil Mass of
the Nativity of Saint John the
Baptist may be used.
On that same evening, Evening
Prayer I of the Nativity of SaintJohn should be celebrated;
however, Evening Prayer II of the
12th Sunday may be prayed incommunity gatherings.
June 29:
Solemnity of Saints Peter andPaul
On Saturday evening, June 29th,
the texts for the 13th Sunday ofOrdinary Time should be used
at regularly scheduled parish
Masses. At other Masses, theSolemnity of Saints Peter andPa u l m a y b e c e l e b r a t e d .
Evening Prayer II of Saints Peterand Paul should be observed onJune 29th.
See the June 2017 edition of
Liturgy Update for additional
information on the selection of
liturgical texts on consecutive oroverlapping solemnities.

In December 2023, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of theFaith issued a reply to His Eminence, Cardinal Matteo Maria
Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna, in answer to several
questions concerning the preservations of ashes of thedeceased following cremation. The Dicastery’s response
centered on two issues: rstly, the possibility of providing fora sacred place for the commingled accumulation andpreservation of ashes of the baptized, and, secondly, whether
a family may be permitted to keep a portion of their family
member’s ashes in a place that is signi cant for the history ofthe deceased.
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The Care and Disposition ofCremated Remains

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In its reply, the Dicastery made reference to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s
recent Instruction on this same topic, Ad resurgendum cum Christo. In that 2016 document, theCongregation a rmed the 1963 ruling of the Holy See (Piam et Constantem) that, while “allnecessary measures must be taken to preserve the practice of reverently burying the faithfuldeparted,” cremation is not “opposed per se to the Christian religion.” Accordingly, thesacraments and funeral rites should not be denied to those who have asked that they becremated, under the condition that this choice has not been made through “a denial of Christian
dogmas.”During the intervening decades, the practice of cremation increased in many countries, including
the United States. In response to this development, the Congregation reiterated the constantteaching of the Church that the baptized truly participate in the life of the Risen Christ;
furthermore, at the time of the resurrection of the just, God will give incorruptible life to thebody and reunite it with the soul. This belief, the Congregation stated, is most ttingly expressed
through burial of the deceased, which shows the “great dignity of the human body as an integral
part of the human person whose body forms part of their identity” (Ad resurgendum cum Christo,
3). At the same time, the practice of cremation does not necessarily indicate a rejection of theChristian belief in the soul’s immortality or the resurrection of the body. As such, even though
the Church continues to prefer that bodies of the deceased be buried, cremation is notprohibited, “unless it is chosen for reasons contrary to Christian doctrine” (CIC, can. 1176 § 3).
The Congregation also noted that,similar to the requirements for the
disposition of the deceased body,ashes of the faithful should be laid torest in a sacred place (e.g., a cemetery,church, or chapel) that has been set
aside for this purpose and dedicatedby the ecclesiastical authority. This
preservation of ashes in a sacredlocation serves several complementary
ends: it “ensures that [the deceased]
are not excluded from the prayers andremembrance of their family or the Christian community. It prevents the faithful departed frombeing forgotten, or their remains from being shown a lack of respect, which eventuality ispossible, most especially once the immediately subsequent generation has too passed away. Also,
it prevents any un tting or superstitious practices” (Ad resurgendum cum Christo, 5). For thesesame reasons, it is not appropriate to preserve ashes in a domestic residence, nor may ashes be
divided amongst family members, scattered in the air, land, or sea, or preserved in mementoes,
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pieces of jewelry, or other objects (Ad resurgendum cum Christo, 7). The Congregation stated that,while such observances are becoming increasingly popular, often for sentimental or cost-savings
reasons, they do not constitute permitted Catholic practices.
In its most recent December 2023 statement,
the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faithagain stressed that ashes of the deceased must
be kept in a sacred place. It also recalled thatthe resurrection of the body “does not imply
the recuperation of the identical particles ofthe matter that once formed the humanbeing’s body;” that is, “the resurrection canoccur even if the body has been totally
destroyed or dispersed.” The distribution ofholy relics of the saints is one practicalapplication of this principle.
With this in mind, the Dicastery o ered thefollowing guidance in its response:• A “de ned and permanent sacred place may be set aside for the commingled
accumulation and preservation of the ashes of deceased baptized persons.”
This practice, similar to what occurs in ossuaries, is frequently observed in Italy and other
European countries, where space for burials is limited.
• The ecclesiastical authority “may consider and evaluate a request by a family topreserve in an appropriate way a minimal part of the ashes of their relative in a place ofsigni cance for the history of the deceased person, provided that every type of
pantheistic, naturalistic, or nihilistic misunderstanding is ruled out and also provided
that the ashes of the deceased are kept in a sacred place."
Here, the Dicastery foresees the possibility of reserving a smaller portion of ashes in a sacredplace that is signi cant for the history of the deceased.
Following the publication of the Dicastery’s response, the USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine
issued a letter to the Catholic Cemetery Conference in April 2024, indicating that these two
accommodations address a particular pastoral situation in the Archdiocese of Bologna which is
not applicable to the context of the United States. As such, the Committee recommended that
the Congregation’s 2016 guidance concerning the preservation of ashes of the deceased in asacred place continue to be followed in this country.
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In parish ministry, clergy will sometimes learn from family and friends of their intention toreserve a portion of cremated remains apart from the primary place of interment. This provides apriest or deacon with the opportunity to o er catechesis on the usual manner of interring the
body or cremated remains in a sacred place and to discourage the practice of keeping portions ofashes in non-sacred places (e.g.,domestic residences, jewelry, etc.).
With clarity and pastoral sensitivity,
clergy should a rm the Church’s
belief concerning the resurrectionof the dead and the importance ofpraying for the deceased, an act thatis fostered by the interment of the
body or ashes in a public and sacredplace.
As the Order of Christian Funerals
states, the Church commends thesouls of the faithful departed “tothe mercy of God in the sure andcertain hope that all who have died with Christ will rise with him on the last day” (175). In
accordance with the apostolic faith of the Church, and through the care with which they treat
the mortal remains of the deceased, Christians profess their hope in the risen Christ as the“principle and source of our future resurrection” (Ad resurgendum cum Christo, 2).

Liturgical Preparation Aid for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
The Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions(FDLC) has published a liturgy preparation aid for the
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ(Corpus Christi). This preparation aid includes:• Universal Prayer and Music Suggestions for Mass
• Guidelines for Eucharistic Processions• Orders for the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament,
including Scripture and music suggestions during theperiod of exposition• Vocabulary and Frequently Asked Questions
This resource may be downloaded from the FDLC website
and distributed freely.
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Liturgical Q and A: Revised Archdiocesan Policy for Con rming Previously Baptized
Catholics
Last December, the Vicar General’s O ce announced a change concerning the celebration ofCon rmation for previously baptized Catholics during the Easter season in the Archdiocese of
New York. The Liturgy O ce has received a number of questions concerning the details of therevised practice and the reasons for this shift. The following brief commentary outlines some of
the canonical underpinnings, liturgical theology, and pastoral motivations of the new policy:
It is the perennial tradition of the Church and the teaching of the Code of Canon Law
that the original and ordinary minister of Con rmation is the bishop. In some limited
cases, priests have been provided by the Code with the faculty to con rm, as inemergency situations, when baptizing an adult or child of catechetical age, and when
receiving a validly baptized adult or child of catechetical age into full communionwith the Church.
In the past, additional delegation was given
to priests in the Archdiocese of New Yorkduring the Easter season to con rm both
baptized Catholics who were nevercatechized and practicing Catholics who
were not yet confirmed, when thesecandidates had participated in the process
and catechesis of the RCIA or its equivalent.
In recent years, this special permission has
been given greater scrutiny, especially inlight of the canonical principle that thebishop is the ordinar y minister ofCon rmation. An added consideration isthat, for many Catholics, the only time
during their life that they will have an opportunity to personally interact with abishop is at their Con rmation. This encounter with a successor to the apostles who
has special care for the mission of the universal Church is an important milestone in
the faith journey of Catholics, and it should be preserved whenever possible. Given
these factors, a clari cation was made this year to minimize those number ofoccasions when Catholics would not be con rmed by a bishop.
Accordingly, the current procedure is as follows:

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Archdiocese of New YorkVol 11.3 - June 2024

Of ce of Liturgy• Baptized, uncatechized Catholic teens and adults who seek preparation for rst
communion and con rmation and who are enrolled in the catechumenal process
may, in individual cases and with delegation from the vicar general, be con rmed
and receive rst communion from a priest within the Eucharistic liturgy during theEaster season (c. 137 §3).
• Priests may not con rm previously baptized Catholics who have received their rst
holy communion. Moving forward, this will be reserved to bishops.
As these practices are implemented, and given that Con rmation celebrations ofadult Catholics will now take place more frequently in regional settings, parishes areencouraged to remember candidates for Con rmation at Mass during the Lenten andEaster seasons, especially in the homily and Prayers of the Faithful. By their receptionof a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, may these brothers and sisters in Christ bebound more intimately to the Church and led to defend the faith by word and deed as
fervent witnesses to the Risen Lord.

New Translations of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)/ Ritual de laIniciación Cristiana de Adultos (RICA) are Approved
In late February, the USCCB announced that the new translations of the ritual books Order ofChristian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) and Ritual de la Iniciación Cristiana de Adultos (RICA) werecon rmed. The revised English translation follows the principles of Liturgiam authenticam (2001),
while the Spanish text is similar to the 1990 US Spanish edition, with the correction of several
errors and inconsistencies. Both editions retain the identical arrangement and numbering as thecurrent USA editions.
The chapters in these new books have been slightly rearranged so that Part I (For theCatechumenate) is now marked as Chapter I, while the contents of Part II (For Particular
Circumstances), is listed as chapters 2-6 (formerly nos. 1-5), thus presenting the entire text as a
uni ed ritual book. Amongst the back matter, Appendix I contains combined rites, which arefrequently used in the United States, and Appendix II includes a collection of acclamations,
hymns, and chants. A newly revised and condensed set of National Statutes is presented at the
beginning of the text.
While the new editions do not substantially alter the liturgical practices to be followed when
preparing and initiating new Catholics, they do o er some helpful clari cations by using more
precise titles for various groups of persons in the initiation process. For example, the revised
texts translate the Latin term candidatus as “candidate” only when speaking of those who are
already baptized, while this same term is translated as “inquirers,” “catechumens,” or “the elect,”when referring to these distinct groups.

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Other new features in the revised translations include the addition of newly composed sample
introductions for use when celebrating the combined rites for the unbaptized and the baptized:
Dear f riends, this evening the
Church welcomes diverse groups ofpeople to the Sacraments ofInitiation. For each of these, we give
thanks and praise to God who has
led them by various paths to unity infaith. First, we welcome our elect:they will be initiated into theChristian faith tonight through the
SacramentsofBaptism,
Con rmation, and the Eucharist. We
will pray for them and they will
profess our faith, and they will
receive the gift of new life in Christ.
(no. 567)
Another sample text is given for
instructing the neophytes just prior totheir reception of their First Hol y
Communion:
Dear neophytes, (on this most sacrednight) you have been reborn by waterand the Holy Spirit, and will receive,
for the rst time, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. May the Body andBlood of Christ the Lord help you all to grow deeper in his friendship and incommunion with the entire Church; may it be your constant food for the journeyof life and a foretaste of the eternal banquet of heaven. Behold the Lamb of God…
(no. 243)
Finally, the combined rites for the Easter Vigil include the translation of several texts from the2011 revised English translation of the Roman Missal as well as those from the Order of BaptizingChildren (2020).
The revised OCIA–RICA may rst be used on the First Sunday of Advent, December 1, 2024,
and the mandatory implementation date has been set for Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025. The
revised National Statutes for the Christian Initiation of Adults also becomes e ective on December 1.
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Updated Archdiocesan Guidelines for the Insta ation and Maintenance of Pipe Organs
In April, the Liturgy O ce and archdiocesan Liturgical Music
Commission published an updated set of guidelines for the
installation and maintenance of pipe organs. Next to the church
building itself, a pipe organ is often one of a parish’s most valuableassets and the preeminent liturgical appointment in its patrimony.
When properly maintained, these instruments will give decades offaithful and reliable service to a parish community.
The newly revised and expanded document is intended to o er
helpful guidance to pastors and parish musicians on a number of
topics, including: the mechanics (action) of various types of pipeorgans, purchasing a new instrument, whether to repair or replace anaging instrument, preparing an annual budget for organ maintenance, and the use of electronic
instruments in lieu of a pipe organ.
The revised guidelines may be accessed and downloaded at the Liturgy O ce website. Parishes
are also encouraged to contact the O ce of Liturgy or members of the archdiocesan LiturgicalMusic Commission with questions or when seeking assistance with organ-related questions.

O ce of Liturgy
Father Matthew S. Ernest, S.T.D., Director
201 Seminary Avenue
Yonkers, New York 10704(914) 367-8177
liturgy@archny.org
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