Source: http://www.clsadb.com/document/0c40812b-fd94-43cc-8adb-02c278de0074
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 14:24:22+00:00

Document:
CDW, Fourth Instruction for the Right Application of the Conciliar Constitution on the Liturgy, on Inculturation and the Roman Liturgy Varietates legitimate, 29 March 1994, AAS 87 (1995): 288-314.
1 Cf. 38; cf. also 40.
3 Cf. Vatican Council II, Orientalium Ecclesiarum 2; Sacrosanctum Concilium 3 and 4; Catechism of the Catholic Church 1200-1206, especially 1204-1206.
4 Cf. December 4, 1988, 16: AAS 81 (1989): 912.
put into effect, according to the law, such adaptations as are already foreseen in the liturgical books; to re-examine critically arrangements that have already been made; and if in certain cultures pastoral need requires that form of adaptation of the liturgy which the constitution calls “more profound” and at the same time considers “more difficult,” to make arrangements for putting it into effect in accordance with the law.
7 John Paul II, Ency. Slavorum apostoli, June 2, 1985, 21: AAS 77 (1985): 802-803; Discourse to the PC for Culture plenary assembly, January 17, 1987, AAS 79 (1987): 1204-1205.
8 John Paul II, Ency. Redemptoris missio, December 7, 1990, 52: AAS 83 (1991): 300.
9 Cf. ibid. and Synod of Bishops, Final Report Exeunte coetu secundo, December 7, 1985, D. 4.
11 Vatican Council II, Gaudium et spes 58.
13 Cf. John Paul II, Ap. Exhort. Catechesi tradendae, October 16, 1979, 53: AAS 71 (1979): 1319.
17 Cf. Pont. Biblical Comm., Foi et culture a la lumiere de la Bible, 1981; and International Theological Comm., Faith and Inculturation, 1988.
7. The situation is different in the countries with a long-standing Western Christian tradition, where the culture has already been penetrated for a longtime by the faith and the liturgy expressed in the Roman rite. That has helped the welcome given to liturgical reform in these countries, and the measures of adaptation envisaged in the liturgical books were considered, on the whole, sufficient to allow for legitimate local diversity (cf. below nos. 53-61). In some countries, however, where several cultures coexist, especially as a result of immigration, it is necessary to take account of the particular problems which this poses (cf. below 49).
8. It is necessary to be equally attentive to the progressive growth both in countries with a Christian tradition and in others of a culture marked by in difference or disinterest in religion.20 In the face of this situation, it is not so much a matter of inculturation, which assumes that there are pre-existent religious values and evangelizes them, but rather a matter of insisting on liturgical formation21 and finding the most suitable means to reach spirits and hearts.
The people of Israel throughout its history preserved the certain knowledge that it was the chosen people of God, the witness of his action and love in the midst of the nations. It took from neighboring peoples certain forms of worship, but its faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob subjected these borrowings to profound modifications, principally changes of significance, but also often changes in the form, as it incorporated these elements into its religious practice in order to celebrate the memory of God’s wonderful deeds in its history.
10. “The law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms” (cf. Lk 24:27 and 44) was a preparation for the coming of the Son of God upon earth. The Old Testament, comprising the life and culture of the people of Israel, is also the history of salvation.
20 Cf. Discourse to the PC for Culture 5; cf. also Vicesimus quintus annus 17.
21 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 19 and 35.
11. Christ, who wanted to share our human condition (cf. Heb 2:14), died for all in order to gather into unity the scattered children of God (cf. Jn 11:52). By his death he wanted to break down the wall of separation between mankind, to make Israel and the nations one people. By the power of his resurrection, he drew all people to himself and created out of them a single new man (cf. Eph 2:14-16; Jn12:32). In him a new world has been born (cf. 2 Cor 5:16-17), and everyone can become a new creature. In him, darkness has given place to light, promise became reality and all the religious aspirations of humanity found their fulfillment. By the offering that he made of his body, once for all (cf. Heb 10: 10), Christ Jesus brought about the fullness of worship in spirit and in truth in the renewal which he wished for his disciples (cf. Jn 4:23-24).
12. “In Christ ... the fullness of divine worship has come to us.”25 In him we have the high priest, taken from among men (cf. Heb 5:15; 10:19-21), put to death in the flesh, but brought to life in the spirit (cf. 1 Pt 3:18). As Christ and Lord, he has made out of the new people “a kingdom of priests for God his Father” (cf. Rev 1:6; 5:9-10).26 But before inaugurating by the shedding of his blood the paschal mystery,27 which constitutes the essential element of Christian worship,28 Christ wanted to institute the Eucharist, the memorial of his death and resurrection, until he comes again. Here is to be found the fundamental principle of Christian liturgy and the kernel of its ritual expression.
13. At the moment of his going to his Father, the risen Christ assures his disciples of his presence and sends them to proclaim the Gospel to the whole of creation, to make disciples of all nations and baptize them (cf. Mt 28:15; Mk 16:15; Acts 1:8). On the day of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit created a new community within the human race, uniting all in spite of the differences of language, which were a sign of division (cf. Acts 2:1-11). Henceforth, the wonders of God will be made known to people of every language and culture (cf.
22 Cf. Vatican Council II, Ad gentes 10.
23 Gaudium et spes 22.
24 St. Cyril of Alexandria, In Ioannem, I, 14: PG, 73, 162c.
26 Cf. Vatican Council II, Lumen gentium 10.
28 Cf. Paul VI, Ap. Letter Mysterii paschalis, February 14, 1969: AAS 61 (1969): 222-226.
Acts 10:44-48). Those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and united in fraternal communion (cf. Acts 2:42) are called from “every tribe, language, people and nation” (cf. Rev 5:9).
14. Faith in Christ offers to all nations the possibility of being beneficiaries of the promise and of sharing in the heritage of the people of the covenant (cf. Eph 3:6), without renouncing their culture. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, following the example of St. Peter (cf. Acts 10), St. Paul opened the doors of the Church, not keeping the Gospel within the restrictions of the Mosaic law, but keeping what he himself had received of the tradition which came from the Lord (cf. 1 Cor 11:23). Thus, from the beginning, the Church did not demand of converts who were uncircumcised “anything beyond what was necessary” according to the decision of the apostolic assembly of Jerusalem (cf. Acts 15:28).
15. In gathering together to break the bread on the first day of the week, which became the day of the Lord (cf. Acts 20:7; Rev 1: 10), the first Christian communities followed the command of Jesus who, in the context of the memorial of the Jewish Pasch, instituted the memorial of his passion. In continuity with the unique history of salvation, they spontaneously took the forms and texts of Jewish worship and adapted them to express the radical newness of Christian worship.29 Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, discernment was exercised between what could be kept and what was to be discarded of the Jewish heritage of worship.
29 Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1096.
31 Cf. Vatican Council II, Unitatis redintegratio 14-15.
32 Texts: cf. the sources of the prayers, the prefaces and the Eucharistic prayers of the Roman Missal; chants: for example, the antiphons for January 1, Baptism of the Lord, September 8, the Improperia of Good Friday, the hymns of the Liturgy of the Hours; gestures: for example the sprinkling of holy water, use of incense, genuflection, hands joined; rites: for example Palm Sunday procession, the adoration of the cross on Good Friday, the rogations.
mission territories,33 even if at certain periods a desire for liturgical uniformity obscured this fact.
In adhering to Christ by faith, the Jews remained faithful to the Old Testament, which led to Jesus, the Messiah of Israel; they knew that he had fulfilled the Mosaic alliance, as the mediator of the new and eternal covenant, sealed in his blood on the cross. They knew that, by his one perfect sacrifice, he is the authentic high priest and the definitive temple (cf. Heb 6-10), and the prescriptions of circumcision (cf. Gal 5:1-6), the Sabbath (cf. Mt 12:8 and similar),36 and the sacrifices of the temple(cf. Heb 10) became of only relative significance.
In a more radical way Christians coming from paganism had to renounce idols, myths, superstitions (cf. Acts 19:18-19; 1 Cor 10:14-22; 2:20-22; 1 Jn 5:21) when they adhered to Christ.
33 Cf. in the past St. Gregory the Great, “Letter to Mellitus”: Reg. XI, 59: CCL 140A, 961-962; John VIII, Bull Industriae tuae, June 26, 880: PL, 126, 904; Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, Instruction to the Apostolic Vicars of China and Indochina (1654): Collectanea S.C. de Propaganda Fide, I, 1, Rome, 1907, no. 135; Instruction Plane compertum, December 8, 1939: AAS 32 (1940): 24-26.
34 Lumen gentium 17; also 13.
35 Cf. Catechesi tradendae 52-53; Redemptoris missio 53-54; Catechism of the Catholic Church 1204-1206.
And so it will be for Christians of all times, as the words of St. Paul affirm: “We proclaim Christ crucified, scandal for the Jews, foolishness for the pagans” (1 Cor 1:23).
22. The nature of the liturgy is intimately linked up with the nature of the Church; indeed, it is above all in the liturgy that the nature of the Church is manifested.41 Now the Church has specific characteristics which distinguish it from every other assembly and community.
37 Cf. Vatican Council II, Dei verbum 14-16; Ordo lectionum Missae ed. typica altera, Praenotanda, 5: “It is the same mystery of Christ that the Church announces when she proclaims the Old and New Testament in the celebration of the liturgy. The New Testament is, indeed, hidden in the Old and, in the New the Old is revealed. Because Christ is the center and fullness of all Scripture, as also of the whole liturgical celebration”; Catechism of the Catholic Church 120-123, 128-130, 1093-1095.
38 Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1093-1096.
39 Vicesimus quintus annus 7.
40 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 5-7.
41 Cf. ibid. 2; Vicesimus quintus annus 9.
Because it is catholic, the Church overcomes the barriers which divide humanity: By baptism, all become children of God and form in Christ Jesus one people where “there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female” (Gal 3:28). Thus, the Church is called to gather all peoples, to speak the languages, to penetrate all cultures.
Finally, the Church is a pilgrim on the earth far from the Lord (cf. 2 Cor 5:6): she bears the marks of the present time in the sacraments and in her institutions, but is waiting in joyful hope for the coming of Jesus Christ (cf. Titus 2: 13).43 This is expressed in the prayers of petition: it shows that we are citizens of heaven (cf. Phil 3:20), at the same time attentive to the needs of mankind and of society (cf.1 Tim 2: 1-4).
42 Cf. Vatican Council II, Presbyterorum ordinis 2.
43 Cf. Lumen gentium 48; Sacrosanctum Concilium 2 and 8.
47 Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church 2585-2589.
48 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 7.
resurrection of Christ, while awaiting his coming in glory.49 Around this focal point, the paschal mystery is made present in different ways in the celebration of each of the sacraments.
25. The whole life of the liturgy gravitates in the first place around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the other sacraments given by Christ to his Church.50 The Church has the duty to transmit them carefully and faithfully to every generation. In virtue of its pastoral authority, the Church can make dispositions to provide for the good of the faithful, according to circumstances, times and places.51 But she has no power over the things which are directly related to the will of Christ and which constitute the unchangeable part of the liturgy.52 To break the link that the sacraments have with Christ, who instituted them, and with the very beginnings of the Church,53 would no longer be to inculturate them, but to empty them of their substance.
26. The Church of Christ is made present and signified in a given place and in a given time by the local or particular churches, which through the liturgy reveal the Church in her true nature.54 That is why every particular church must be united with the universal Church, not only in belief and sacramentals, but also in those practices received through the Church as part of the uninterrupted apostolic tradition.55 This includes, for example, daily prayer,56 sanctification of Sunday and the rhythm of the week, the celebration of Easter and the unfolding of the mystery of Christ throughout the liturgical year,57 the practice of penance and fasting,58 the sacraments of Christian initiation, the celebration of the memorial of the Lord and the relationship between the Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharistic liturgy, the forgiveness of sins, the ordained ministry, marriage and the anointing of the sick.
49 Cf. ibid. 6, 47, 56, 102 and 106; cf. Roman Missal, General Instruction, 1, 7 and 8.
50 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 6.
51 Cf. Council of Trent, session 21, chap. 2: Denz.-Schonm. 1728; Sacrosanctum Concilium 48ff. and 62ff.
52 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 21.
53 Cf. CDF, Inter insigniores, October 15, 1976: AAS 69 (1977): 107-108.
54 Cf. Lumen gentium 28; also 26.
55 Cf. St. Irenaeus, Against the Heresies, III, 2, 1-3; 3, 1-2: SCh, 211, 24-31; cf. St. Augustine, Letter to Januarius, 54, 1: PL 33, 200: “But regarding those other observances which we keep and all the world keeps, and which do not derive from Scripture but from tradition, we are given to understand that they have been ordained or recommended to be kept by the apostles themselves or by the plenary councils, whose authority is well founded in the Church”; cf. Redemptoris missio 53-54; cf. CDF, Letter to Bishops of the Catholic Church on Certain Aspects of the Church Understood as Communion, May 28, 1992, 7-10.
56 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 83.
57 Cf. ibid. 102, 106 and Appendix.
58 Cf. Paul VI, Ap. Const. Paenitemini, February 17, 1966: AAS 58 (1966): 177-198.
59 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 22; 26; 28; 40, 3 and 128; Code of Canon Law, c. 2 and passim.
60 Cf. Roman Missal, General Instruction, Prooemium 2; Paul VI, Discourse to the Consilium for the Application of the Const. on the Sacred Liturgy, October 13, 1966: AAS 58 (1966): 1146; October 14, 1968: AAS 60 (1968): 734.
61 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 22, 36, 40 44-46; cc. 447ff. and 838.
62 Cf. Redemptoris missio 53.
63 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 35 and 36; c. 825, §1.
65 Cf. ibid.; Catechesi tradendae 55.
faith continues to influence the culture is different from countries which were evangelized more recently or where the Gospel has not penetrated deeply into cultural values.66 Different again is the situation of a Church where Christians are a minority of the population. A more complex situation is found when the population has different languages and cultures. A precise evaluation of the situation is necessary in order to achieve satisfactory solutions.
30. To prepare an inculturation of the liturgy, episcopal conferences should call upon people who are competent both in the liturgical tradition of the Roman rite and in the appreciation of local cultural values. Preliminary studies of ahistorical, anthropological, exegetical and theological character are necessary. But these need to be examined in the light of the pastoral experience of the local clergy, especially those born in the country.67 The advice of “wise people” of the country, whose human wisdom is enriched by the light of the Gospel, would also be valuable. Liturgical inculturation should try to satisfy the needs of traditional culture68 and at the same time take account of the needs of those affected by an urban and industrial culture.
67 Cf. Ad gentes 16 and 17.
69 Sacrosanctum Concilium 22; cf. ibid. 39 and 40; cc. 447-448ff.
danger of introducing elements that might appear to the faithful as the return to a period before evangelization (cf. below no. 47).
In any case, if changes in rites or texts are judged to be necessary, they must be harmonized with the rest of the liturgical life and, before being put into practice, still more before being made mandatory, they should first be presented to the clergy and then to the faithful in such a way as to avoid the danger of troubling them without good reason (cf. below, nos. 46 and 69).
33. As particular churches, especially the young churches, deepen their understanding of the liturgical heritage they have received from the Roman Church which gave them birth, they will be able in turn to find in their own cultural heritage appropriate forms which can be integrated into the Roman rite where this is judged useful and necessary.
The liturgical formation of the faithful and the clergy, which is called for by the constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium,72 ought to help them to understand the meaning of the texts and the rites given in the present liturgical books. Often this will mean that elements which come from the tradition of the Roman rite do not have to be changed or suppressed.
biblical and traditional character of its structure and the particular way in which it is expressed (cf. above nos. 21-27).
Likewise concessions granted to one region cannot be extended to other regions without the necessary authorization, even if an episcopal conference considers that there are sufficient reasons for adopting such measures in its own area.
76 Cf. Vicesimus quintus annus 16.
78 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 22; c. 838, §§1 and 2; John Paul II, Ap. Const. Pastor bonus arts. 62, 64, §3: AAS 80 (1988): 876-877; Vicesimus quintus annus 19.
79 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 22 and cc. 447ff. and 838, §§1 and 3; Vicesimus quintus annus 20.
80 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 22, and c. 838, §§1 and 4; Vicesimus quintus annus 21.
81 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 22.
82 The situation is different when, in the liturgical books published after the constitution, the introductions and the rubrics envisaged adaptations and the possibility of leaving a choice to the pastoral sensitivity of the one presiding, for example, when it says “if it is opportune,” “in these or similar terms,” “also,” “according to circumstances,” “either ... or,” “if convenient,” “normally,” “the most suitable form can be chosen.” In making a choice, the celebrant should seek the good of the assembly, taking into account the spiritual preparation and mentality of the participants rather than his own preferences or the easiest solution. In celebrations for particular groups, other possibilities are available. Nonetheless, prudence and discretion are always called for in order to avoid the breaking up of the local church into little “churches” or “chapels” closed in upon themselves.
38. In an analysis of a liturgical action with a view to its inculturation, it is necessary to consider the traditional value of the elements of the action and in particular their biblical or patristic origin (cf. above nos. 21-26), because it is not sufficient to distinguish between what can be changed and what is unchangeable.
39. Language, as the principal means of communication between people, has the purpose in liturgical celebrations to announce to the faithful the good news of salvation83 and to express the Church’s prayer to the Lord. For this reason it must always express, along with the truths of the faith, the grandeur and holiness of the mysteries which are being celebrated.
Careful consideration, therefore, needs to be given to determine which elements in the language of the people can properly be introduced into liturgical celebrations, and in particular whether it is suitable or not to use expressions from non-Christian religions. It is just as important to take account of the different literary genres used in the liturgy: biblical texts, presidential prayers, psalmody, acclamations, refrains, responsories, hymns and litanies.
It is important to note that a text which is sung is more deeply engraved in the memory than when it is read, which means that it is necessary to be demanding about the biblical and liturgical inspiration and the literary quality of texts which are meant to be sung.
83 Cf. cc. 762-772, especially 769.
84 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 118; also 54: While allowing that “a suitable place be allotted to the language of the country” in the chants, “steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or sing together in Latin those parts of the ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them,” especially the Our Father. Cf. Roman Missal, General Instruction 19.
The gestures and postures of the assembly are signs of its unity and express its active participation and foster the spiritual attitude of the participants.89 Each culture will choose those gestures and bodily postures which express the attitude of humanity before God, giving them a Christian significance, having some relationship if possible, with the gestures and postures of the Bible.
42. Among some peoples, singing is instinctively accompanied by hand clapping, rhythmic swaying and dance movements on the part of the participants. Such forms of external expression can have a place in the liturgical actions of these peoples on condition that they are always the expression of true communal prayer of adoration, praise, offering and supplication, and not simply a performance.
43. The liturgical celebration is enriched by the presence of art, which helps the faithful to celebrate, meet God and pray. Art in the Church, which is made up of all peoples and nations, should enjoy the freedom of expression as long as it enhances the beauty of the buildings and liturgical rites, investing them with the respect and honor which is their due.90 The arts should also be truly significant in the life and tradition of the people.
The same applies to the shape, location and decoration of the altar,91 the place for the proclamation of the word of God92 and for baptism,93 all the liturgical furnishings, vessels, vestments and colors.94 Preference should be given to materials, forms and colors which are in use in the country.
88 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 33; c. 899, §2.
89 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 30.
90 Cf. ibid. 123-124; c. 1216.
91 Cf. Roman Missal, General Instruction 259-270; cc. 1235-1239, especially 1236.
92 Cf. Roman Missal, General Instruction 272.
93 Cf. De benedictionibus: Ordo benedictionis baptisterii seu fontis baptismalis 832-837.
94 Cf. Roman Missal, General Instruction 287-310.
95 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 125; Lumen gentium 67; c. 1188.
96 Council of Nicea II: DS 601; cf. St. Basil, “On the Holy Spirit,” XVIII, 45; SCh, 17, 194.
in their prayer and in their spiritual life by seeing works of art which attempt, according to the genius of the people, to express the divine mysteries.
45. Alongside liturgical celebrations and related to them, in some particular churches there are various manifestations of popular devotion. These were sometimes introduced by missionaries at the time of the initial evangelization, and they often develop according to local custom.
46. “Innovations should only be made when the good of the church genuinely and certainly requires them; care must be taken that any new forms adopted should in some way grow organically from forms already existing.”101 This norm was given in the constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium in relation to the restoration of the liturgy, and it also applies, in due measure, to the inculturation of the Roman rite. In this field changes need to be gradual and adequate explanation given in order to avoid the danger of rejection or simply an artificial grafting onto previous forms.
98 Cf. c. 839, §2.
99 Vicesimus quintus annus 18.
102 These texts can be used profitably in the homily because it is one of the tasks of the homily “ to show the points of convergence between revealed divine wisdom and noble human thought, seeking the truth by various paths.” John Paul II, Ap. Letter Dominicae cenae, February 24, 1980, 10: AAS 72 (1980): 137.
48. The constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium envisaged the admission of rites or gestures according to local custom into rituals of Christian initiation, marriage and funerals.103 This is a stage of inculturation, but there is also the danger that the truth of the Christian rite and the expression of the Christian faith could be easily diminished in the eyes of the faithful. Fidelity to traditional usages must be accompanied by purification and, if necessary, a break with the past. The same applies, for example, to the possibility of Christianizing pagan festivals or holy places, or to the priest using the signs of authority reserved to the heads of civil society or for the veneration of ancestors. In every case it is necessary to avoid any ambiguity. Obviously the Christian liturgy cannot accept magic rites, superstition, spiritism, vengeance or rites with a sexual connotation.
49. In a number of countries there are several cultures which coexist and sometimes influence each other in such a way as to lead gradually to the formation of a new culture, while at times they seek to affirm their proper identity or even oppose each other in order to stress their own existence. It can happen that customs may have little more than folkloric interest. The episcopal conference will examine each case individually with care: they should respect the riches of each culture and those who defend them, but they should not ignore or neglect a minority culture with which they are not familiar. They should weigh the risk of a Christian community becoming inward looking and also the use of inculturation for political ends. In those countries with a customary culture, account must also be taken of the extent to which modernization has affected the people.
50. Sometimes there are many languages in use in the one country, even though each one may be spoken only by a small group of persons or a single tribe. In such cases a balance must be found which respects the individual rights of these groups or tribes, but without carrying to extremes the localization of the liturgical celebrations. It is also sometimes possible that a country may be moving toward the use of a principal language.
103 Nos. 65, 77 and 81. Cf. Ordo initiationis christianae adultorum, Praenotanda 30-31, 79-81 and 88-89; Ordo celebrandi matrimonium, editio typica altera, Praenotanda, 41-44; Ordo exsequiarum, Praenotanda, 21-22.
and needs of different peoples, when it provided for a degree of adaptation in the liturgical books (cf. below nos. 53-61), and also when it envisaged the possibility of more profound adaptations in some circumstances, especially in mission countries (cf. below nos. 63-64).
53. The first significant measure of inculturation is the translation of liturgical books into the language of the people.105 The completion of translations and their revision, where necessary, should be effected according to the directives given by the Holy See on this subject.106 Different literary genres are to be respected, and the content of the texts of the Latin typical edition is to be preserved; at the same time the translations must be understandable to participants (cf. above no. 39), suitable for proclamation and singing, with appropriate responses and acclamations by the assembly.
All peoples, even the most primitive, have a religious language which is suitable for expressing prayer, but liturgical language has its own special characteristics: it is deeply impregnated by the Bible; certain words in current Latin use (memoria, sacramentum) took on a new meaning in the Christian faith. Certain Christian expressions can be transmitted from one language to another, as has happened in the past, for example in the case of ecclesia, evangelium, baptisma, and eucharistia.
Moreover, translators must be attentive to the relationship between the text and the liturgical action, aware of the needs of oral communication and sensitive to the literary qualities of the living language of the people. The qualities needed for liturgical translations are also required in the case of new compositions, when they are envisaged.
105 Cf. ibid. 36; 54 and 63.
106 Cf. Vicesimus quintus annus 20.
107 Cf. Paul VI, Ap. Const. Missale Romanum, April 3, 1969: AAS 61 (1969): 221.
108 Roman Missal, General Instruction 6; cf. also Ordo lectionum Missae, editio typica altera, Praenotanda, 111-118.
109 Roman Missal, General Instruction 22.
55. For the other sacraments and for sacramentals, the Latin typical edition of each ritual indicates the adaptations which pertain to the episcopal conferences120 or to individual bishops in particular circumstances.121 These adaptations concern texts, gestures and sometimes the ordering of the rite. When the typical edition gives alternative formulas, conferences of bishops can add other formulas of the same kind.
116 Cf. ibid. 263 and 288.
118 Cf. ibid. 304, 305, 308.
119 Cf. De Sacra Communione et de cultu mysterii Eucharistici extra Missam, Praenotanda 21.
120 Cf. Ordo initiationis christianae adultorum, Praenotanda Generalia 30-33; Praenotanda 12, 20, 47 and 64-65; Ordo 312; Appendix 12; Ordo baptismi parvulorum, Praenotanda 8 and 23-25; Ordo confirmationis, Praenotanda 11-12 and 16-17; De Sacra Communione et de cultu mysterii Eucharisticiextra Missam, Praenotanda 12; Ordo paenitentiae, Praenotanda 35b and 38; Ordo unctionis infirmorum eorumque pastoralis curae, Praenotanda 38-39; Ordo celebrandi Matrimonium, editio typica altera, Praenotanda 39-44; De ordinatione episcopi, presbyterorum et diaconorum, editio typica altera, Praenotanda 11; De benedictionibus, Praenotanda Generalia 39.
121 Cf. Ordo initiationis christianae adultorum, Praenotanda 66; Ordo baptismi parvulorum, Praenotanda 26; Ordo paenitentiae, Praenotanda 39; Ordo celebrandi matrimonium, editio typica altera, Praenotanda 36.
122 Ordo initiationis christianae adultorum et ordo baptismi parvulorum, Praenotanda Generalia 30.2.
123 Ibid. 31; cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 65.
remember, however, that the term “initiation” does not have the same meaning or designate the same reality when it is used of social rites of initiation among certain peoples or when it is contrary to the process of Christian initiation, which leads through the rites of the catechumenate to incorporation into Christ in the Church by means of the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist.
59. The blessing of persons, places or things touches the everyday life of the faithful and answers their immediate needs. They offer many possibilities for adaptation, for maintaining local customs and admitting popular usages.131 Episcopal conferences will be able to employ the foreseen dispositions and be attentive to the needs of the country.
124 Cf. cc. 1108 and 1112.
125 Sacrosanctum Concilium 77; Ordo celebrandi matrimonium, editio typica altera, Praenotanda 42.
126 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 77.
127 Cf. Ordo exsequiarum, Praenotanda 4.
128 Cf. ibid. 9 and 21.1-21.3.
130 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 81.
131 Cf. ibid. 79; De benedictionibus, Praenotanda Generalia 39; Ordo professionis religiosae, Praenotanda 12-15.
62. When an episcopal conference prepares its own edition of liturgical books, it decides about the translations and also the adaptations which are envisaged by the law.136 The acts of the conference, together with the final vote, are signed by the president and secretary of the conference and sent to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, along with two copies of the approved text.
a) A succinct and precise explanation of the reasons for the adaptations that have been introduced.
b) Indications as to which sections have been taken from other already approved liturgical books and which are newly composed.
After the recognition by the Apostolic See has been received according to the law,137 the episcopal conference promulgates the decree and determines the date when the new text comes into force.
132 Cf. Normae universales de anno liturgico et de calendario 49 and 55; CDW, Instruction Calendaria particularia, June 24, 1970: AAS 62 (1970): 349-370.
133 Cf. c. 1246, §2.
134 Cf. Normae universales de anno liturgico et de calendario 46.
135 Liturgy of the Hours, General Instruction 92, 162, 178 and 184.
136 Cf. cc. 455, §2 and 838, §3; that is also the case for a new edition, cf. Vicesimus quintus annus 20.
liturgy is needed, and this entails greater difficulties.”138 This is more than the sort of adaptations envisaged by the general instructions and the praenotanda of the liturgical books.
It presupposes that an episcopal conference has exhausted all the possibilities of adaptation offered by the liturgical books; that it has made an evaluation of the adaptations already introduced and maybe revised them before proceeding to more far-reaching adaptations.
The desirability or need for an adaptation of this sort can emerge in one of the areas mentioned above (cf. nos. 53-61) without the others being affected. Moreover, adaptations of this kind do not envisage a transformation of the Roman rite, but are made within the context of the Roman rite.
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is ready to receive the proposals of episcopal conferences and examine them, keeping in mind the good of the local churches concerned and the common good of the universal Church, and to assist the process of inculturation where it is desirable or necessary. It will do this in accordance with the principles laid down in this instruction (cf. above, nos. 33-51), and in a spirit of confident collaboration and shared responsibility.
65. The episcopal conference will examine what has to be modified in liturgical celebrations because of the traditions and mentality of peoples. It will ask the national or regional liturgical commission to study the matter and examine the different aspects of the elements of local culture and their eventual inclusion in the liturgical celebrations. The commission is to ensure that it receives the appropriate expert advice. It may be sometimes opportune to ask the advice of members of non-Christian religions about the religious or civil value of this or that element (cf. above nos. 30-32).
If the situation requires it, this preliminary examination will be made in collaboration with the episcopal conferences of neighboring countries or those with the same culture (cf. above nos. 33-51).
139 Cf. Cong. for Bishops, Directory on the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops, February 22, 1973, 84.
140 Cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 40.
66. The episcopal conference will present the proposal to the congregation before any experimentation takes place. The presentation should include a description of the innovations proposed, the reasons for their adoption, the criteria used, the times and places chosen for a preliminary experiment and an indication which groups will make it, and finally the acts of the discussion and the vote of the conference.
67. The episcopal conference will supervise the process of experimentation,142 normally with the help of the national or regional liturgical commission. The conference will also take care to ensure that the experimentation does not exceed the limits of time and place that were fixed. It will also ensure pastors and the faithful know about the limited and provisional nature of the experiment, and it will not give it publicity of a sort which could have an effect on the liturgical practice of the country. At the end of the period of experimentation, the episcopal conference will decide whether it matches up to the goal that was proposed or whether it needs revision, and it will communicate its conclusions to the congregation along with full information about the experiment.
68. After examining the dossier, the congregation will issue a decree giving its consent, possibly with some qualifications, so that the changes can be introduced into the territory covered by the episcopal conference.
69. The faithful, both lay people and clergy, should be well informed about the changes and prepared for their introduction into the liturgical celebrations. The changes are to be put into effect as circumstances require, with a transition period if this is appropriate (cf. above no. 61).
the substantial unity of the Roman rite, the unity of the whole Church and the integrity of the faith transmitted to the saints for all time (cf. Jude 3).
The present instruction was prepared by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, by order of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, who approved it and ordered that it be published.

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