Washington D.C., Jun 19, 2011 / 15:55 pm
Diocesan bishops will be allowed to gradually introduce the musical settings for Mass parts from the new Roman Missal beginning in September, Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans announced June 16.
“I ask you to encourage this as a means of preparing our people and helping them embrace the new translation,” Archbishop Aymond told the bishops during their Spring Assembly near Seattle.
This announcement primarily affects the “Gloria,” the “Holy, Holy, Holy” and the “Memorial Acclamations” of the liturgy. The change will allow parish communities to learn the various parts of the new translation “in a timely fashion and an even pace.”
The bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, which Archbishop Aymond chairs, made the decision in response to several bishops’ requests to allow early preparation ahead of the full-scale implementation scheduled for Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent.