Foreword to the Revised Edition By his Death and Resurrection, Christ has opened for us a wellspring of holiness and grace. This gift is made available to us in an especially powerful way in the Church’s Sacraments. The Sacraments of Initiation are those through which Christians receive birth, growth, and nourishment. Whether celebrated at Easter or at some other time of the year, these Sacraments provide the Church with new birth in Christ through water and the Holy Spirit. Following the mandate of the Second Vatican Council to reform the rites of baptizing adults into the Catholic Church, the Latin typical edition of the Ordo initiationis christianæ adultorum was issued in 1972, and its first interim English translation was used in the United States from 1974 to 1988. The experiences learned in that time prompted the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) to prepare a more thorough edition in 1985: the entire text was translated afresh, its contents were reorganized into a more pastorally useful order, texts from other liturgical books were introduced and cross-referenced, and one “Combined Rite” of the Easter Vigil celebration of both the Sacraments of Initiation and the Rite of Reception was added. To further enhance ICEL’s excellent work, the ritual and textual adaptations approved by the bishops of the United States were incorporated, and ten additional rites were added for use in this country. Over these last 30 years, the People of God have been well served by the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, which was implemented by the bishops of the United States in 1988. The rituals have helped countless men, women, and children come to know Jesus Christ in his Church as they progressed through the steps leading to Initiation. We are grateful for this increase and renewal, and are indebted to the numerous men and women who have dedicated themselves to assisting their pastors with this process. This new English translation, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, has been prepared in light of the principles of translation articulated in the Instruction Liturgiam authenticam. Approved by the bishops in 2021 and confirmed by the Holy See in 2024, this edition maintains the arrangement of the former English translation. The numbering is identical to the previous edition, and the U.S. adaptations previously approved have been retained. However, the translation has been updated and is consistent with the third edition of the Roman Missal and the current English translations of the Order of Baptism of Children and the Order of Confirmation.
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