A few modifications have also been introduced, aimed at supporting the pastoral use of the book. For example, the 1988 English translation, like the Latin edition, uses the term “candidate” in a broad sense to refer to any person preparing to undergo a step in the process or to receive a Sacrament. To correspond better with common pastoral practice in this country, this edition now reserves that term for use only in reference to an already baptized person who is preparing to receive the other Sacraments of Initiation. In other instances, the term has been replaced with a suitable alternative, such as “inquirer” or “catechumen.” In addition, the Combined Rite for use at the Easter Vigil (Appendix I, 4) now includes examples of instructions for the celebrant’s use at nos. 567, 584, and 588. These admonitions help maintain the distinctions, often important from an ecumenical perspective, between the various categories of people who might be receiving the Sacraments: unbaptized adults, children and infants; validly baptized Christians being received into full communion; and validly baptized Catholics seeking Confirmation and Holy Communion. This new version of the Combined Rite also introduces material from the Order of Baptism of Children, which facilitates the Baptism of infants at the Easter Vigil, since both the Order of Baptism of Children and the Roman Missal make provision for this form of celebration. Finally, the National Statutes for the Christian Initiation of Adults, the norms which regulate the discipline of Christian Initiation as well as the duties and prerogatives of catechumens, have also been revised to better reflect the experience of the Church in the United States. These statutes, which abrogate the National Statutes of 1988, are fewer in number and include only those statutes which are truly legislative, complementary to the universal law, and unique to the United States. They do not reiterate norms already contained in the ritual text or the universal law. It is the hope of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that this new translation will be an occasion for each of us to live more deeply the promises of our own Baptism and to dedicate ourselves more intensely to the increase of God’s holy People. Steven J. Lopes Bishop of the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter Chairman, Committee on Divine Worship United States Conference of Catholic Bishops May 19, 2024 Pentecost Sunday
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzMzNzY=