Practical new features and changes

The changes to the new Roman Missal are not limited to the Lord’s Prayer. Most of the changes to the text, which will become mandatory from next Easter Sunday (April 4, 2021) but may already be used, concern the priest’s formulas, which will take some getting used to.
No changes have been made to the parts recited by the congregation, except in the Gloria, the Lord’s Prayer and the Confiteor, where some words have been changed.
The third Italian edition of the Roman Missal essentially retains the structure of the previous edition. It opens with a general presentation by the Italian Episcopal Conference containing insights, suggestions and guidance on various liturgical and pastoral aspects. These include the possibility of praying the Lord’s Prayer with outstretched arms and the prohibition against using recorded music and inserting announcements and devotional prayers after Communion (see the section: “Clarifications”). Here are all the new features.

THE INTRODUCTORY RITES AND THE GLORIA
Already in the introductory rites, we should get used to a plural verb: “siano.” We will no longer hear “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all,” but “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all,” using the plural form.
The penitential act has also been revised with an “inclusive” addition: alongside the word “brothers” there will be “sisters.” Thus we will say: “I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters…” Then: “And I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, the angels, the saints, and you, my brothers and sisters…”
The term “sisters” is also inserted into other prayers in which the Celebrant previously said only “brothers.”
Another important new feature concerns the penitential act. The Italian “Signore, pietà” and “Cristo, pietà” are no longer provided; instead, the formulas in Greek, “Kýrie, eléison” and “Christe, éleison,” are also used by the congregation.
In the Gloria, the new text provides the words “And peace on earth to people, loved by the Lord” instead of “And peace on earth to people of good will” (in Latin, “et in terra pax homínibus bonae voluntátis”). Although the Latin clearly speaks of “good will,” the change is due to a better translation of the original Greek text (as was already done in the new translation of the 2008 CEI Bible). In fact, the Gloria formula is taken from the Gospel of Luke, originally written in Greek (Lk 2:14, the angels’ song after Jesus’ birth). In this way, the source is followed rather than merely translating the Latin version literally.

THE LORD’S PRAYER
After much discussion, the new translation of the Latin phrase “et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem” at the end of the Lord’s Prayer is now well known. We will no longer say “Do not lead us into temptation” but “Do not abandon us to temptation.” This is the translation approved by the CEI in the 2008 Bible translation. After lengthy debates and discussions, the bishops finally approved this solution and introduced it into the Eucharistic liturgy. This is not a literal translation of the Greek text (which indicates “to lead toward” and therefore “to lead into”), but rather a departure motivated by pastoral and theological needs. In the words of Pope Francis, “we must exclude the idea that God is the one responsible for the temptations that beset human beings on their journey.” There is another change in the Lord’s Prayer, this time due to a correct translation of the Latin version: the addition of the conjunction “also” in the phrase “As we also forgive those who trespass against us” (as in the Spanish and French versions).

PREFACES AND EUCHARISTIC PRAYERS
After the prayer over the offerings, while washing his hands, the priest quietly says, “Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin,” instead of “Wash me, Lord, from all my iniquity, and cleanse me from every sin.”
There are six new prefaces: one for martyrs, two for pastors, two for doctors of the Church (which may also be used for women doctors of the Church, for whom specific texts had previously been lacking), and one for the feast of Mary Magdalene.
In the account of the institution of the Eucharist, “Offering himself freely to his passion” becomes “Giving himself willingly to his passion.”
In the consecration, the wording is “Giving himself willingly to his passion,” and in the intercession “the whole priestly order” is replaced with “the presbyters and deacons.”
In Eucharistic Prayer I of Reconciliation, we read “He took the chalice filled with the fruit of the vine” instead of “He took the chalice of wine and once again gave thanks.”
Eucharistic Prayer II, one of the most widely used, also includes changes. After the Sanctus, the priest will say with his arms outstretched: “You are indeed Holy, O Father, the fount of all holiness.” He will continue: “Make holy these gifts, we pray, by the dew of your Spirit.” This replaces the previous wording: “Father, you are indeed Holy, the fount of all holiness, make holy these gifts by the dew of your Spirit.” The Missal has incorporated - reformulating and improving the text - Eucharistic Prayer V in its four forms, and the two Eucharistic Prayers of Reconciliation.
The celebrant’s invitation at the sign of peace - which will be omitted during this period because of the pandemic - also changes slightly. We will no longer hear “Exchange a sign of peace” but “Exchange the gift of peace.”
The invitation to Communion changes the order of the sentences: no longer “Blessed are those invited… Behold the Lamb of God…” but “Behold the Lamb of God… Blessed are those invited…,” in keeping with the Latin text.
For the conclusion of Mass, the new formula is provided: “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.” However, the bishops also allow the people to be dismissed with the traditional Latin words: Ite, Missa est.
These are the most interesting and easily identifiable new features that the faithful find in Eucharistic celebrations since the new Roman Missal was adopted.

OTHER NEW FEATURES
The third Italian edition of the Missal should not be understood as a new liturgical text, but as the normal evolution of the Missal of Paul VI, issued after the Second Vatican Council (Latin editions: 1970, 1975, 2000/2008), correcting and supplementing it on the basis of liturgical use and experience.
At first glance, there are no radical changes; nevertheless, an improvement should be recognized in the recovery of certain expressions and in the language used.
• Regarding the Proper of the liturgical year, there are some significant additions. First of all, vigil Masses have been inserted for the Epiphany and the Ascension.
• An interesting addition is the prayer over the people for Lent. This is a traditional element of the Roman liturgy, appearing in the formularies for Lent as part of the concluding rites. The purpose of the prayer is to implore God’s blessing upon the congregation, so much so that the prayer is commonly also understood and named as a “blessing” in the proper sense.
In this regard, terms are used that emphasize the duration or continuity of the blessing requested; therefore, as a final prayer, it extends beyond the concrete celebration, reaching into the Christian’s concrete experience, the daily course of their life, and the concrete needs for which God’s blessing and help are necessary.
• Another new feature concerns singing. The third Italian edition has chosen to insert the music directly into the text of the Missal for certain parts of the Proper of the Mass. This is not merely an editorial matter, but reflects a precise concern of the Missal. Indeed, the CEI Presentation states: “Aware that singing is not a mere ornamental element but a necessary and integral part of the solemn liturgy (…) it was decided to insert into the body of the text some melodies based on the Gregorian formulas found in the 1983 Italian edition of the Roman Missal, adapting them to the new texts (Presentation, 3).
• In the third edition of the Missal, we also find a “terminological improvement” of considerable importance, both ecclesiologically and from a liturgical-theological perspective. In place of the old title “Mass without the people,” we find the new “Mass at which only one minister participates”: in this way, it is emphasized that “the assembly of the faithful is always and in every possible form not only the integral subject of the celebration but also its proper purpose, which no one may alter in any way.”
• Finally, let us not forget the choice of inclusive language in various texts. For example, in the penitential act (as mentioned above), and in the celebrant’s invitation after the presentation of the gifts, where it will say: “Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable…” Similarly, in the remembrance of the dead in the Eucharistic Prayers, the expression “brothers and sisters” has been introduced. This also applies to other texts, such as the blessing of the ashes on Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the procession on Palm Sunday. Although in Italian no one thinks that saying “brothers” excludes women, it is nevertheless significant that this change has been introduced into the liturgical texts, emphasizing the importance of understanding ourselves as an assembly of “brothers and sisters.”

FIDELITY TO THE LITURGICAL TEXT
In the presentation of the new Missal, the Italian bishops invite pastors to study the text carefully in order to learn “the art of evangelizing and celebrating,” and they remind every presbyter of the responsibility and fidelity owed to the newly published liturgical text, so that they do not distance themselves from the authority and communion of the Church. The principle of fidelity, “which is expressed in a living sense of obedience, commits each minister not to remove or add anything on their own initiative in liturgical matters.” Indeed, “the superficial tendency to construct a liturgy according to one’s own measure, ignoring the liturgical norms, not only undermines the truth of the celebration but also wounds ecclesial communion.”

The new Roman Missal is a great gift: it represents a renewal and an encouragement to explore and study it, not only for all priests but also, and above all, for the laity!