This catechetical outline of Questions and Answers has been developed to assist the priests of the Diocese of Camden in their ministry of celebrating for the Church the mysteries of our faith. The implementation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal is also an occasion to call all parishes in the diocese to fully implement the vision of the Church in the celebration of the liturgy. The leadership of the pastor and the priests who assist him will be essential in implementing the directives for the celebration of the liturgy.
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy reminds us: “Yet it would be futile to entertain any hopes of realizing this (full and active participation of all the Baptized) unless, in the first place, the pastors themselves become thoroughly imbued with the spirit and power of the liturgy and make themselves its teachers.”
[The Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (hereinafter CSL) #14]
“…the nature of the ministerial priesthood also puts into its proper light another reality, which must indeed be highly regarded, namely, the royal priesthood of the faithful, whose spiritual sacrifice is brought to completeness through the ministry of the Bishop and the priests in union with the sacrifice of Christ, the one and only Mediator.” (GIRM #5)
Therefore, it is the objective of the Diocesan Office of Worship to support all priests in their efforts to implement the General Instruction and the other liturgical documents that further the renewal of the liturgy. Although this guide has been prepared as an outline of the General Instruction, all priests are encouraged to read the whole document.
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The English translation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (Third Typical Edition) © 2002, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder.