Liturgical Notes to assist Canadian dioceses during the transition in the Holy See

Monday, February 25, 2013

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has issued Liturgical Notes to assist the Dioceses of Canada during the upcoming period of transition in the Holy See — from the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, 28 February 2013, during the vacancy of the See of Peter, and including the period immediately following the election of the new Pope. The Notes are issued with the approval of the CCCB President, the Most Reverend Richard Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton. They were developed by the English and French Sector National Liturgy Offices, in conjunction with the CCCB General Secretariat, and are based on the principles established by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. At the same time, each Diocesan Bishop may wish to issue specific directives for his Diocese during this period of transition. Parish priests, other members of the clergy, pastoral assistants and liturgy planners should check with their respective Diocese.

The English and French versions of the Liturgical Notes follow the same outline and structure, with each numbered item dealing with the same topic. However, each version differs on a number of specific details. A principal reason for this is because there is not yet an approved Ritual Lectionary for use in Canada. In addition, the English version of the Notes includes suggested prayers that families and individuals could use during this time of transition in the See of Peter; these suggestions are included in an appendix.

Link to the document (PDF)