The USCCB’s Divine Worship Secretariat has recently announced the forthcoming publication of the Misal Romano, Tercera Edición. This ritual text is the first Spanish-language Roman Missal to be approved specifically for use in the United States. The base text of this book is taken from the Misal Romano from Mexico. Included as well are the proper texts and adaptations for the (arch)dioceses of the United States. The mandatory implementation date for the US Misal Romano will be the First Sunday of Advent, December 2, 2018, and this book may begin to be used as of Pentecost Sunday, May 20, 2018.

Inasmuch as parishes within the Archdiocese may have been using a Spanish translation of the second typical edition of the Missale Romanum up to this time, several changes which appear in the third edition are worthy of mention:

  • The many greeting options at the beginning of Mass which had appeared in the previous Misal Romano will now be given in an appendix, rather than within the Ordinario de la Misa. As well, optional tropes for use within Penitential Rite C will be placed in an appendix.
  • The optional texts formerly given for the Orate fratres, the introduction of the Lord’s Prayer, and the invitation to exchange the Sign of Peace will no longer be included in the Ordinario de la Misa.
  • Several prefaces which had appeared in other Spanish Misals will not be present in the US version of this text. These include: Prefaces III and IV for Advent; Preface V for Lent; Preface after the Ascension; Prefaces IX and X in Ordinary Time; Prefaces for Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick; Preface for Angels; Preface for Saint Joseph; Preface II of Holy Martyrs; and, Common Prefaces VII and VIII.
  • Within the Eucharistic Prayers, the proper forms of the communicantes for Holy Thursday and the Solemnity of the Ascension will not appear in the revised Misal Romano. In Eucharistic Prayers II and III, particular intercessions will be provided only in the case of the celebration of Baptism and in Masses for the Dead. As in the current English translation of the Roman Missal, the Eucharistic Prayers for Children will not be included in the US Misal Romano.

In addition to these changes, some highlights of the new Misal Romano include the following features:

  • Publishers of the Misal Romano have been asked to arrange the text and music so that it matches the layout of the current English Roman Missal. This is intended to be of help to celebrants who may not be as familiar with the Spanish text.
  • In an effort to encourage the singing of the Ordinary of the Mass, the US Misal Romano will include more musical notation than any other Spanish-language Misal Romano currently used throughout the world.
  • The use of ustedes rather than vosotros, with the corresponding declinations of accompanying verbs, will be observed throughout the new text.
  • The phrase por ustedes y por muchos will appear in the Words of Institution.
  • The full endings of the presidential prayers (collects, prayers over the gifts, prayers after communion) will be given in each Mass formulary.
  • Orations for the patronal feasts of Latin American countries will be included in an appendix. As well, a proper preface for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe will appear in the Mass formulary for that day.

The USCCB’s Divine Worship Secretariat has announced that there will be two publishers of this ritual book: Catholic Book Publishing and Liturgical Press. These companies have indicated that the ritual edition of the Misal Romano will be available for purchase as of May 1, 2018. Orders for these books may be placed through ICS.

Lastly, the Liturgy Office and the Office of Hispanic Ministry will be co-hosting a series of workshops for both clergy and musicians on the new Misal Romano at Fordham University on Tuesday, June 12, from 1:00-8:00pm. These workshops will be led by representatives from the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC). More information regarding these workshops may be found on the FDLC’s website.

Read more about the music for the new Misal Romano here (y en español).