Delivery of the new Roman Missal to Pope Francis

Vatican City. On 28 August 2020, at the end of the private audience granted in the Vatican to the President of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, the first copy of the new edition of the Roman Missal was given as a gift to Pope Francis.

Together with the President of the CEI, the Secretary General of the CEI, Bishop Stefano Russo, the President of the CEI Episcopal Commission for the liturgy, Bishop Claudio Maniago, Fr. Franco Magnani, outgoing director of the National Liturgical Office of the CEI and coordinator of the whole work, the incoming director, Fr. Mario Castellano, the artist Mimmo Paladino, who created the illustrations of the Missal, the printer Maggioni, a representative of the graphic studio, and Sister Elena Massimi, Daughter of Mary Help of Christians, who collaborated in the music section of the liturgical office of the CEI.

Sister Elena Massimi, Professor of Sacramental Theology at the Pontifical Faculty of the Science of Education “Auxilium”, coordinated and edited the work on the Melodies of the new Italian edition of the Roman Missal:

“It was a long journey, lasting 18 years. One of the novelties of the new Italian edition of the Missal is the importance given to singing in the Eucharistic celebration. In the body of the text of the Missal, in fact, some texts of the Rite of the Mass, the Easter Triduum, and other celebrations that are of particular importance have been set to music, the Appendix has been considerably enlarged, and within the CEI Presentation a number is entirely dedicated to singing in the liturgy.”

Pope Francis highlighted the importance of the renewal of the text, while maintaining continuity in the application of the Second Vatican Council, of which the Roman Missal of Paul VI is a fruit.

The Missal will be delivered in the coming weeks to the Italian Bishops and parishes and will become mandatory from Easter Sunday 2021.