|
59. The purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify men, to build up
the body of Christ, and, finally, to give worship to God; because
they are signs they also instruct. They not only presuppose faith,
but by words and objects they also nourish, strengthen, and express
it; that is why they are called "sacraments of faith." They do
indeed impart grace, but, in addition, the very act of celebrating
them most effectively disposes the faithful to receive this grace in a
fruitful manner, to worship God duly, and to practice charity.
It is therefore of the highest importance that the faithful should
easily understand the sacramental signs, and should frequent with great
eagerness those sacraments which were instituted to nourish the
Christian life.
60. Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals.
These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments:
they signify effects, particularly of a spiritual kind, which are
obtained through the Church's intercession. By them men are disposed
to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in
life are rendered holy.
61. Thus, for well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy
of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event in
their lives; they are given access to the stream of divine grace which
flows from the paschal mystery of the passion, death, the resurrection
of Christ, the font from which all sacraments and sacramentals draw
their power. There is hardly any proper use of material things which
cannot thus be directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise
of God.
62. With the passage of time, however, there have crept into the
rites of the sacraments and sacramentals certain features which have
rendered their nature and purpose far from clear to the people of
today; hence some changes have become necessary to adapt them to the
needs of our own times. For this reason the sacred Council decrees as
follows concerning their revision.
63. Because of the use of the mother tongue in the administration of
the sacraments and sacramentals can often be of considerable help to the
people, this use is to be extended according to the following norms:
|
a) The vernacular language may be used in administering the sacraments
and sacramentals, according to the norm of Art. 36.
b) In harmony with the new edition of the Roman Ritual, particular
rituals shall be prepared without delay by the competent territorial
ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Art. 22, 2, of this
Constitution. These rituals, which are to be adapted, also as
regards the language employed, to the needs of the different regions,
are to be reviewed by the Apostolic See and then introduced into the
regions for which they have been prepared. But in drawing up these
rituals or particular collections of rites, the instructions prefixed
to the individual rites the Roman Ritual, whether they be pastoral
and rubrical or whether they have special social import, shall not be
omitted.
|
|
64. The catechumenate for adults, comprising several distinct
steps, is to be restored and to be taken into use at the discretion of
the local ordinary. By this, means the time of the catechumenate,
which is intended as a period of suitable instruction, may be
sanctified by sacred rites to be celebrated at successive intervals of
time.
65. In mission lands it is found that some of the peoples already
make use of initiation rites. Elements from these, when capable of
being adapted to Christian ritual, may be admitted along with those
already found in Christian tradition, according to the norm laid down
in Art. 37-40, of this Constitution.
66. Both the rites for the baptism of adults are to be revised: not
only the simpler rite, but also the more solemn one, which must take
into account the restored catechumenate. A special Mass "for the
conferring of baptism" is to be inserted into the Roman Missal.
67. The rite for the baptism of infants is to be revised, and it
should be adapted to the circumstance that those to be baptized are, in
fact, infants. The roles of parents and godparents, and also their
duties, should be brought out more clearly in the rite itself.
68. The baptismal rite should contain variants, to be used at the
discretion of the local ordinary, for occasions when a very large
number are to be baptized together. Moreover, a shorter rite is to be
drawn up, especially for mission lands, to be used by catechists, but
also by the faithful in general when there is danger of death, and
neither priest nor deacon is available.
69. In place of the rite called the "Order of supplying what was
omitted in the baptism of an infant," a new rite is to be drawn up.
This should manifest more fittingly and clearly that the infant,
baptized by the short rite, has already been received into the
Church.
And a new rite is to be drawn up for converts who have already been
validly baptized; it should indicate that they are now admitted to
communion with the Church.
70. Except during Eastertide, baptismal water may be blessed
within the rite of baptism itself by an approved shorter formula.
71. The rite of confirmation is to be revised and the intimate
connection which this sacrament has with the whole of Christian
initiation is to be more clearly set forth; for this reason it is
fitting for candidates to renew their baptismal promises just before
they are confirmed.
Confirmation may be given within the Mass when convenient; when it is
given outside the Mass, the rite that is used should be introduced by
a formula to be drawn up for this purpose.
72. The rite and formulas for the sacrament of penance are to be
revised so that they more clearly express both the nature and effect of
the sacrament.
73. "Extreme unction," which may also and more fittingly be
called "anointing of the sick," is not a sacrament for those only who
are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as any one of the faithful
begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting
time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived.
74. In addition to the separate rites for anointing of the sick and
for viaticum, a continuous rite shall be prepared according to which
the sick man is anointed after he has made his confession and before he
receives viaticum.
75. The number of the anointings is to be adapted to the occasion,
and the prayers which belong to the rite of anointing are to be revised
so as to correspond with the varying conditions of the sick who receive
the sacrament.
76. Both the ceremonies and texts of the ordination rites are to be
revised. The address given by the bishop at the beginning of each
ordination or consecration may be in the mother tongue.
When a bishop is consecrated, the laying of hands may be done by all
the bishops present.
77. The marriage rite now found in the Roman Ritual is to be
revised and enriched in such a way that the grace of the sacrament is
more clearly signified and the duties of the spouses are taught.
"If any regions are wont to use other praiseworthy customs and
ceremonies when celebrating the sacrament of matrimony, the sacred
Synod earnestly desires that these by all means be retained"
[41].
Moreover the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned
in Art. 22, 52, of this Constitution is free to draw up its own
rite suited to the usages of place and people, according to the
provision of Art. 63. But the rite must always conform to the law
that the priest assisting at the marriage must ask for and obtain the
consent of the contracting parties.
78. Matrimony is normally to be celebrated within the Mass, after
the reading of the gospel and the homily, and before "the prayer of
the faithful." The prayer for the bride, duly amended to remind both
spouses of their equal obligation to remain faithful to each other, may
be said in the mother tongue.
But if the sacrament of matrimony is celebrated apart from Mass, the
epistle and gospel from the nuptial Mass are to be read at the
beginning of the rite, and the blessing should always be given to the
spouses.
79. The sacramentals are to undergo a revision which takes into
account the primary principle of enabling the faithful to participate
intelligently, actively, and easily; the circumstances of our own
days must also be considered. When rituals are revised, as laid down
in Art. 63, new sacramentals may also be added as the need for
these becomes apparent.
Reserved blessings shall be very few; reservations shall be in favor
of bishops or ordinaries.
Let provision be made that some sacramentals, at least in special
circumstances and at the discretion of the ordinary, may be
administered by qualified lay persons.
80. The rite for the consecration of virgins at present found in the
Roman Pontifical is to be revised.
Moreover, a rite of religious profession and renewal of vows shall be
drawn up in order to achieve greater unity, sobriety, and dignity.
Apart from exceptions in particular law, this rite should be adopted
by those who make their profession or renewal of vows within the Mass.
Religious profession should preferably be made within the Mass.
81. The rite for the burial of the dead should express more clearly
the paschal character of Christian death, and should correspond more
closely to the circumstances and traditions found in various regions.
This holds good also for the liturgical color to be used.
82. The rite for the burial of infants is to be revised, and a
special Mass for the occasion should be provided.
|
|