D
Dorothy
Guest
Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.
Actually, it wasn’t the bishop’s permissin to give, as Pope Benedict XVI had made this declaration:In this exceptional case it appears it was left up to the priests. It certainly was in our diocese where the bishop sent a letter saying that the priests had his permission to celebrate the Conversion of St. Paul if they wished and indicating which readings to use in each case.
The implication in the letter is that this was permitted because of Pope Benedict’s proclamation of the Year of St. Paul.
CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS
DECREE
granting a special faculty for the celebration of the Conversion of St Paul,
Apostle in the Jubilee Year bimillennium of his birth
The Apostle St Paul, who proclaimed the truth of Christ to the entire world and, after having been his persecutor, employed all means to announce the Good News to the peoples, committing himself with zeal for the unity and harmony of all Christians, has always been and is still now venerated by the faithful, especially in this particular Year, bimillennium of his birth, that the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI has willed to institute it as a special Jubilee Year.
Therefore, in force of the faculties attributed to this Congregation by the Supreme Pontiff, Benedict XVI, grants, in an extraordinary way, that next 25 January 2009, the Third Sunday “per annum”, the singular churches can celebrate a Mass according to the formula Conversion of St Paul, Apostle, as found in the Roman Missal. In this case, the Second Reading of the Mass is taken from the Roman Lectionary for the Third Sunday “per annum”, and the Creed is recited.
This concession, by special mandate of the Supreme Pontiff, is valid only for the Year 2009.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary.
OCP didn’t print the option for the readings for the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. I was greatly disappointed with my parish (and a few others down here) who went ahead with the 3rd Sunday in Ordinal time. It is very rare that the Holy See grants permission to substitute something that is not a solemnity and allows it to be celebrated on a Sunday.From the Congregation for Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 25 January 2008, on the feast of the Conversion of St Paul, Apostle.
Ok, perhaps he was relaying that information and I misread or perhaps the message in the fax wasn’t clear but, in any case, until the fax came 2 weeks ago we hadn’t heard this. I’m surprised though because I’m usually on the CCCB website at least once a week and hadn’t seen anything there.Actually, it wasn’t the bishop’s permissin to give, as Pope Benedict XVI had made this declaration:
I am happy that you got to read, as the reading is a beautiful one.We celebrated the Conversion of St Paul. Our regular lector was not there so Deacon asked if I would do the readings. I readily accepted, although I have only done the readings a few times.
The readings had been photocopied and were not in the regular lectionary.
The first one was a long one, too…!