Officials of the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments presented the third typical edition of the Roman Missal. (The previous editions were issued in 1970 and 1975.) Highlights from the Italian-language presentation:

The new missal introduces names of saints from the universal calendar and new Masses in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary; approved Eucharistic Prayers of reconciliation, for various needs, and for children are inserted in an appendix; there are new possibilities for the distribution of Holy Communion under both species, according to the guidance of the diocesan bishop.

It's now the job of episcopal conferences to translate the new missal accurately in accord with Liturgiam authenticam. After an episcopal conference approves the translation, it falls to the Congregation to grant a recognitio before the translation can be used. Cardinal Medina Estevez emphasized that the new translations must be faithful.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, issued publicly in July 2000, has been revised in the past two years, and the definitive edition of the new GIRM is included in the new missal.

If episcopal conferences make adaptations to the new missal, they must be considered exceptional and made for the spiritual good of the faithful.

Saints added to the general Roman calendar since 1975 are now part of the missal. Optional memorials are St. Adalbert (April 23), St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort (April 28), St. Peter Julian Eymard (August 2), St. Peter Claver (September 9), and Ss. Lawrence Ruiz and companions (September 28). Obligatory memorials include St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe (August 14), Ss. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and companions (Sept. 20), and Ss. Andrew Dung-Lac and companions (Nov. 24).

"The Higher Authority has arranged the addition of eleven new celebrations"-- the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Jan. 3), St. Josephine Bakhita (Feb. 8), the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima (May 13), Ss. Christopher Magallanes and companions (May 21), St. Rita of Cascia (May 22), Ss. Augustine Zhao Rong and companions (July 9), St. Apollinaris (July 24), St. Sarbel Makhluf (July 24), St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (i.e., Edith Stein) (Aug. 9), the Most Holy Name of Mary (Sept. 12), and St. Catherine of Alexandria (Nov. 25).

Other additions: a new preface for martyrs, new options for prefaces of the common of the Blessed Virgin Mary (most taken from the typologically rich Collection of Masses in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Mass for the remission of sins (taken from the 1962 missal), a Mass to request continence (also taken from the 1962 missal), and three votive Masses of the Mercy of God.

New developments from the past three decades are included: each individual weekday of Advent now has distinct prayers; there is an option to say the Apostles Creed, an option presented as a restoration of a venerable Roman tradition; and each individual weekday of Easter now has distinct prayers, which come from "ancient sacramentaries, whose literary and theological quality is of the highest rank."

Other changes: the printed formulary of each Eucharistic Prayer will begin with the dialogue between priest and people (The Lord be with you ñ And with your spirit ñ Lift up your hearts, etc.); there is an enrichment of the prayers over the people (at the time of the final blessing) for the entire Lenten season, and many of these are from the 1962 missal "and other lofty ancient forms of the Sacramentary"; and there is an "extraordinary wealth" of Gregorian chant in the new missal, not relegated to an appendix, but in the Ordinary of the Mass.