IMPORTANT Definitive text of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum published

Gianni Cardinale reports in today's issue of the semi-official daily of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Avvenire (transcript), that the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum has been finally published in the official gazette of the Holy See, the Acta Apostolicae Sedis (dated September 7, 2007, and including the official acts of the preceding months), with the following changes:

• A subtitle was given to the motu proprio: «De usu extraordinario antiquae formae Ritus Romani» ("On the extraordinary use of the ancient form of the Roman Rite");


• In article 1, the word «conditiones» was replaced with the more correct form «condiciones», with no change in meaning ("conditions");


• In article 3, the word «plerumque» was replaced with «habitualiter» (our translation remains "habitually");


• In article 5, § 1, «continenter» was replaced with «stabiliter», avoiding the notion that the group of faithful would have to be continuous in a certain parish - it only has to exist in a stable, but not necessarily in a permanent and continuous fashion;


• In article 7, «non potest» ("cannot")was replaced with «non vult» ("does not want"): «Art. 7 If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 § 1, has not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the pastor, they should inform the diocesan bishop. The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy their wishes. If he does not want to arrange for such celebration to take place, the matter should be referred to the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”.»

The Latin original text and our English translation, as well as our PDF Latin-English version in parallel columns, have been modified accordingly.