THE GIRM
I read in the bulletin that the Sacred Worship Committee spent some time last year studying the new “GIRM”. What the heck is the GIRM??
G.I.R.M.
stands for “General Instruction of the Roman Missal”. (You may also see it called the IGRM for the
Latin, Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani.)
It is the introductory document, which prefaces the Roman Missal (or
Sacramentary as it is sometimes called), one the two liturgical books used for
the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the
The General Instruction or GIRM sets forth: (1) the historical context in which the Second Vatican Council mandated the revision of the Eucharistic Liturgy; (2) the theological orientation necessary to understand the Eucharist as the action of Christ within the community of His Church; (3) an extensive presentation of the various elements constituting the Eucharist and the rubrics governing its proper celebration. (Rubrics are the liturgical directives found in the Missal and other liturgical books which guide bishops, priests, deacons, acolytes, and others in the Eucharistic Sacrifice. The word comes from the Latin for “red” since these directions are printed in that color to distinguish them from the text of the prayers.)
The first
GIRM was published in 1970, revised in 1972 and further revised in 1975. After many years of preparation, a new
edition of the Missale Romanum was authorized by Pope John Paul II and was
published in the spring of 2001 (the English translation is pending). This long awaited revision of the Missal
includes a new edition of the GIRM. In
November of 2002, the Latin Church members of the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops approved an English translation of the Institutio Generalis
Missalis Romani. The
Though the GIRM has been revised there is little that is new in this instruction. Rather, this edition clarifies and emphasizes some gray areas of the past. This edition does remind us all of the importance and dignity of the Eucharistic celebration. It also reminds us that the Liturgy belongs to the Church, not to any particular celebrant or parish community. We cannot “ad lib” parts of the Mass to suit our particular desires.
Our review of the GIRM was a tremendous opportunity for us to revisit the requirements for the proper celebration of the Mass and to look for ways to make our celebration even more beautiful and dignified. For example, music is of great importance in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and as the GIRM states, “All other things being equal, Gregorian chant holds pride of place because it is proper to the Roman Liturgy”. Therefore, we will be introducing some Gregorian chant as the year goes on. The GIRM further states that “Since faithful from different countries come together ever more frequently, it is fitting that they know how to sing together at least some parts of the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin . . .” And so we will introduce some Latin “Mass Parts” during the course of this year as well. The parts of the Mass most commonly sung in Latin are the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy), the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), and the Pater Noster (Our Father). The Greek version of “Lord Have Mercy” or Kyrie is also widely sung. Of course the bulk of the Mass will remain in English. (Speaking as a Camaldolese Benedictine, I am very excited about the possibility of having these bits of monastic liturgical tradition brought to our parish!)
Hope that gives you some idea of what the GIRM is. If you ever have any questions about why we do the things we do during our celebration of the Liturgy, please feel free to ask Fr. Paul or me. We are always happy to address your questions.