Italians to hear more than 100,000 changes to Mass Scriptures

Published: 2007-11-13

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Italians listening to the Scriptures at Mass will no longer hear that it is impossible to serve "God and mammon," but rather that no one can serve both "God and wealth." On the feast of the Annunciation, the Gospel reading no longer will have the angel Gabriel greeting Mary with the words "Hail, full of grace," but rather with "Rejoice, full of grace." After five years of work and 15 drafts, the first volumes of Scripture readings for Masses in Italian have been approved by the Vatican and may be used in parishes beginning in December. The new lectionaries for Sundays and holy days -- one for each year of the three-year cycle of readings -- were presented Nov. 12 at a Vatican press conference. The bishops expect to complete the collection of readings for other Masses by the end of 2008 and use of the new translations will be obligatory beginning with Advent 2010.

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