The General Instruction of the Roman Missal

Encourage fruitful celebration of the Mass among the faithful.

The Mass is the highest form of worship, vital to the Church and its faithful. Within the Mass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist is celebrated, allowing bread and wine to become the Body and Blood of Christ.

As the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian Faith, it is vital the clergy possesses a comprehensive understanding of the Mass, its order, and its norms. Furthermore, as leaders in the Church, this knowledge may be used to foster full and active participation among the faithful in the Eucharistic Celebration.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, excerpted from the Roman Missal, Third Edition, provides bishops, priests, deacons, and seminarians with the information and knowledge needed to fulfill their sacred duties.

This text provides guidance on:

• The importance of the Celebration of the Eucharist
• The structure and order of the Mass
• The norms for the distribution and reception of Holy Communion
• Universal norms on the liturgical year and General Roman Calendar
• And much more

Use this guide to gain greater understanding of the Mass and the Eucharist and inspire your flock to grow in reverence and conscious participation in the Liturgy.

Additionally, this new edition of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal features:

• A newly designed cover with beautiful sacred art
• Colored tabs with paragraph numbers at the top of each page for easy navigation
• Carefully designed pages to make each page readable, organized, and inviting
• An explanation of who the document was written for, where it comes from, and what purpose it seeks to serve in the mission of the Church
• The official text of this work written by the Vatican’s Dicastery of Evangelization

This edition is part of The Vatican Collection from Ascension, which features official documents from the Vatican previously published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).