Address to the National Meeting of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions

On October 4, 2000, Archbishop Oscar Lipscomb, chairman of the NCCB Committee on the Liturgy, addressed the National Meeting of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions in Orange, California. Each year, the national meeting is jointly sponsored by the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy and the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions.

There are many pleasures associated with being the chairman of the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy, not the least of which is the opportunity to address you, representatives of the dioceses of this country at the National Meeting of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions.

As directors of worship or chairs of your diocesan worship commissions, you serve as the primary liturgical advisor to your bishop. There is no more critical work, academic or pastoral, which a liturgist can perform in the liturgical reform. For your bishop, "the moderator, promoter and guardian of the entire liturgical life," (Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, no. 2) depends on you as his primary resource "for promoting the liturgical apostolate" (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 45) in your diocese.

Your ministry is therefore dependent on his and largely described by the responsibilities you help him to fulfill. As your bishop is called to be the chief teacher of the sacred mysteries, so you are called to develop an appreciation for the theological dimensions of Roman Catholic worship. As your bishop is responsible for promoting the faithful implementation of the liturgical books, so you are called to know those books in intimate detail. As your bishop is called to guard, enforce and interpret all the specifications of liturgical law, so you are called to demonstrate a careful expertise in all the details of liturgical canonical science.

As the liturgical celebrations at which he presides are to be the preeminent manifestations of the Church at prayer, so you are called to provide all the support, coordination and expertise necessary to effectively celebrate the sacred mysteries. Finally, as your bishop is called to foster a genuine interior grasp of the liturgy which leads to an active and fruitful participation in the liturgy, so you must provide the means whereby pastors and their collaborators can assist him in this essential task.

In short, your ministry is essential to your Bishop's implementation of the liturgical reform in your diocese. Even your presence here today is the result of the trust your bishop places in you as your representation of your diocese is largely dependent upon him.

Please know that Father Moroney and his staff, my closest collaborators in the work of the BCL, regularly assure me of the great gifts which you bring not only to your individual dioceses, but to the Church in this country as well. If the Holy Father was correct when he said that "the liturgical renewal is the most visible fruit of the whole work of the Council" (Vicesimus Quintus Annus, no. 12). he was describing your work and your successes over the past forty years.

Thus, I would exhort you: Do not let those who would abandon the liturgical reform or seek to reverse the great accomplishments you have helped to bring about discourage you or distract you from the important work at hand. Nor should you allow them to dictate the tenor or the agenda of the liturgical reform. The liturgical reform is first the work of the Bishops, and you are their primary advisors. Always cherish that role. Never be tempted to see yourself as a special interest group or resort to the uncharitable and misleading rhetoric of some of your detractors. Always remain men and women of the Church, loyal to the reformers who first set the path some forty years ago and to their successors who count you as their most trusted advisors.

Assuredly, we have all made some mistakes in the implementation of the vision of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council. But know that your mistakes and the mistakes of the liturgical reform are insignificant compared to the great good which you have brought to the Church in your diocese and in the United States as well.

As you serve your bishop, so the BCL is served by the Secretariat staff, led by your former chair, Father James Moroney. I am pleased to report that the BCL is about to receive a second gift from the FDLC as your most recent former chair, Father Ken Martin joins Mr. Dennis McManus as Associate Director of the BCL Secretariat. The only note of sadness here is the departure of Sister Ann Rehrauer, OSF who leaves the Secretariat to fulfill new academic and pastoral demands. Our sadness in her leaving is matched, may I say even surpassed, by our grateful recollection of the many projects she has so competently shepherded to completion, not the least of which is the soon to be completed revision of the NCCB statement on Catholic liturgical environment and art, most recently named, Built of Living Stones.

Another pleasure given to me by this opportunity is to thank Father Moroney and the BCL staff for the hard work, day in and day out, which they have placed at the service of the Committee on the Liturgy and so many of you. I have often said that there is no harder working group of individuals at the NCCB and indeed, no group so dedicated to serving you, me and the liturgical reform we all so love. I express to them the gratefulness of the entire Committee on the Liturgy before you, their colleagues and friends.

Throughout this past year, the Secretariat was directed to prepare a study translation of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, a document which will become the universal law of the Church upon its publication as a part of the Missale Romanum sometime in the first half of next year. While some have been critical of the Committee's decision to undertake such a study translation, I am convinced we have helped to clarify the meaning of a text which in a short time becomes the law of the Church. This translation, accomplished with the cooperation of ICEL and the collaboration of the Holy See, has provided a good first draft for ICEL to use in its completion of the Sacramentary. At the same time, it provides you and me with the opportunity to begin the catechesis so essential to the pastorally effective reception of this newest liturgical book.

Please know that the decisions made in regard to the study translation and the materials provided to you over the past few months in regard to the Institutio Generalis were made by the Committee on the Liturgy itself. Perhaps all the decisions made were not perfect—indeed, however much we may wish to be helpful, even the BCL seldom comes up with perfect plans, programs or processes. In particular, I regret whatever ways the actions or omissions of the Committee on the Liturgy have not enabled you to meet the pastoral demands resulting from the publication of the revised Institutio Generalis.

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In order to assist you in catechesis not only for the reception of the Institutio Generalis, but toward a greater understanding of Eucharistic celebration as a whole, the BCL has also received approval from the Holy See for its publication of the Pastoral Introduction for the Order of Mass. In the light of the Committee's intention to recommend a request for an indult allowing diocesan bishops to authorize the purification of vessels and consumption of the Precious Blood after the distribution of Holy Communion by Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, however, we have decided to postpone the publication of the Pastoral Introduction, probably until the beginning of the year.

Other resources for eucharistic catechesis have been provided by the Committee, including the full text of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, available for free download from our website and summaries of the most recent revisions to that document in English and Spanish. Two issues of the BCL Newsletter have likewise been devoted to this subject and, I am happy to report, a two hour workshop on the theological foundations of the Institutio Generalis is being developed for your use by Sr. Janet Baxendale, Father Kevin Irwin, Father Moroney and Mr. McManus. That workshop, complete with script and power point presentation, will be available for free download by your offices within the next few weeks.

As we await the imminent publication of the Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia, our desire for the USA English language edition of that book is all the more acute. While we have been informed by the Holy See that its review of the more than 4,000 pages of this manuscript is close to completion, I cannot yet tell you what the results of that review will be. It is my hope that such a report will make up the preponderance of my remarks to you next year at this time.

It is reassuring to report that we have been told that the second volume of the Lectionary for Mass will be confirmed by the Holy See in the very near future. Some six months later you can expect to see that book in print. Once the second volume has been used for a two year cycle, the Committee will begin a review of its effectiveness. A similar review, I would note, is planned for the ritual book Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest in the very near future.

There are so many other practical items I could address which are contained in your report. Allow me to mention just a few. Three publishers will make available some extraordinarily beautiful editions of the Book of the Gospels within the next two months. The new book contains the USA original introduction passed by your bishops last November and confirmed in record time this past spring.

Likewise, we are in the process of seeking publication of the Spanish language edition of the Order of Christian Funerals and a collection of the BCL newsletters at the end of this year. In this Jubilee year, we have made the decision not to publish the typical five year collection of BCL newsletters. Instead, we will issue a single hardcover volume containing all 35 years of the BCL newsletter, complete with a comprehensive index.

At its November meeting, BCL will propose three action items to the NCCB. In addition to the art and architecture document, Built of Living Stones, the Committee will propose that the Mexican Lectionary be used as the basis of all future Spanish language liturgical books for the United States and that the Lectionary for Masses with Children be commended in concept and revised as appropriate by a task group of the BCL. Please know that members of the FDLC, whose position statement was responsible for the original development of this book, will play an important role in its revision as well.

Finally, it is important to note that the Committee and its Secretariat devoted a great deal of time during this past year in assisting the International Commission on English in the Liturgy with the revision of its Constitutions. Our assistance included our coordination of an extraordinary gathering of the Presidents of English-speaking liturgical conferences in Washington D.C. last Spring. As you may know, ICEL accomplished a revision of its Constitution with the unanimous consent of its Episcopal Board earlier this summer and is now awaiting word from the Holy See.

Allow me to conclude with a final word of gratitude. First, to Father John Burton, who today celebrates the completion of his sixth day as chairman of your Board of Directors and Father Michael Spillane, your Executive Director. I am grateful for your hospitality and your work with the Board of Directors to support and implement the desires of your bishops through your encouragement of the Committee on the Liturgy and its Secretariat.

Through you may I thank your bishops as well? Over the past few months I have been gratified by the kind words of support for the work of the Committee I have received from many of your ordinaries, not to mention all the members of the Administrative Committee. They understand not only the intensity of the work accomplished by the Committee and its Secretariat,
but the pastoral sensitivity demonstrated in sometimes difficult times.

Please convey my thanks to them, for there is no more sure channel to say thank you for something liturgical to your bishop, than through you, his liturgist. May God bless you for your good work for the good of the Church and give us each the strength, the patience and the faith to do his will!

Thank you.


Twelve Questions on the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani and the Pastoral Introduction

1. Where did the revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal come from?
   
   The Institutio Generalis is published by the authority of Pope John Paul II, who approved the document on January 11, 2000. As the dicastery of the Holy See charged with all liturgical matters, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments published the Institutio. Under the leadership of its Prefect, Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez and Archbishop Secretary Francesco Pio Tamburrino, OSB, the Congregation is composed of 42 bishop members and assisted by 21 consultors. In addition, the Congregation makes use of a large number of liturgical specialists, theologians and other advisers throughout the world.
   
   
2. How long did the revision of the Missale Romanum take?
   
   Readers of the BCL Newsletter first learned of plans to revise the Missale Romanum, including the Institutio Generalis, when the July/August 1991 issue reported on a plenary meeting of the Congregation at which Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, a member of the Congregation, took an active role. After years of consultation and drafting, the Congregation published the revised Institutio earlier this summer in anticipation of the publication of the Missale Romanum expected sometime this Fall.
   
   
3. When does the revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal become law for the dioceses of the United States?
   The Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani (General Instruction) becomes the universal law of the Church upon its publication as a part of the Missale Romanum (in Latin). This publication is expected shortly after NCCB consideration of the revised Appendix to the General Instruction in June 2001.
   
   
4. What time line should be followed by dioceses in implementing the new Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani?
   Upon publication of the Missale Romanum, the Institutio becomes the universal law of the Church. While this date is set by the Holy See, it is reasonable to expect that careful catechesis on and implementation of the revised provisions of the Institutio will be undertaken by each diocesan bishop who "must foster, govern and watch over the liturgical life in his diocese" (IGMR, no. 387). Such catechesis, when properly planned and executed, may take some time. The completion of such catechesis may differ in each diocese as bishops seek to fulfill their primary task "to nourish the priests, the deacons and the faithful with the spirit of the sacred Liturgy" (IGMR, no. 387).
   
   
5. Is the "study translation" of the Institutio Generalis official?
   No. The study translation has been prepared to assist bishops and others in gaining a timely understanding of the revised Institutio Generalis. It is designed for study purposes only and will be replaced (probably sometime in 2001) with a more definitive version enjoying the approval of the NCCB and confirmation by the Holy See.
   
   
6. In the meantime, what is the "official text" ?
   The only "official text" at this time is the Latin text which may be downloaded from the NCCB website. At the same time, the Committee on the Liturgy, in close collaboration with officials of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, made every effort to assure the accuracy of the present translation.
   
   
7. Don't we have to wait for an official English translation before implementing the new Institutio Generalis?
   The effective date of the Institutio Generalis is not contingent upon its publication in English but its publication as a part of the editio typica latina. Needless to say, changes in euchology could not be implemented until an English language translation has been approved; changes in rubric, however, become the universal law of the Church upon the publication of the Missale Romanum in Latin.
   
   
8. What happens to the Appendix to the General Instruction found in the front of the current Sacramentary?
   In keeping with general principles on the revocation of law (CIC, no. 20), the Appendix to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal for the Dioceses of the United States of America (found in the front matter of the present Sacramentary) remains in effect, even with the publication of a revised Institutio. A review of these appendices will be conducted by the BCL at its November, 2000 meeting. Any suggestions for changes to the Appendix will then be considered by the NCCB at its June, 2001 meeting and will subsequently be submitted to the Holy See for the requisite confirmation.
   
   
9. What about the changes proposed in the revision of the Sacramentary several years ago?
   In the course of the revision of the translation of the Sacramentary, the NCCB approved a number of changes to the Order of Mass, including an optional location of the Sign of Peace before the Preparation of the Gifts and certain restructuring and renaming of portions of the Entrance Rites. These changes still await confirmation by the Holy See before becoming law.
   
   
10. What is the Pastoral Introduction to the Order of Mass?
    The Pastoral Introduction is a resource to assist those involved in the planning, preparation, celebration and catechesis of the liturgy in the dioceses of the United States. The Pastoral Introduction clarifies and systematizes material scattered throughout the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, rubrics of the Missal and other sources, providing concrete and pastorally helpful liturgical guidance.
    
    
11. What is the difference between the Pastoral Introduction to the Order of Mass and the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani (General Instruction of the Roman Missal)?
    The Institutio Generalis (General Instruction) is the universal law of the Church. The Pastoral Introduction is not law, but a commentary on the law provided as a popular pastoral tool for understanding the proper celebration of the Eucharist. The Pastoral Introduction presumes the General Instruction and is in no way intended to replace it. The Pastoral Introduction cannot be read apart from the General Instruction.
    
    
12. Has the Pastoral Introduction been approved for publication by Rome?
    Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, has called the Pastoral Introduction to the Order of Mass a "useful pastoral instrument for liturgical formation of the People of God" which addresses "appropriately and felicitously the specific ecclesial and pastoral context" of the United States of America. The Congregation has returned the Pastoral Introduction to the Order of Mass to the NCCB with minor revisions, most of which help to bring the text of the Pastoral Introduction into conformity with the recently published Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani. The NCCB Secretariat for the Liturgy hopes to have the Pastoral Introduction to the Order of Mass available soon after action is taken on proposed emendations to the Appendix by the NCCB in June 2001.

This November, the Latin rite bishops of the United States will consider a proposal from the Committee on the Liturgy to adopt a new document on church art and architecture entitled, Built of Living Stones. The document was written as a sequel to, and will serve as a replacement for, Environment and Art in Catholic Worship, the 1978 statement of the Bishops Committee on the Liturgy.

At the request of several bishops, a Task Group was established in 1996 to review EACW and to prepare a new document. The Task Group, composed of bishops, liturgists, theologians, artists and architects, completed its work in June 1999 and presented a final draft to the Committee on the Liturgy. The document, originally entitled, Domus Dei, was reviewed by the Committee and subsequently discussed by the U. S. bishops at their November, 1999 general meeting. In the ensuing months, the document has undergone several revisions in response to suggestions and critiques offered by bishops and numerous individuals and groups.

At a special meeting in August, 2000, the Committee on the Liturgy finalized the document in preparation for its presentation to the NCCB for discussion and vote at the November plenary session. Unlike the previous committee statement, Built of Living Stones will be voted upon by all the Latin rite bishops and will serve as national guidelines for church building and renovation in this country.

As they review the latest draft, readers will note a number of changes from the previous text. The title of the document has been changed and is rendered in English, drawing on the image of the Church in 1 Peter 2:4-6, "let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." The role and authority of the document is clearly stated in its introduction: Built of Living Stones is a series of guidelines approved by the Latin rite bishops of the United States to assist diocesan bishops in the building and renovation of churches. It replaces Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. Where the document quotes liturgical books, those norms are binding on all communities.

The new draft is somewhat shorter than previous drafts since the section on architectural history has been removed, the writing style has been streamlined, and much of the repetitive material has been removed. In some cases the tone is less directive, eliminating some of the "should" language. The needs of persons with disabilities are addressed in a specific section as well as in sections throughout the document which describe spaces that need to be accessible to disabled ministers and the entire community.

The chapters have been edited and rearranged. The first chapter contains the theological basis for all that follows and incorporates the liturgical principles originally found in chapter two. The second chapter on the liturgical and devotional spaces needed in a church has been shortened and reordered. The most notable revision in chapter two is the discussion on the place of reservation for the Blessed Sacrament. The current text reflects the provisions and language of the revised Institutio Generalis, which gives the diocesan bishop primary responsibility for the decision about the placement of the tabernacle. In the new Institutio there are two possible locations for the tabernacle: 1) within the body of the church (but not on the altar of sacrifice) or 2) in a separate chapel.

The new third chapter is the former chapter four which addresses the importance of the arts in worship. The final chapter deals with the practical work of building or renovating a place of worship, including the people who should be involved and the processes to be followed. It was the previous chapter three. A new section has been added to address special issues surrounding renovations and care for historical buildings.

The Committee on the Liturgy decided to include the full text of citations in the footnotes so that readers would have ready access to primary source material. The footnotes reflect the new content and numeration found in the revised Institutio Generalis issued last month.

If the document is approved in November, it will be published shortly thereafter. Initial plans are to produce a looseleaf format that would allow diocesan bishops to insert local provisions and guidelines for their own dioceses within the text itself.


June and August 2000 Meetings of the NCCB Committee on the Liturgy

The NCCB Committee on the Liturgy met on June 13-14, 2000 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in conjunction with the plenary meeting of the NCCB. Committee members and consultants were joined by the advisors for a two day meeting. A special one day meeting of the Committee took place on August 22, 2000 in Chicago's O'Hare Airport in order to complete items begun at the June meeting.

Both meetings included a discussion of the revision of the Constitution of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy by the ICEL Episcopal Board. The June discussion was in preparation for a consideration of the same topic by the plenary session of the NCCB.

The Committee first considered the Lectionary for Masses with Children (LMC) which was approved for use in the dioceses of the United States of America, by the members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in November, 1991 and was subsequently confirmed by the Apostolic See by decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on May 27, 1992 (Prot. N. 1259/91) for use during a period of three years. The Congregation granted several extensions of this permission in order that the NCCB might complete a thorough study of the LMC and its use before submitting a report. The most recent of these extensions was received in the form of a letter dated March 24, 2000 from Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez, Prefect of the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (Prot. N. 1372/96/L; Appendix II). In his letter, Cardinal Medina stated that the Bishops needed to "come to a position both on the issue of a Lectionary of this kind and on the suitability of the translation presently requested."

The Committee considered pastoral questions arising from the usage of the LMC on weekdays, Sundays and Solemnities in the light of a recent Survey on Pastoral and Liturgical Use of the LMC. During Spring 2000, the Secretariat sent a questionnaire to 375 persons randomly chosen from a list of purchasers of the LMC. The survey indicated that the LMC is often used with pre-adolescent children (90%) and most often on Sundays (61%). While about a third of the parishes use the LMC with the whole assembly, two-thirds regularly celebrate a separate Liturgy of the Word for children. The separate Liturgy of the Word for children is usually led by religious education personnel (38%) or other volunteers (35%). The model followed is often dominated by catechetical elements. Little awareness of the prohibition of the use of the LMC for the entire assembly on Christmas Day, Epiphany, Sundays of Lent, Easter Sunday, Ascension and Pentecost was indicated. The percentage of usage on Christmas and the Sundays of Lent (28%) was roughly the same as on the Sundays of Ordinary Time and Advent (30%). The LMC received a "helpfulness" rating of six on a scale of one to ten (0=not helpful, 10=very helpful). The suitability of the Contemporary English Version of the Scriptures upon which the present Lectionary is based was likewise discussed. Following a second consideration of these matters at its August, 2000 meeting, the Committee passed the following resolutions:

"The members of the Committee on the Liturgy endorse the concept of a Lectionary for Masses with Children and resolve to establish a task group in consultation with the Ad-Hoc Committee on Scripture Translation to address deficiencies of pastoral provision, translation or use in the present edition of this liturgical book within a period of eighteen months."

"The members of the Committee on the Liturgy recommend that the Latin Rite members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops endorse the concept of a Lectionary for Masses with Children and they do further resolve to complete a revision of the present liturgical book, including a response to the concerns of the Holy See, within a period of two years."

A major portion of the Committee's time was spent on reviewing the most recent draft of Built of Living Stones, a document on environment and art previously known by the working title, Domus Dei. The document was revised in the light of an open discussion at the November, 2000 meeting of the NCCB. The comments of thirty-two bishops delivered at the November, 1999 NCCB meeting were first considered alongside forty other written remarks from members of the Conference. Additional considerations were received from a questionnaire in the BCL Newsletter, on-line "hearing sessions" and other reviews of the document received by the Secretariat. The Committee considered a further revision of the document at its August, 2000 meeting for possible review by the full body of bishops in November, 2000. On August 22, 2000, the Committee approved the final draft of Built of Living Stones for presentation at the November plenary session of the NCCB as a statement of that body.

At its June, 2000 meeting, the BCL reviewed a Study Translation of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani in detail and approved it for publication. The study translation was the result of an action of the Committee at its March, 2000 meeting, directing the Secretariat to prepare a translation of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani for simultaneous publication with the Latin text.

The Committee approved a written response to the evaluation of the implementation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in the United States recently completed by an inter-departmental task group within the NCCB. The responses will be included in the full NCCB report. A report was given by Father Kenneth Martin, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions and Father Michael Spillane, Executive Director of the Federation. The 1999 National Meeting of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions was reviewed along with all position statements and resolutions of immediate concern passed at that meeting.

The Committee also reviewed a draft resource from the Secretariat for Education on Home Schooling and Sacramental Initiation and heard a report from Father Heliodoro Lucatero, President of the National Hispanic Institute for Liturgy. Finally, the Committee revised its policy on Electronic Publication of Liturgical Texts:

1. Types of Copyrighted Materials
   The approval of the Committee on the Liturgy is required for the U.S. publication of liturgical texts whose copyrights are variously held by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, the United States Catholic Conference (USCC) or the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD). The Committee likewise controls the use of copyright for many documentary and formational materials which it has produced and whose copyright is held by the USCC.
   
   
2. Publication of Liturgical Texts
   Publication of liturgical texts on CD-ROM, diskette media and the internet is approved on an ad hoc basis by the Secretariat for the Liturgy. The Secretariat is responsible for assuring that reasonable safeguards are included to preserve the integrity of the liturgical text as far as possible. All matters of licensure, fees and distribution of texts will be handled by the USCC Permissions Manager.
   
   
3. Publication of Documentary and Formational Materials
   Requests for the publication of documentary and formational materials on CD-ROM or internet will be determined by the Secretariat for the Liturgy on an ad-hoc basis. Special consideration will be given to publication on the BCL website of print editions of the Liturgy Documentary Series and Study Text Series which have gone out of print but retain a certain usefulness. All matters of licensure, fees, and distribution of texts will be handled by the USCC Permissions Manager.

Three new editions of the Book of the Gospels will be available shortly from publishers. All editions have gilt-edged pages. Samples of the typefaces in each book are available on the BCL website (www.nccbuscc.org).

The Liturgical Press edition of the Book of the Gospels is 9 3/4" x 13 3/4". This 576 page book is printed on 50 lb. white paper. A gold and silver foiled image of the cross ornaments the cover of classic red Sturdite, with cloth backing and four medallions representing the four evangelists, and symbols representing the People of God and the heavenly hosts. Price: $79.95 (800-858-5450).

Liturgy Training Publications is publishing an 11 1/4" x 17" edition of the Book of the Gospels. The 464 page book is printed on 70 lb. white paper and contains more than thirty full color illustrations. The cover is ornamented with several colored foil images of the evangelists stamped on a cotton-based fabric cover. The price is $195 (800-933-1800).

Midwest Theological Forum is publishing a 10" x 14" Book of the Gospels. This 592 page book is printed on 80 lb. cream paper and contains more than 150 full-color illustrations. The cover is of bonded leather with debossed images from the Book of Kells and the Vatican Library. The price is $250 (312-421-8135).

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