Compendium on the Eucharist Update

One year ago I made a blog entry about a forthcoming Eucharistic Compendium which happens to be one of the most popular page for 'hits'. Catholic News Agency reports the following today:

Vatican City, Oct 21, 2009 / 01:38 pm (CNA).- Cardinal Antonio Canizares, Prefect of the Congregation for the Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, today officially presented Pope Benedict XVI with the “Compendium eucharisticum,” aimed at helping priests to properly celebrate Mass.

The compendium, which was officially published on October 19, is a collection of study materials, prayers and meditations related to the celebration of the Eucharist. According to Cardinal Canizares, it is “a response to the desire of the Holy Father and the request made by the bishops during the 2005 Synod on the Eucharist.”

According to the daily edition of L’Osservatore Romano, the document “puts together texts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, prayers, theological explanations of the Roman Missal’s Eucharistic prayers and everything that may be useful for the correct understanding, celebration and adoration of the Sacrament on the altar.”

L’Osservatore Romano also explained that the Pope’s desire is that the compendium will help both priests and laity in “believing, celebrating and increasingly living out the Eucharistic Mystery.” The Holy Father also hopes that it will stimulate “every faithful person to make of their own lives a spiritual worship,” the paper added.

I'll provide more information on availability as it is known.

Compendium on the Eucharist

10/2009 - UPDATED ENTRY CLICK HERE! COMPENDIUM IS COMPLETE!

In Sacramentum Caritatis, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI stated the following:

The usefulness of a Eucharistic Compendium

93. At the conclusion of these reflections, in which I have taken up a number of themes raised at the Synod, I also wish to accept the proposal which the Synod Fathers advanced as a means of helping the Christian people to believe, celebrate and live ever more fully the mystery of the Eucharist. The competent offices of the Roman Curia will publish a Compendium which will assemble texts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, prayers, explanations of the Eucharistic Prayers of the Roman Missal and other useful aids for a correct understanding, celebration and adoration of the Sacrament of the Altar . It is my hope that this book will help make the memorial of the Passover of the Lord increasingly the source and summit of the Church's life and mission. This will encourage each member of the faithful to make his or her life a true act of spiritual worship.

Well brothers and sisters in Christ, the Compendium on the Eucharist is nearly finished according to Cardinal Arinze. Stay tuned!

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EDITED TO ADD: March 25, 2009

This blog entry continues to be one of the most popular on +Catholic Ponderings+ several months after it was posted. There has been no new news on the compendium and I will be certain to make a new entry as soon as an update is available.