Here’s the latest I can share about the Liturgy of the Hours:
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A new edition of the Liturgy of the Hours has received final approval from the Vatican, with publication expected by Easter 2027. The plan, announced by a U.S. bishops’ official, is that the first volume released will cover Lent and Easter, taking effect for Ash Wednesday in 2027. This marks a significant revision/translation effort to align more closely with Latin originals.
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Publishers for the new edition have been announced as Ascension and Word on Fire Publishing, with a multi-volume format in mind (a four-volume work). The project has been described as lengthy and complex, reflecting broad revision across translations and liturgical texts.
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This development follows a long, multi-year process; the revisions began around 2012, involving translation updates in light of broader liturgical reforms, and culminates in a decree of publication signed by church authorities at the diocesan/national conference level.
Context and how this affects practice:
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The Liturgy of the Hours remains the daily prayer of the Church and is encouraged for the lay faithful as the prayer of the whole people of God, though clergy have an obligation to pray it. The anticipated new English edition aims to reflect original Latin texts more accurately.
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In the U.S., the USCCB committees on Divine Worship have coordinated the process, including decisions about publishers and publication timing, which aligns with liturgical life ahead of Lent 2027.
If you’d like, I can:
- Pull a concise timeline of key milestones for the edition and list the expected release dates by volume.
- Summarize what changes are anticipated in the English translations (without the full text), and how parishes might prepare to adopt the new edition.
- Provide links to official announcements and reputable reporting related to the edition for further reading.
Sources
So when might people be able to actually buy new breviaries? I’m estimating that 2024 is the best-case scenario for a published edition. The current plan has the bishops’ final vote on translations in June of 2023. So I am optimistic that if we get an approval in six months or less from Rome, that perhaps by Advent of 2024, that new breviaries might actually be available. But that, again, is our best-case scenario, and any number of factors could delay the completion.
divineoffice.orgIn November 2012, the U.S. Bishops voted to revise the translation of the Liturgy of the Hours in light of the Roman Missal, Third Edition and the 2001 Vatic...
www.usccb.orgLiturgy of the Hours - Latest news
www.catholicnewsagency.com"We wanted a prayer book that would reflect who we are." Some congregations of women religious in the U.S. have their own versions of the Liturgy of the Hours — the daily prayer of the church.
www.globalsistersreport.orgBALTIMORE (OSV News) — The faithful can expect a new edition of the Liturgy of the Hours by Easter 2027, according to Bishop Steven J. Lopes, chairman of the U.S. Conference…
www.osvnews.comThe faithful can expect a new edition of the Liturgy of the Hours by Easter 2027, according to Bishop Steven J. Lopes, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Divine Worship who made the announcement Nov. 11, during the bishops' fall meeting.
catholicreview.org