San Antonio, Texas, Jun 18, 2009 / 16:07 pm
The U.S. Catholic Bishops voted today at their annual Spring meeting to approve a text for thanking God for the gift of human life.
The idea to have a Mass that celebrates the gift of life was first proposed by Cardinal John O'Connor almost 20 years ago. The text was drafted in 1992 and sent to the Vatican for approval, but a conclusive reply was never received.
The consensus for having such a text was revealed by today's vote on the “Mass in Thanksgiving for the Gift of Human Life”—183 bishops voted to approve it, 3 voted no and 3 abstained.
The bishops then voted to adopt with 179 bishops voting yes, 1 voting no and 1 abstaining.
Also approved was the Spanish-language Lectionary, or Leccionario, by a vote of 182 to 1. Approval on all liturgical items required two-thirds of the Latin bishops, or 163 votes, a press release from the USCCB says.
Due to the absence of some bishops, votes on approving certain sections of the new English translation of the Roman Missal were inconclusive. The final votes will be determined via mail ballots.