"Ritual Editions" are complete or excerpted editions of the vernacular translations of the Latin editiones typicæ which have been duly approved for liturgical use in the dioceses of the United States of America and the territories they are responsible for by the USCCB and confirmed by the Apostolic See. These are books or excerpts from books which are intended for use by the celebrant or ministers in the celebration of Mass, the sacraments, or other liturgical rites.
The Committee will determine how many and which publishers will be licensed for a specific ritual book, including the determination of when an exclusive license will be granted for a specific text. In this case, the Secretariat at the direction of the Committee will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to publishers with a documented history of experience in publishing ritual editions. The Committee will choose the licensee(s) from among the publishers submitting proposals. New publishers who wish to enter the ritual publishing field need to contact the Secretariat as indicated in no. 17 above for further requirements.
When new translations of liturgical texts are available and their confirmation for use in the United States is anticipated, the Committee will inform publishers and invite them to apply for a license to publish an approved edition. The projected contents, format, size, paper and binding material quality, number of copies to be printed, estimated selling price, and date of publication is to be submitted with the application. The Secretariat will sometimes request additional information needed from the publishers. Proposals will be reviewed by the Secretariat and the Committee and not shared with other publishers.
The Committee will provide licensed publishers with all necessary directives upon approval of the liturgical texts by the episcopal conference and confirmatio and/or recognitio by the Apostolic See.
No publisher may alter the approved text, prescribed arrangement, or required format in any way. The publisher is free to select typefaces, page and book design, graphic design, page breaks, heading color, art, etc., provided they are compatible with the purpose and use of the publication.
Publishers must submit for the examination of the Secretariat staff of the Committee a PDF copy of the complete manuscript of the proposed publication, allowing six to eight weeks for review. For some publication projects, either because of the size of the work or the number of editions being prepared, the Secretariat may indicate a start date for proof submissions and provide a specific timeline for reviews. After the incorporation of changes, corrections, and the like required by the Secretariat, a further set of proofs is to be submitted.
Final authorization to print will be given in digital form upon the submission of the final proof in which all changes have been incorporated. The Executive Director of the Secretariat will issue the publisher a formal written authorization to publish. Publishers are assured that the electronic copy will not be shared for any reason without the express written permission of the publisher.
After review of the text, the CCD (where applicable) and the USCCB will set royalty fees and communicate them to the publishers. Ritual editions will always require a royalty of 2% of the list price as required by the Apostolic See. Editions incorporating English-language texts produced and owned by ICEL will also require a license from ICEL.
For ritualeditions, "once the confirmatio and recognitio of the Apostolic See have been obtained, the liturgical book is promulgated by a decree signed by the President and the Secretary of the Episcopal Conference. This also applies in the case of a liturgical book translated into a language of only one area of the country.
"In the initial pages the printed liturgical book must reproduce the decrees of the Apostolic See and the Episcopal Conference in their language of promulgation, as well as the concordat cum originali of the President of the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy or, where this does not exist, of the President of the Conference itself, and the imprimatur according to the norm of law” (PSP, nos. 37-38).
In the decree of promulgation, the USCCB President, in collaboration with the Committee, will establish dates for first use and mandatory use for new ritual books. The Secretariat will advise publishers of the dates for first advertising and first shipment/sale.
An imprimatur is required for ritual editions (cf. CIC, cans. 826 and 838). The name of the Ordinary who gives his permission as well as the date and place in which it was given ought to appear in print.
Immediately upon printing and binding, and prior to distribution, five copies are to be sent to the Secretariat.
