Proclamation of the Birth of Christ

The Proclamation of the Birth of Christ, Kalenda Proclamation, or Christmas Proclamation, is a chant sung before the Christmas midnight mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. The Proclamation relates the history of the Jewish people leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ, placing the event in context of both secular and religious events.

History and use

The Christmas Proclamation is traditionally chanted during the Christmas midnight mass in the Roman Catholic Church. Originating from the Roman Martyrology, the proclamation attempts to place the birth of Christ "within the context of salvation history." While the proclamation had been removed during the liturgical reforms following Vatican II, Pope Saint John Paul II restored the usage of the Proclamation during the 1980 Papal Christmas midnight mass. Since then, many parishes re-instituted the Proclamation as well.

Translation comparison

As successive translations of the Roman Missal have been developed, the English text of the Proclamation has changed as well.

Modern Roman Catholic translation

The Twenty-fifth Day of December,

when ages beyond number had run their course from the creation of the world,

when God in the beginning created heaven and earth, and formed man in his own likeness;

when century upon century had passed since the Almighty set his bow in the clouds after the Great Flood, as a sign of covenant and peace;

in the twenty-first century since Abraham, our father in faith, came out of Ur of the Chaldees;

in the thirteenth century since the People of Israel were led by Moses in the Exodus from Egypt;

around the thousandth year since David was anointed King;

in the sixty-fifth week of the prophecy of Daniel;

in the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;

in the year seven hundred and fifty-two since the foundation of the City of Rome;

in the forty-second year of the reign of Caesar Octavian Augustus, the whole world being at peace,

Jesus, eternal God and Son of the eternal Father, desiring to consecrate the world by his most loving presence, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and when nine months had passed since his conception, was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem of Judah, and was made man:

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

Traditional Roman Catholic translation

The twenty-fifth day of December.

In the five thousand one hundred and ninety-ninth year of the creation of the world from the time when God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth;

the two thousand nine hundred and fifty-seventh year after the flood;

the two thousand and fifteenth year from the birth of Abraham;

the one thousand five hundred and tenth year from Moses and the going forth of the people of Israel from Egypt;

the one thousand and thirty-second year from David's being anointed king;

in the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel;

in the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;

the seven hundred and fifty-second year from the foundation of the city of Rome;

the forty second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus;

the whole world being at peace, in the sixth age of the world,

Jesus Christ the eternal God and Son of the eternal Father, desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming, being conceived by the Holy Spirit, and nine months having passed since his conception, was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary, being made flesh.

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

See also

• Exsultet
• Catholic liturgy

External links

• A side by side comparison of various English translations Retrieved on 2015-06-29
• The Kalenda Proclamation from the Vatican