The Annunciation in 2012
Posted by universalis on 15 April 2011
25 March 2012 falls on a Sunday. The Solemnity of the Annunciation is consequently celebrated on the following day, 26 March, just as it was in 2007. This is in accordance with the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, §5:
Because of its special importance, the Sunday celebration gives way only to solemnities or feasts of the Lord. The Sundays of the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter, however, take precedence over all solemnities and feasts of the Lord. Solemnities occurring on these Sundays are transferred to the following Monday except in the case of their occurrence on Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) or on Easter Sunday.
You will find a number of web sites that move the Annunciation to 24 March instead. This is because the Norms were revised relatively recently, and the earlier version of the Norms moved the Annunciation to the previous Saturday instead of the following Monday. Many liturgical books date from before then, and many web sites, including some diocesan ones, reproduce the text of the Norms in their earlier version.
For those who want the Latin text (as included in the Third Edition edition of the Roman Missal, published in 2002), here it is:
Propter suum peculiare momentum, dominica suam cedit celebrationem solummodo sollemnitatibus necnon festis Domini; dominicae vero Adventus, Quadragesimae et Paschae super omnia festa Domini et super omnes sollemnitates praecedentiam habent. Sollemnitates autem in his dominicis occurrentes ad feriam secundam sequentem transferuntur, nisi agatur de occurrentia in Dominica in Palmis aut in Dominica Resurrectionis Domini.
The only exception to these rules is in the case of the Solemnity of St Joseph. The first edition of the Norms moves it to the day before; the second edition moves it to the day after except that if it is not a holy day of obligation, the bishops may move it anywhere outside Lent; the third edition moves it to the day after unless it falls on Palm Sunday itself, in which case it is moved to the day before, but if it is not a holy day of obligation, the bishops may move it anywhere outside Lent.
7 Responses to “The Annunciation in 2012”
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Electric Prayer 
Preben Pedersen said
Sir,
If the general norm for moving The Annunciation, in case march 25 is a Sunday in lent, was revised, from Saturday march 24 to Monday March 26, in 1985, can you please tell me, who revised that general norm, and where. I wonder why that general norm is not yet revised in the english translation of The General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the calendar as well.
Respectfully, Preben
universalis said
Probably it’s best to ask the Congregation for Divine Worship, who have ultimate responsibility for these things and will know the exact history and the other details you ask for.
Preben Pedersen said
The norm of moving the annunciation from march 25, to march 26, and not to march 24, was lawfully changed in 2000/2002 with the lawfully third Latin edition of the roman missal. That third Latin edition is now being prepared in an English translation to be released later in 2011. Because the actual Latin version of the missal is always the actual norm, you are absolutely right about the date of the annunciation in 2012.
María said
hello, is there any page that displayed the praises of the days you want to watch?. Spanish to English translation of google translator lol thank you very much
María said
what page there is of lauds?
universalis said
This page will give you Lauds for today. It changes daily. You can view Lauds for up to a week ahead: there are links at the bottom of the page I have given you.
María said
if yes, thank you.