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.
Contents
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 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 the text of the Roman Martyrology has been updated, the English text of the Proclamation has changed as well.