Memo on Projecting and Reprinting Liturgical Texts

Projecting/Reprinting Texts Used in the Liturgy

 

The Liturgical and Biblical texts used in the celebration of the Mass and the other Sacraments are copyrighted. These copyrights are generally either owned or administered by the USCCB, the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD), or by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL- the group entrusted with translating the liturgical texts into English). Part of the reason for this copyright is so that the authorities in the Church have control over how these texts are used. There are times these texts are able to be reprinted freely, and there are times that a paid license is required. Some uses are not permitted at all.
When strict pandemic restrictions were in place, special permissions had been granted, but these no longer apply. Please make sure that your parish is handling copyrighted material correctly.

Projecting Texts onto a Screen/Wall

The current policy of the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship is that permission  is not granted to project readings and liturgical texts on screens during the liturgy. The bishops have the perspective that since so many people spend much of their time looking at screens, the Sacred Liturgy ought to be a prayerful break from that experience. The bishops also think that screens are a distraction from what is actually taking place in the liturgy (looking at a hymnal is optional, whereas a screen is bright and is designed to grab a person's attention, whether one needs it or not). Projecting other texts (e.g., song lyrics which are not official liturgical texts) will depend on the terms of the license agreement with the publisher/OneLicense/CCLI.

 

Reprinting texts from the Lectionary

If you are reprinting readings for one-time print use (Funerals, Confirmations, Weddings, a special feast day):

• No permission is required.
• The official liturgical text must be followed. All excerpts must be verbatim from the text, including capitalization and punctuation. The poetic structure of those readings written in verse (for example, Psalms, Wisdom, Isaiah, etc.) must be preserved in verse as printed. You do not have to preserve the 'sense-lines' as given for non-poetic readings.
• The appropriate acknowledgment must be printed either beneath the reading(s) or with the other acknowledgments:

Excerpts from the  Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

If you regularly (i.e., weekly) reprint the readings in a printed worship aid, bulletin, etc., or reprint the readings in a publication for more than one-time use (parish hymnal, seasonal booklet):

• A written agreement is required to reproduce the readings on a regular basis.
• A license may be requested by emailing the following information to [email protected]: Contact person, parish name, parish address, phone number, number of copies printed each week, proposed start date.
• The official liturgical text must be followed. All excerpts must be verbatim from the text, including capitalization and punctuation. The poetic structure of those readings written in verse (for example, Psalms, Wisdom, Isaiah, etc.) must be preserved in verse as printed.
• The appropriate acknowledgment must be printed either beneath the reading(s) or with the other acknowledgments (same as above).
• The same applies to texts provided digitally (give average number of downloads/views instead of copies printed).

Reprinting Liturgical Texts

If you reprint liturgical texts (anything copyrighted by ICEL) for one-time use:

• No royalties are charged, and no permission is required, granted that:
  • The publication is produced by the congregation/institution and not a professional publishing firm (it can be professionally printed).
  • The publication is not sold.
  • The appropriate ICEL copyright notice appears on the cover, inside cover, or title page. The copyright acknowledgment should include: the name of the ICEL text (e.g., The Roman Missal, Third Edition), the copyright symbol, year of publication, ICEL's corporate title (may be abbreviated), and the phrase 'all rights reserved'.
  • The official editions of the ICEL texts must be followed exactly.

If you reprint liturgical texts for more than one-time use (parish hymnal, seasonal booklet, etc.):

• No royalties are charged when produced by parishes, schools, or religious communities for their individual use, provided it is not sold.
• Permission must be obtained from ICEL (email [email protected]).