On Blessings
Date: April 25, 2026
Author: Fr. Edward McNamara, LC
Qestion 1: Upon reading your older article on the use of the older Book of Blessings, I noticed the defense of using it depends on Summorum Pontificum. However, with this being abrogated by Traditionis Custodis, are clergy and laity in the U.S. now bound to the use of the Book of Blessings provided by the U.S. bishops’ conference? Specifically, I foresaw using the old blessing of salt and water (and the mixing of the two) for families, etc. Would this be allowed now? — K.K., Austin, Texas
Question 2: Are there any other options to use as liturgical texts for blessings besides the Book of Blessings? Because many of the blessings in the Book of Blessings do not include the Trinitarian blessing that people expect, it is tempting to use a translation of the older Roman Ritual. From my research, Pope Benedict XVI allowed use of that text. Pope Francis' documents do not allow celebrating the sacraments from that text, but I have been unable to find a satisfactory answer as if it is still allowed to use blessings from the old Roman Ritual. Any help with this would be appreciated. — E.B., Wasilla, Alaska
Answer: Effectively, any response that depended on Summorum Pontificum was correct at the time. Since the promulgation of Traditionis Custodis and the clarificatory documents that followed it, this is no longer necessarily the case since the law currently in force has changed.
This was clarified in the Response to a Doubt issued in November 2021 by the prefect of the Dicastery of Divine Worship with Pope Francis' approval. To wit:
"To the proposed question:
"Is it possible, according to the provisions of the Motu Proprio Traditionis custodes, [Articles 1 and 8] to celebrate the sacraments with the Rituale Romanum and the Pontificale Romanum which predate the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council?
"The answer is:
"Negative.
"The diocesan Bishop is authorized to grant permission to use only the Rituale Romanum (last editio typica 1952) and not the Pontificale Romanum which predate the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council. He may grant this permission only to those canonically erected personal parishes which, according to the provisions of the Motu Proprio Traditionis custodes, celebrate using the Missale Romanum of 1962.
"Explanatory note.
"The Motu Proprio Traditionis custodes intends to re-establish in the whole Church of the Roman Rite a single and identical prayer expressing its unity, according to the liturgical books promulgated by the Popes Saint Paul VI and Saint John Paul II, in conformity with the decrees of the Second Vatican Council and in line with the tradition of the Church.
"The diocesan Bishop, as the moderator, promoter and guardian of all liturgical life, must work to ensure that his diocese returns to a unitary form of celebration (cf. Pope Francis, Letter to the Bishops of the whole world that accompanies the Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio data Traditionis custodes).
"This Congregation, exercising the authority of the Holy See in matters within its competence (cf. Traditionis custodes, n. 7), affirms that, in order to make progress in the direction indicated by the Motu Proprio, it should not grant permission to use theRituale Romanum and the Pontificale Romanum which predate the liturgical reform, these are liturgical books which, like all previous norms, instructions, concessions and customs, have been abrogated (cf. Traditionis custodes, n. 8).
"After discernment the diocesan Bishop is authorized to grant permission to use only the Rituale Romanum (last editio typica 1952) and not the Pontificale Romanum which predate the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council. This permission is to be granted only to canonically erected personal parishes which, according to the provisions of the Motu Proprio Traditionis custodes, celebrate with the Missale Romanum of 1962. It should be remembered that the formula for the Sacrament of Confirmation was changed for the entire Latin Church by Saint Paul VI with the Apostolic Constitution Divinæ consortium naturæ (15 August 1971).
"This provision is intended to underline the need to clearly affirm the direction indicated by the Motu Proprio which sees in the liturgical books promulgated by the Saints Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, in conformity with the decrees of the Second Vatican Council, the unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite (cf. Traditionis custodes, n. 1).
"In implementing these provisions, care should be taken to accompany all those rooted in the previous form of celebration towards a full understanding of the value of the celebration in the ritual form given to us by the reform of the Second Vatican Council. This should take place through an appropriate formation that makes it possible to discover how the reformed liturgy is the witness to an unchanged faith, the expression of a renewed ecclesiology, and the primary source of spirituality for Christian life."
This would probably mean that, except for those parishes or institutes that are specifically dedicated to the exclusive use of the 1952 rites, there is no possibility of using this book in an officially ritual context.
One could quibble that the above document speaks about the celebration of sacraments but does not mention sacramentals such as blessings. However, it speaks about the use of the 1952 Roman Ritual which included both sacraments and blessings.
The Book of Blessings as a distinct official liturgical book appeared in Latin in 1984 with the first English language version approved in 1989.
Therefore, it would seem that, when imparting a blessing in an official liturgical context, either the 1984 Latin text or the vernacular translation should generally be used. If one is asked spontaneously for a blessing in an informal settings then other formulas, including those composed on the spot, may be used without the blessing losing its intrinsic liturgical character.
With respect to the signs to be used Nos. 25 to 27 of the General Introduction to the Book of Blessings explains the principal gestures:
"25. The purpose of the outward signs frequently accompanying prayer is above all is to bring to mind God’s saving acts, to express a relationship between the present celebration and the Church’s sacraments, and in this way to nurture the faith of those present and move them to take part in the rite attentively.
"26. The outward signs or gestures that are especially employed are: the outstretching, raising, or joining of the hands, the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, sprinklings with holy water, and incensation. ...
"26c. In keeping with an ancient tradition, the tracing of the sign of the cross also often accompanies a blessing. ...
“27. The outward signs of blessing, and particularly the sign of the cross, are in themselves forms of preaching the Gospel and of expressing faith. But to ensure active participation in the celebration and to guard against any danger of superstition, it is ordinarily not permissible to impart the blessing of any article or place merely through a sign of blessing and without either the word of God or any prayer being spoken."
Although the above General Introduction explicitly mentions the sign of the cross, many of the actual rites of blessing fail to indicate a moment when this sign is to be performed or if it to be omitted.
This caused, and continues to cause, confusion on the part of ministers and faithful.
To remedy this confusion, Cardinal Jorge Medina Estévez, the then prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, issued a decree in September 2002 that clarified the issue.
“A DECREE FOR THE CITY AND THE WORLD
“On always making use of the sign of the holy Cross in blessings
“Since, from the established usage, the liturgical custom has always been in force that in the rites of blessing the sign of the cross is employed by the celebrant tracing it with the right hand over the persons or things for whom mercy is implored, this Congregation for divine worship and the discipline of the sacraments, in order to dispel any doubts, has established that, even if the text of the part of the Roman ritual entitled ‘The Book of Blessings’ remains silent about the sign itself or lacks an express mention of the appropriate time for this action, nevertheless the sacred ministers should adopt the aforementioned sign of the cross as necessary when carrying out any blessing.
“Without a mention, however, the appropriate time should be regarded as when the text of the blessing uses the words blessing, to bless, or similar or, lacking these words, when the prayer of blessing itself is concluded.
“Anything to the contrary notwithstanding.
“From the office of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, on 14 September 2002, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
“Jorge A. card. MEDINA ESTEVEZ, Prefect. ✠ Francesco Pio Tamburrino, archbishop Secretary”
This decree, which unfortunately is not widely known, clarifies the gesture from a pastoral point of view and indicates a clear preference for always making a sign of the cross.
Therefore, to our second reader the answer is that he may always perform the Trinitarian gesture as indicated in the above decree, even while using the current Book of Blessings.
With respect to our first correspondent: It is true that the Book of Blessings does not include the blessing of salt as part of the rite for blessing holy water.
However, Appendix II of the Roman Missal contains a Rite for the Blessing and Sprinkling of Water. This rite contains the following rubric:
"Where the circumstances of the place or the custom of the people suggest that the mixing of salt be preserved in the blessing of water, the priest may may bless salt, saying:
"We humbly ask you, almighty God: be pleased in your faithful love to bless this + salt you have created, for it was you who commanded the prophet Elisha to cast salt into water, that impure water might be purified. Grant, O Lord, we pray, that, wherever this mixture of salt and water is sprinkled, every attack of the enemy may be repulsed and your Holy Spirit may be present to keep us safe at all times. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
"Then he pours the salt into the water, without saying anything."
The rubric in the Book of Blessings (No. 1390) states:
"But when the blessing of water takes place outside of Mass, the rite given here may be used by a priest or deacon. While maintaining the structure and chief elements of the rite, the celebrant should adapt the celebration to the circumstances of the place and people involved."
Hence, given this flexibility foreseen within the rite of blessing itself, I see no difficulty in combining the rite of blessing and mixing of salt found in the Roman Missal with that of Blessing of Holy Water outside of Mass found in the Book of Blessings.
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