Proclamation of the Birth of Christ facts for kids

The Proclamation of the Birth of Christ, also known as the Christmas Proclamation, is a special chant sung in the Catholic Church right before the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. It's like a historical timeline, listing important events from the past and counting down the years until the birth of Jesus Christ. Each part of the chant mentions how many years passed from a major event – either from history or the Bible – until the very first Christmas. The numbers get smaller and smaller as the chant gets closer to the moment Jesus was born.

When and How It's Used

This special chant comes from an old book called the Roman Martyrology, which lists saints and important dates. It helps people understand that Jesus' birth is part of a much bigger story of faith and history.

For a while, the Proclamation wasn't used as much after some changes in church services. However, Pope John Paul II brought it back for the Papal Christmas Midnight Mass in 1980. Since then, many other churches have also started using the Proclamation again during their Midnight Mass services on Christmas Eve. It's a way to connect the present celebration with the ancient past.

Changes in the Text

The original Proclamation is in Latin, which is the traditional language of the Roman Rite. Over time, as the official Latin text of the Roman Martyrology has been updated, the English translations of the Proclamation have also changed.

The chant lists many significant moments in history, counting the years from them until Jesus' birth. For example, it mentions:

• The creation of the world.
• The Great Flood.
• The time of Abraham, an important figure in faith.
• When Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt.
• When David became king.
• The founding of the city of Rome.
• The reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus.

All these events are mentioned to show how long humanity waited for the arrival of Jesus Christ, emphasizing that his birth was a planned and important event in history.

See also

• Exsultet
• Catholic liturgy
• Koliada