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> > It still is a regular part of Easter, at least for adults who join > > the church. > > > Quite so; but its function has been restored by Vatican II. > Previously the Easter Vigil had dwindled to a shadow of its former > self, no doubt because of the increasing shortage of catechumens to > baptise. The ceremonies were put back into the afternoon of Holy > Saturday during the 10th century, and into Saturday morning during the > 14th. By this time they had become a formality performed by the > clergy, with minimal interest from the laity and no actual baptisms. > > Oriens. Correction, Oriens! Vatican II didn't restore the Easter Vigil. It was Pius XII who ordened the restauration of the Easter Vigil and some minor aspects of the Holy Week of the Roman Church. Already in 1958 the Easter Vigil as in the medieval and early christian times was practised again. Before that date the Easter Vigil was mostly - NOT ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE - done in the afternoon, as the service of that time finished with the vespers. Pius XII replaced it and the vespers at the end were replaced by the matines. The rite itself wans't changed, only one minor aspect. Vatican II brought deep changes so that the result was that the Roman Easter Vigil was completely distorted. The post Vatican II rite has almost nothing to do with the medieval rite as the Roman Church knowed until the sixties. It is sad to say, but it is the truth. S.V. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%