Toward a more faithful translation of the Holy Mass into English. (Part Two)

Mass appeal – U.S. bishops’ OK of liturgy translations represents major change
Catholic Online (http://www.catholic.org/)

In what would be the most significant changes to the liturgy since American Catholics began worshipping in English instead of Latin following the Second Vatican Council, the U.S. bishops approved a new English translation for the Mass by a wide margin after a short, but lively debate.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ vote came on the first day of the June 15-17, 2006, bi-annual gathering here.

The final 173-29 vote, more than the required two-thirds of the U.S. Catholic conference’s 254 Latin-rite bishops, meant that the changes will be forwarded to the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments for final approval before they would be authorized for usage in liturgies at the parish level.

The consideration of the Order of the Mass was “the most significant liturgical action to come before this body for many years," Bishop Donald Trautman, chairman of the conference's Committee on Liturgy, was quoted as saying.

The changes were sought in response to Vatican calls to review English-language Mass translations based on church rules issued in a 2001 instruction that require closer adherence to the original Latin text.

Mass translations were adopted in May 2006 by the bishops' conferences of Australia and of England and Wales.

The new translation alters the wording of key texts spoken by Catholics during worship, including the “Nicene Creed,” the “Gloria,” the penitential rite, the “Sanctus” and Communion.

Minor changes to the wording affect many portions of the Mass, including:
- The repeated exchanges between priest and congregation of "The Lord be with you"/"And also with you" would become "The Lord be with you"/"And with your spirit."

- The prayer before Communion of "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you" would become "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof."

- In the penitential rite, the prayer "I have sinned through my own fault" would change to "I have sinned greatly... through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault."

- The “Nicene Creed” beginning “We believe” would become "I believe."

- The “Sanctus” prayer "Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might" would begin "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts."

Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds, England, the chairman of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy which works with and represents the bishops’ conference of 11 English-speaking countries, told the bishops June 15 that now "we are teaching ourselves and our people to speak Bible."

Amen to that.

“Scriptural catechesis is central to liturgical catechesis,” he said. “In using a translation that is more faithful to sacred scripture we are teaching ourselves and our people to speak 'bible.'”

Bishop Roche said the work in preparing an English-language translated Mass after the Second Vatican Council “was rushed.”

At the time, he said, “the chief preoccupation in many minds was, of course, that the liturgy be brought closer to the people. This aim could, and sometimes did, obscure the other aim, which was to preserve and transmit our inherited liturgical tradition and bring our people closer to that.”
He added that the church is “at a very important moment.”

“If the bishops of the English-speaking countries can agree on a single version of the Mass,” Bishop Roche said, “what a sign of catholicity that will be. But more than that, it will be a guarantee of catholicity for the future, not only in our own time, and not only in our own countries.”

Amen to that.