New Translation of the Mass
What is happening?
The words of the Mass are being given a new translation from the
Latin original into English and some of the wording that we say at
Mass will change. All
the English speaking Latin Rite Catholics in the world will be using
the same English translation. ICEL, the International Commission on
English in the Liturgy, made up of bishops from English speaking
countries around the world, is responsible for creating the new
translation.
Why are we talking about translation when the Mass is in English?
Although Catholics throughout the world usually celebrate Mass in
their native language (vernacular), the base text is in Latin. All
vernacular translations of the Mass are made from the Latin text.
When will this happen?
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has announced that the date of implementation of the new translation will be November 27, 2011, the First Sunday of Advent. For practical purposes, the first use of the new texts at Mass will occur at the Saturday evening Mass.
Is the Mass changing?
No. Neither the prayers nor the ceremonies of the Mass will change,
only the translation from the Latin.
What exactly is changing?
The prayers of the Mass that are always or usually the same are referred to as the Ordo Missae or Order of Mass. These include the Glory to God, the Profession of Faith (Creed) and the Holy, Holy, but also smaller prayers like “May the Lord accept the sacrifice…” and “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you…” There will be changes to many of these, both minor and important.
The
http://www.usccb.org/romanmissal/samples-people.shtml
In addition, the prayers that vary according to the day or type of celebration are being translated. These include the Opening Prayer (Collect), Prayer over the Offerings and the Prayer after Communion.
How will this work?
Great concern is shared by our bishops and all those involved in
liturgical ministry that everyone is prepared to receive and use the
new translation of the Mass, and to understand why it is necessary.
It can be frustrating to “go back to square one” and learn new
versions of the prayers we all know by heart
and have become part of the fabric of our lives.
It is hoped that an understanding of the many positive aspects of
the new translation, will not only ease the transition, but help
everyone savor what is frequently a more beautiful and effective
English translation.
Why do we need a new translation?
New Edition of the Roman Missal
A new edition (third) of the Roman Missal (or Sacramentary), the book that contains all the Mass prayers, was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 2000 and published (in Latin) in 2002. New prayers for newly canonized saints were added, several feast days were given new prayers and the instructions and rubrics were updated and clarified. All these need to be translated from the original Latin.
New Philosophy of Translation
In 2001, the
Previously, translations were made on the basis of “dynamic
equivalence,” which conveys phrase by phrase the essential meaning
of the Latin, and gives a high priority to using grammar, syntax and
vocabulary typical of the vernacular language involved.
The technique now in force, “formal equivalence,” requires a
more word-for-word approach, preserving the phrase structure of the
Latin and retaining specialized vocabulary as much as possible.
Need for Improvement Recognized
With the experience gained over the past nearly 40 years using the current translation, scholars, theologians, and interested clergy and lay people have noted some inadequacies of the current translation. Perhaps most important, the current translation eliminated many scripture quotations and allusions that appear in the Latin. In addition, the style of the current translation, while laudably prioritizing ease of public proclamation and a rhythm easily set to music, resulted in a language "register" similar to everyday speech. The new English translation uses a heightened style of speech, including the richer vocabulary and the more complex grammar of the Latin.
Many of the variable prayers were translated in a way that makes it
difficult to perceive ideas found in the Latin. In 1970 when the
first translations were made, the Latin originals were often
considered merely a point of departure for the creation of
essentially new prayers. In other cases, significant portions
of the original Latin were omitted; these are being restored in the
new translation.
It is now better recognized that the Latin texts have an intrinsic spiritual and literary value of their own that is worth preserving and experiencing as much as a translation can make possible.
Many of the prayers date from the 6th
century or earlier, and all were chosen with great care by the
members of the commission entrusted with revising the liturgy
following Vatican II. The prayers express a deep and genuine
spirituality that is part of our heritage as members of the Western
Church.
A number of prayers, most notably Eucharistic Prayers II, III and
IV, were newly composed in Latin after Vatican II as part of the
revision of the liturgy. A more accurate translation of these modern
prayers will bring us closer to the spirituality and theology
emphasized by the Council.
Theology
In the 1970 translation, of many of the shorter prayers (i.e. the
Opening Prayer, the Prayer over the Offerings and the Prayer after
Communion) it is frequently unclear how our own efforts relate to
God’s grace in contributing to our salvation. These prayers
could be interpreted as saying that we could be saved if our own
efforts were assisted or fortified by God’s grace.
This notion, known as semi-Pelagianism, is contrary to
traditional and ancient Catholic teaching. In the Latin, these
prayers are always clear that only by God’s grace, and our
cooperation with it, are we saved. The new translation will reflect
the doctrinal clarity and traditional Catholic teaching of the
Latin version of these prayers..
In the 1970 translation, many prayers addressed to God the Father
begin by telling God something about him, as if to remind God about
himself: “Father, you have given us grace...” In the new translation
this would be rendered, in accordance with the Latin: “O God, who
have given us grace…” In this way we are praising God rather than
implying he has a memory problem.
Incidentally, almost every instance in the current translation of a prayer starting with “God, our Father” is a translation of the Latin “Deus” which means simply “God.” The translators of the 1970 version wanted to make “God” seem less remote and added the words “our Father.” The new translation will render “Deus” used in direct address (i.e. in the vocative case) as “O God.”
Saint Mary Formation Events on the New Translation of the Roman
Missal.
St. Mary Church will offer a three-part series on the new translation of the Roman Missal on consecutive Tuesdays, November 8, 15, 22 from 7:30-9pm in the Parish Life Center. All are welcome to attend any or all of the three sessions.
Useful Links
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website on the new translation:
http://www.usccb.org/romanmissal/
The new translation of the Order of Mass:
http://www.usccb.org/romanmissal/annotated-mass.pdf
Musical settings of the new translation of the
Order of Mass as they
appear in the Roman Missal:
http://www.icelweb.org/musicfolder/openmusic.php
Notre Dame Center for Liturgy: Web Catechesis for the Implementation
of the Revised Roman Missal. Informative video presentations by
those involved in the translation process and other experts.
http://liturgy.nd.edu/webcatechesis/