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No doubt, many of you have heard the rumor that the Mass is going to change. This change is set to occur in 2011 beginning with the Advent season. While this may seem quite a ways off, I believe that it is time to begin the process of understanding these changes and the impact they will have on our corporate worship. The number one question I have heard is:
"Why are these changes necessary?"
That's a good question. The answer is not simple. I will try to make it succinct as possible. First of all, there has been concern since the first days of the original English translations of the Latin Rite about accuracy. For any number of reasons the International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) chose not to provide a straight forward translation for the use of the English speaking world. For the most part the other translations such as Spanish, French, German, etc. were accurate. This has been a bone of contention for decades and justifiable as with the current eccentricities of translation there is concern as to the unity of meaning. Translation is not the only issue at hand. Since the publication of the Editio Typica of 1973, and its revision in 1975, there has been the need for additional prayers for the celebration of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayers, additional Masses and Prayers for various needs and some updates in the rubrics of the Mass itself.
"What's new or different about the revised translation?"
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops it was considered important that the unique style of the Roman Rite should be maintained in translation. By "style" is meant here the distinctive way in which the prayers of the Roman Rite are expressed. The principal elements of such a style include a certain conciseness in addressing, praising, and entreating God, as well as distinctive syntactical patterns, a noble tone, a variety of less complex rhetorical devices, concreteness of images, repetition, parallelism and rhythm as measured through cursus, or ancient standards for stressing syllables of Latin words in prose or poetry. The texts of the revised translation of the Roman Missal are marked by a heightened style of English speech and a grammatical structure that closely follows the Latin text. In addition, many biblical and poetic images such as "Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof..." in the Communion Rite. ( From USCCB document.)
"What is the hoped for outcome in the use of these new texts and translations?"
Catholicity of worship is the first and obvious goal. Unity of translation and style even if in different languages will assist in fostering a deeper awareness and appreciation of the mysteries being celebrated in the liturgy. The axiom lex orandi,lex credendi-"what we pray is what we believe"-suggests that there is a direct relationship between the content of our prayers and the substance of our faith. I am offering a series of articles on the new translation of the Roman Missal looking at the various major texts and providing an explanation of the changes. Since the symbol of our faith is the Nicene Creed I thought it would be profitable to begin there.
The Nicene Creed
In the Nicene Creed, which we corporately recite at Sunday Mass, we say "We believe in one God" when the Latin reads "I believe in one God." While I can make an assumption as to the belief of others I cannot unequivocally say what it is that you believe. That is for you to state. I can only say what it is that I believe. This change in the translation to "we believe" was an attempt to create a greater sense of community and corporate identity in the Post-Conciliar Church. While it was a worthwhile sentiment, the use of the primary symbol of faith which is the Nicene Creed for such purpose lessened the impact and personal commitment contained in the words "I believe." Anywhere else in the Creed where "we" is in current use will revert to "I." Other changes in the Creed will include the exchange of the words "visible and invisible" for the current "seen and unseen." Something may be visible and yet not seen. Something may be unseen but not necessarily invisible. The next change is the reversion to "Only" to replace "eternally" when referring to Jesus Christ as the Son of God. The Latin is explicit so as to establish the triune nature of God. You will note that "one in being with the Father" is to be changed to "consubstantial with the Father." This "of one substance" again reflects an accurate translation of the Latin. Both of these changes are important as they frame for us our belief in the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. The remaining alterations are instances of lesser theological concern but where the English was not an accurate substitution for the Latin.
Click on the attached document that contains the current and the re-translated Nicene Creed.
Gloria
The changes to the Glory to God canticle are similar to those in the Nicene Creed, in that changes are necessary to provide an accurate translation of the Latin text. In the Glory to God canticle there were also omissions from the original text which have been restored in the new translation. Below is a document that you will see a side by side comparison for reference. The parts printed in bold face are the changes in translation.
Click on the attached document that contains the current and the re-translated Gloria.
Preparation for these Changes
You might ask what your parish is doing to prepare for these changes. Using the newsletter and the worship aid we will provide articles and texts so that you can understand the changes before they happen. In the fall of 2011 I will offer an evening class during the week on the changes for the adults. Children and youth religious education curriculum will be focusing on the changes as well. I will prepare material that will be available in the narthex of the church building which will offer a detailed explanation of the changes as well as a study guide to help people with the transition. The parish musicians will have to learn all new texts and music and then teach it to us. We will start that in the early fall. When the new edition of the Roman Missal is available to the parish we will implement a plan to introduce the changes bit by bit in the context of worship so that by the first Sunday of Advent in 2011, we will be prepared to join the entire English speaking Church throughout the world in celebrating the Eucharist with the new texts.
Other Links
Click on these links for additional
information:
Frequently Asked Questions
RevisedRomanMissal.org
www.usccb.org/romanmissal
www.ltp.org