BULLETIN COLUMN ON ROMAN MISSAL CHANGES #2/WHY CHANGE?
All of the prayers we say in English have corresponding Latin texts. After the Second
Vatican Council, the Latin texts were translated into the vernacular, or common language, of
particular regions throughout the worldwide church. The first English translation of The Roman
Missal was finished quickly in 1969. It did not aim for an exact literal translation of the Latin
words, but for a “spirit” of the texts instead. A second revision of these texts occurred in 1975.
In 2001, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (the
liturgical commission in Rome), issued a document, Liturgiam Authenticum, outlining the
method and process for translating liturgical texts into vernacular languages. This document
called for a more literal translation of the original Latin.
In 2002, Pope John Paul II introduced a new edition of Missale Romanum for use in the
church. Soon after, a group of scholars, poets and theologians met and worked diligently on
providing a third English translation . On April 30, 2010, the Congregation for Divine Worship
and the Discipline of the Sacraments approved the translation. These are the texts that will be
implemented on November 27, 2011.
It is important to note that the process of implementing a new edition of the Mass
prayers is not new. It has occurred numerous times throughout Church history as the Liturgy
developed and was adapted to particular circumstances to meet the needs of the Church. This
current revision is not a correction of what we are currently doing or what we’ve done in the
past. It is more of an evolution in the way we look at the original Latin text. Translators now
have a firmer grasp of the original meaning of the Latin and have used a more literal approach
in translating the texts. Again remember that this change only applies to the Mass texts and not
the scriptures.
When the new English translation is used, you will notice slight changes in the prayers
we hear and say at Mass. For example, we will soon respond, “And with your spirit” to “The
Lord be with you.” Being faithful to the original Latin prayers will enhance the meaning of the
texts. The texts will be more poetic and there will be a more obvious connection to the
scriptural roots of our prayers. The words of our prayers are what we believe as a Church and
form us as the body of Christ.
Please stay tuned for a continuation of this column in the August 7 th bulletin.