U.S. bishops approve new Mass translation

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted at its biannual meeting for a new translation after a brief but vigorous debate over several small changes in wording. The 173-29 vote on the Order of the Mass was aimed at satisfying Vatican calls for a translation that’s closer to the Latin version.

The following excerpts from Whispers in the Loggia provide more details on the amendments and adaptations:

For those familiar with the cadences of the liturgy, the texts maintain notable differences from the formulae which have been in use in the United States for the last 35 years. These are best broken down into the “presidential” prayers used by the celebrant, and the “congregational” prayers of the faithful.

Among the latter, easily the most notable change is the reply “And with your spirit” to the priest’s greeting of “The Lord be with you,” which is employed at four points in the liturgy. At the beginning of the preface to the Eucharistic Prayer, “It is right to give him thanks and praise” becomes “It is right and just.”

“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,” begins the people’s response before communion. However, one proposed US amendment would replace “that you should enter...” to the current “to receive you.” Its second half – “but only say the word and my soul shall be healed” – stands untouched at present.

The revised rendering of the Sanctus would begin, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts,” and the new translation of the Nicene Creed retains the word “consubstantial,” which has aroused some displeasure from a number of bishops. (An amendment to return “consubstantial” to its current “one in being” is before the BCL. All amendments, however, are subject to the line-item recognitio of the Holy See.)

The more substantive alterations from the current texts belong to the prayers of the priest. Notable among these is the new dismissal, “Go forth, the Mass is ended.” The Mysterium fidei, which in earlier drafts read “Great is the mystery of faith,” now reads simply and literally, “The mystery of faith,” and the doxology following the Lord’s Prayer is rendered as:

Deliver us Lord, we pray, from every evil,

graciously grant peace in our days

that, sustained by the help of your mercy,

we may be always free from sin

and saved from all distress,

as we await the blessed hope,

the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

In preparing the various formulations, two words in the presidential prayers which have attracted considerable scrutiny were “dew” (“Make holy these gifts, we pray, by the dew of your spirit,” the proposed epiclesis of Eucharistic Prayer II) and “gaze” (as in the “serene and kindly gaze,” which remains in the finished text of the Roman Canon).

Following the debate and vote on the core text, the bishops’ agenda will turn to seven recommended adaptations for the Order of Mass for the United States.

These are: a continued increased prominence for the Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling of Holy Water; the maintenance of two “alternative introductions” for the Penitential Rite (the current Sacramentary’s allowance for “similar words” is slated to be discontinued); seven additional formulae for the Penitential Rite; keeping the familiar four additional introductions to the Lord’s Prayer (the standard ICEL text has one); two alternate forms for the dismissal; the “insertion of a Prayer Over Already Blessed Water” for the sprinkling rite; and the addition of the popular Memorial Acclamation “Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again,” which is not included in the ICEL text.

Finally, on the two words which vex an inordinate amount of people, the translation continues with the vernacular custom of English in using the words “for you and for all” in the consecration of the cup. The new text renders “so that sins may be forgiven” as “for the forgiveness of sins.”

I see many are going off about “all these adaptations.” Hate to break the news, but it seems those who are guilty of this haven’t integrated Liturgiam authenticam, manifesting carelessness with the precision of terms and, ergo, causing confusion among the faithful.

Here’s the story: as written, the bishops approved seven adaptations to the celebration of Mass in the United States. None of these are unfamiliar, but simply adding to the Ordo Missae those elements which were not included in the ICEL text.

When a word or phrase is changed here and there, that is an amendment, not an adaptation.

In light of that, quoting from the original post on Monday, the sole adaptations are: a continued increased prominence for the Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling of Holy Water [i.e. making it part of the Order of Mass as opposed to an appendix]; the maintenance of two “alternative introductions” for the Penitential Rite (the current Sacramentary’s allowance for “similar words” is discontinued); seven additional formulae for the Penitential Rite [all of which are already familiar]; keeping the familiar four additional introductions to the Lord’s Prayer (the standard ICEL text has one); two alternate forms for the dismissal (again, the ICEL text has one); the “insertion of a Prayer Over Already Blessed Water” for the sprinkling rite; and the maintenance of “Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again,” which was not included in the ICEL text.

Whereas “dew” fell, “chalice” remains. Several proposals to change the word to the current “cup” were rejected by the BCL, which expressed its preference for the rationale established by ICEL.

Several bishops also requested striking “precious” from the submitted rendering of “precious chalice” in the Eucharistic Prayers, but the committee declined these on the grounds that to do so would not be faithful to the Latin use of the term “praeclarum calicem.”

In Eucharistic Prayer IV, and at other instances in the text where ICEL rendered “unigenitus” as “Only-begotten” without adding “Son” to it, several prelates sought a change to include “Son,” which the bishops accepted.

Two bishops sought to return the phrase “for the many” to the consecration of the precious chalice. The BCL rejected the proposal given “the overwhelming view of the USCCB membership in favor of for all.”

However, the committee reply also showed Rome’s hand in noting the Holy See’s “expressed intention” to address the question in short order.

What will come of that is anyone’s guess.

Another bishop sought to have the Gloria’s rendering of peace to “all people of good will” changed to “all men.” The Committee demurred, replying that “people is the most accurate rendering of hominibus in English as spoken in the United States of America.”

In other areas, “Look with favor on your church’s offering” – a 1970 translation in Eucharistic Prayer III – is staying put, “undefiled” in the Canon becomes “unblemished,” the deacon’s pre-Gospel request won’t be “Pray, Father, your blessing,” but “May I have your blessing, Father.” And the Mortem tuam has been proposed by the USCCB as reading “We announce your death, O Lord, and proclaim your resurrection until you come in glory.”

One bishop requested to change the term “general absolution” to the “general formula of forgiveness.” His rationale said that the original text “will reinforce the misinterpretation and could lead to a further marginalization of the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the lives of our people.”

The proposal was respectfully declined.