New Missal

[Reginald]

I found this article at http://thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com/

A thought crossed my mind today about the minting of a new Missale Romanum what with the new English translations that are in the process of being approved and developed.

This is a rare opportunity, and a big one for the reform of the reform.

How often does a completely new version of the missal happen, complete with all the work that entails in typesetting, formatting, etc.? But it will have to happen with this new translation.

Further, how often does it happen that a new version of the Missal comes out that each and every parish will acquire? Not often at all.

To that end, it struck me: has anyone proposed, or tried to get mandated, that the new version of the Missale Romanum in English should contain:

1) Parallel Latin-English text for the Ordinary parts of the Mass

2) The notated chant texts for those portions of the Mass commonly sung, in both English and Latin.

These two additions would add next to nothing in terms of additional pages, thus there would be little work to be done and little additional cost, but the benefits are legion:

To date, if a priest wishes to exercise the use of Latin in the liturgy, either he must use two missals, he must have clumsy cards for the Latin parts of the Mass, he must memorize the Latin parts, or some other "work-around" to the Roman Missal being either in English, or in Latin, but never a mixture.

If we are serious about the restoration of Latin and chant to the sacred liturgy in normative parishes, then we need an edition of the English Roman Missal which includes the notated texts of the Ordinary in Latin and English, and the very texts of the Ordinary of the Mass in parallel Latin-English.

The presence of this as part of the very fabric of the new Roman missal produced in the various English-speaking countries will make this easy for priests, and thus also substantially more likely. We are creatures of ease, and if we are required to have laminated cards, if we are required to paste in, or turn even to the back of the Missal for "addendums", we are less likely to do it than if the Latin texts and chants are right there on the page beside the new English translation. It then is merely a matter of, which does Father choose to pray of the two in front of him?

In view of this, I have set out and written a number of letters to people in Rome and influential and sympathetic bishops in the USA.

The key in all this is that I am only speaking of the ordinary parts of the Mass -- that is, the unchanging parts that do not change from Mass to Mass. A dual Latin-English missal for the entire missal would be a substantially more time consuming and costly project, and would end up with a missal that is either too large, or text that is too small.

Recommendations

1) priests and laity alike: write your local bishop and auxiliary bishop requesting this in the new edition of the Roman Missal.

2) write to Francis Cardinal George who has been instrumental in this project, as well as to other sympathetic bishops like Burke, Finn and Bruskewitz. Their addresses can be found on their diocesan websites.

3) Last but certainly not least, I also recommend that you write both Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith and Francis Cardinal Arinze at the Congregation for Divine Worship, and make this request as well. Request even that this addition to the new version of the Roman Missal might be made mandatory -- or at very least strongly recommended.

They may be written or faxed here:

Palazzo delle Congregazioni, 00193 Roma, Piazza Pio XII, 10

Fax: 06.69.88.34.99

posted by Shawn Tribe

I think it may have legs.
If the Ordinary of the Mass were printed in parallel Latin/vernacular it would be very much easier to re-introduce the Latin gradually.
If the Ordinary of the Mass were only printed with its chants (in other words, not with chants in an appendix) - probably re-using the contents of Jubilate Deo then it reinforces the idea that the normative Mass for the Modern Rite is the Missa Cantata, and not the Low Mass of yesteryear. Adieu the 'quiet Mass'.
Importantly, it would allow us to rediscover our liturgical heritage but without the loss of all the good fruits of the VII liturgical reforms - no need for hymn book, missal and Latin crib sheet; just missal and hymnal. I for one don't want to see our liturgical clock set back 60 years, but we are still some way from complying with either the mind of the Council Fathers or the GIRM.

[sidvicius]

Always bothers me when I see unanswered first posts, so here's a resuscitative response

If we are serious about the restoration of Latin and chant to the sacred liturgy in normative parishes...

Are we though? Latin chant has been recently revived via Taizé, but I don't think this was any deliberate attempt to 'force' the reintroduction of latin and/or chant; rather it was offered as a simple prayerful alternative, alongside other forms, not with a view to replacing them.
I'm sure we've been here before (see 'latin' threads) and concluded that any new pressure to restore Latin to the forefront will ultimately be counter-productive. At the moment, however, I think we can allow ourselves a pat on the back for achieving a balance wherein Latin is allowable but rarely overpowering.
I hope I have not misunderstood the general 'thrust' of reginald's post (it has an extensive remit) but I, for one, am very content with the modest amount of Latin we receive currently.

[Reginald]

Just to clarify - only the first line and last several lines of the first post were mine.

As regards us being serious about the reintroduction of Latin, do we have a choice? The mind of the Church as expressed at Vatican II and subsequently in the preface to Jubilate Deo and the GIRM is that we should all be able to chant the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin. We belong to a liturgical, hierarchical Church after all.

[oopsorganist]

At the risk of getting flattened by talking about that which I understand little of......

No objections to the odd bit of Latin although I can't pronounce any of it........... but it reminds me that Islam is based on liturgical and hierarchical stuffy........... someone else can explain that more to you..... cos I am not sure where it goes.........

Why not get into this century and stick it all on a CD? Plug into the parish computer and away you go. Everybody gets a right lot of proper music, any language and everywhere the same. Save a lot of arguments wouldn't it?

[sidvicius]

Good point reginald, although I think at this time the church may want to lead us to the water but I'm not convinced that the congregation will want to drink - it would have to be a persuasive argument. As Nick says, no really good reason has been offered, other than perhaps some comments viz inclusivity provided by a common language. Fair enough, but if that's the case they'd better hurry up before all those to whom latin is familiar pass over, because in the current overloaded national curriculum, there ain't gonna be time to learn it in school.
On the bright side, this might have the beneficial side-effect of encouraging family/community time together, as the church in its entirety grapples with this new project to make sure every Catholic learns the ordinary of the mass in its revived/revitalised (many young people might say 'new') latin form. OK I'll come down from cloudcuckooland now.
Thus, oops' pragmatic approach seems quite valid - roll out five million CDs and give everyone a new years resolution to start learning it all. Once again we've sorted out the 'what' we do, but we're still a bit thin on the ground with the 'why' we do it. Maybe the CD could have a FAQ page.

[organist]

Surely English is a universal language? Shouldn't we be aiming for a situation where everyone joins in without having to have a book in their hands? So tinkering with the people's parts of the Mass is NOT a good idea. I well remember occasions including summer school where items in Latin were completely unknown to some e.g. Pater Noster in St Peter's square, Salve Regina at New Hall.

[gwyn]

I well remember occasions including summer school where items in Latin were completely unknown to some e.g. Pater Noster in St Peter's square, Salve Regina at New Hall.

Our fault. We should use the occasionally I feel sure. I think it was JPII who asked that everyone be familiar with the Latin Sanctus, Creed, Agnus Dei and the Pater Noster as well as the Greek Kyrie Eleison.

[Sonoqui]

Shouldn't we be aiming for a situation where everyone joins in without having to have a book in their hands?

I understand what you mean but I also think there is a danger that people (like me!) may just say the words parrot fashion whilst thinking about what they're going to have for lunch or dinner. Familiarity ... and all that.

For example, despite the fact that I could say the Creed standing on my head and playing the ukelele (and that is NOT an invitation for my favourite choir leader to ask me to join his choir), I ALWAYS read it from my missal. That makes me concentrate on what I'm saying. The same is true of many other parts of the Mass. That's why I love my Missal.