New translation

[docmattc]

The new translation of the ordinary of the Mass, which johnquinn39 mentions on another thread, as approved for use in the US is available here. As I understand it, the text for use in England and Wales, whilst not yet given Recognitio from Rome, is unlikely to differ from this one. This should keep the composers group busy for a while!

[Southern Comfort]

The word on the street is that this text may not be the last word. The 40 amendments that the US Bishops requested have not yet been responded to by the CDW, and it seems fairly certain that the acclamation "Christ has died", which is currently conspicuous by its absence, may be reinstated.

In the meantime, the first line of the Sanctus now runs "Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts" (not the same as the text which was submitted to Rome, which ran "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of Hosts"), so in other words going back to what we had prior to 1975. However, the second line is what we have now: "Heaven and earth are full of your glory", whereas pre-1975 was "Your glory fills all heaven and earth".

Notice also that this text is for study and preparation for implementation, but is not to be used until the complete Missal is finalised. The way things are going, that won't be before 2012 at the earliest..... by which time who knows what the situation may be. The late and great John Tracy Ellis once said "There's nothing wrong with the Church which a hundred good funerals wouldn't fix."

[organist]

Well it just confirms all the concerns I had been reading about in "The Tablet". Why change the texts for the People? Have the people of God had a say in these changes? Some of it seems like tinkering with the text to get it closer to the Latin. Hardly relevant for a 21st century church which is losing its people! Still I suppose "And with your spirit" will remind me of my early Anglican days and at least we haven't got "O Lamb of God". Interesting that no text is provided for the actual giving of communion - will the traditionalists rush in with "Corpus Christi" and kneeling to receive on the tongue? Watch this space!

[johnquinn39]

Have the people of God had a say in these changes?

Maybe it's just as well that they haven't. If they had, the acclamations would probably all be excised and replaced with 'O Mother blest' and 'Sweet heart of Jesus'.

[gwyn]

will the traditionalists rush in with "Corpus Christi" and kneeling to receive on the tongue?

I hope and pray so.

[docmattc]

Notice also that this text is for study and preparation for implementation, but is not to be used until the complete Missal is finalised. The way things are going, that won't be before 2012 at the earliest.....

This is also what I understand. The headline in this week's Catholic Herald suggests that we will be using this text by 2010, but I'm not sure all parts of the new translation will have been voted on by the bishops by then.


A couple of years ago I managed to scrap the dreaded missalette and get the congregation to watch what's going on rather than follow it with their heads stuck in a bit of paper. Once the new translation comes into being we will have to reintroduce something similar.

[John Ainslie]

...at least we haven't got "O Lamb of God".

...But we have got "O God, Almighty Father" in the restructured 'Glory to God in the highest'.

Interesting that no text is provided for the actual giving of communion -

When I read this, I wondered whether we had gone back to the 1570 Pius V Missal which made no provision whatsoever for the people's Communion within Mass: this was eventually put right in 1614 but the custom of receiving Communion outside Mass and therefore from the tabernacle persisted well into the 20th century - and of course 'tabernacle Communion' is still the de facto norm almost everywhere, despite numerous recommendations that the faithful should "receive the Lord's body under elements consecrated at that very sacrifice" (SC 55).

Back to the text for the actual giving of communion: yes, it is there in the new Ordo Missae. It is the same as current: "The Body of Christ" - "Amen". There is also a general rubric about Communion under Both Kinds.

[organist]

Good to see your letter in "The Tablet" John!

[docmattc]

Some of it seems like tinkering with the text to get it closer to the Latin. Hardly relevant for a 21st century church which is losing its people!

Its all tinkering with the text to get it closer to the Latin. That is the whole point of the excercise. Some would argue that the distance from the Latin of the current texts (or indeed the fact that they're not in Latin) is why the 21st century church is loosing its people but I find that a difficult position to accept.

Looking at the Confiteor, I wonder why the Church Fathers revising the liturgy after the council did not alter "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grevious fault" in the Latin. What we are getting is an accurate translation of the Latin, but that in itself hardly takes into account Sacrosanctum Concillium 34:

"The rites should be distinguished by a noble simplicity; they should be short, clear, and unencumbered by useless repetitions."

Is this stress on our failure considered to be a useful repetition?

I do like the new translation at the end of the penitential rite however: May almighty God have mercy on us
and lead us, with our sins forgiven, to eternal life.

[johnquinn39]

will the traditionalists rush in with "Corpus Christi" and kneeling to receive on the tongue?

I hope and pray so.

Why are 'traditionalists' so un-traditional ? V2 restored the correct way to receive communion. Kneeling to receive rather plays down the real presence of Christ in the assembly and the sense in which communion is a shared meal.

[Nick Baty]

the sense in which communion is a shared meal.

Is it?
Discuss.

[docmattc]

Kneeling to receive rather plays down the real presence of Christ in the assembly and the sense in which communion is a shared meal.

There is a balance which needs to be struck between the shared meal and the sacrifice of the Cross. In other words, between the horizontal and the vertical. As Redemptionis Sacramentum puts it:

The constant teaching of the Church on the nature of the Eucharist not only as a meal, but also and pre-eminently as a Sacrifice, is therefore rightly understood to be one of the principal keys to the full participation of all the faithful in so great a Sacrament. For when “stripped of its sacrificial meaning, the mystery is understood as if its meaning and importance were simply that of a fraternal banquet”

The pre-concilliar liturgy rather stressed the vertical at the expense of the horizontal and I think as a reaction to that we are currently over emphasising the horizontal. We are still struggling to find the best way to hold these two aspects together. But that's a whole new thread!