New Translation of the Roman Missal
New Translation Information Sheet
New Music for the New Translation
In order to better prepare the congregation for the upcoming new translation, we’ve created the following bulletin series. For more information, we recommend the following websites:
Installment #1: Did You Know?
This past August (2010) the English language translation of the Roman Missal (the book that contains the words we say and pray at Mass), was approved by the Vatican. The use of the new translation will begin the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011. Some of the prayers and responses of the Mass will change for both the assembly and the priests. Many of the revised responses will now be a more accurate translation of the original Latin text, meant to draw us into a more complete understanding of what we celebrate in the Sacred Liturgy. Stay tuned for more information including workshop sessions to learn about the changes to the Mass.
Installment #2: What is the Roman Missal?
Take notice of the red book the priest uses most often during Mass. This book is called the Sacramentary, which together with the Lectionary for Mass (book of the readings) make up the Roman Missal. The missal is the collection of prayers, chants, and instructions used to celebrate Mass. This includes prayers such as the Sign of the Cross; Gloria; Creed; Eucharistic Prayers; Holy, Holy, Holy; Memorial Acclamations; and the final blessing. The majority of the prayers we recite or sing at Mass are contained in this book and it is these prayers that are currently being retranslated from the original Latin into English.
Installment #3: Origins of the Roman Missal, Part 1
In the early Christian Church, many of the Mass prayers were memorized and handed down orally. Scribes eventually collected the prayers and recorded them in the book of sacraments or sacramentaries. Other books were used for the scripture readings: Lectionaries and a Book of the Gospels for the scripture readings, and additional books for the chants and antiphons. Slight changes and additions developed as manuscripts were handed on and hand scribed. Eventually the chants, scripture readings, prayer texts, and instructions were compiled into a single volume, the Missale Plenum (complete missal). When Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable printing press in 1470, this allowed the Mass texts to become standardized and published universally. In 1474, the first Missale Romanum (Roman Missal) was printed in Latin and the texts contained in this volume evolved over the five ensuing centuries.
Installment #4: Origins of the Roman Missal, Part 2
Because the amount of scripture proclaimed at Mass increased following the Second Vatican Council (1962 –1965), the Roman Missal was divided into two separate books: The Lectionary for Mass (four volumes of Sacred Scripture) and the Sacramentary (prayers, chants, and instructions for the celebration of the Mass). The Lectionary texts for the dioceses of the United States were revised in 1998 and are currently used in the liturgy. The texts that are found in the current Sacramentary have been retranslated and will be used in English-speaking countries beginning this Advent (Nov. 27th). With this translation, the name of the book will change from Sacramentary to Roman Missal, a translation of the Latin title, Missale Romanum.
Installment #5: The Third Translation
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. The first English translation of the Roman Missal was completed quickly in 1969. It aimed for a “spirit” of the texts rather than an exact literal translation of the Latin words. A second revision of these texts occurred in 1975. In 2001, the liturgical commission in Rome issued a document outlining the methodology and process for translating liturgical texts into vernacular languages. This document called for a more literal translation of the original Latin, and so a group of scholars, poets, and theologians convened and worked painstakingly on providing a third English translation. The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments announced completion of the new translation on April 30, 2010. These texts will be implemented on November 27, 2011, the First Sunday of Advent.
Installment #6: And With Your Spirit
When the new 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. Other changes will be incorporated into the Gloria, Creed, and the Holy, Holy. The prayers will be more poetic, and there will be a more obvious connection to their scriptural roots. There is an old axiom, lex orandi, lex credendi—that is “the law of prayer is the law of faith.” This is why the prayers of the Church are so important and why the Church has initiated the process of revising the English translation. The words of our prayers are what we believe as a Church and form us as the body of Christ.
Installment #7: Parish Workshops
On November 26, 2011, the First Sunday of Advent, the English speaking church will begin using the Third Translation of the Roman Missal. Parts of the Mass spoken by the priest and congregation will change, as well as some of the music we sing.
In order to be prepared for this momentous weekend, we have scheduled two workshops to help everyone become familiar with the congregation’s parts in the new translation. Please join us to hear about the translation as well as the new music that we’ll use during mass. The presenters will be Dennis Feltwell, from the Graduate Religion Program at LaSalle University, and David Westawski, our Director of Liturgical Music. The sessions will be held in the church.
