The new (corrected) translation of "The Order of Mass" will be used in English and Welsh parishes from September, the Bishops have announced today. Not the URL for that link: missal.org.uk which is very encouraging. There is also a DVD called Become One Body One Spirit In Christ available to order.
Just to clarify for you: what we are talking about for September is the "Ordo Missae", is often referred to as the "Ordinary" of the Mass. This is the part that is the same for all Masses, including the responses of the people. The "Propers", the parts that change for the seasons of the year and feasts of the Saints, will come in with the publication of the full text of the Missal. It is hoped that this will be in time for Advent.
I agree with Fr Z's closing comment in his post about this news that we need some intense catechesis primarily because we need catechesis and not just because we are getting a new translation. If people really have difficulty reading a new translation of the Gloria, they need some English lessons, not catechesis; but we have failed for some time to give adequate catechesis on the Mass. The introduction of the new and corrected translation is certainly a good opportunity.
The CTS website shows A first glimpse of the new Roman Missal with the above photo of a dummy version without any printing or gold blocking on the cover. This paragraph warmed my heart:
Beauty and Practicality
CTS is working with highly-skilled printers and binders in Italy to ensure a high quality of craftsmanship in the finished volume. The choice of paper, binding, marker ribbons and leather page tabs has been made to ensure ease of use and durability over many years.
For the interior, colour illustrations have been sourced from medieval illustrated manuscripts, and decorative elements from skilled contemporary artists and from volumes in the British Library.
12 comments:
How come it says the DVD is only available in England and Wales? I want one! It can't be all that different from what we will get in the USA or Canada, can it?
I've just been in New Zealand, and there the new words of the Ordinary of the Mass have been in use since Advent 2010 - the Bishops' Conference have put out a booklet, copies of which are provided in church, and these are used by priest and people. I observed this at Mass in the Cathedral in both Wellington and Auckland.
Indeed, the only thing I'd say is that the new words are a little hard to say precisely because the changes are not vast, and one has to concentrate and not just respond "on autopilot" as it were: one priest got rather mixed up between the old and new words in the Embolism, and I quite understood, as giving the new responses at the Sursum corda had proved tricky for me!
I'm jealous. I doubt we will have anything quite so grand here in Canada once our new translation is approved, we're still waiting for approval here.
The new translation is a huge improvement on the current lame duck translation. Indeed the current 1973 ICEL translation can only be described as wilfully banal! However I am concerned that the excellent new translation will be let down by the readings. I understand that the dreadful Jerusalem Bible is to be dropped but unfortunately I understand it is to be replaced with the New RSV which is the pollitically corrected version of the perfectly good old RSV.
Why not simply use Prayerbook English and not this artificial English made up by a translation committee?
I suspect the final product will be "reassuringly expensive". It is obviously important that it be long-lasting but equally we need it to stay in print (many parishes end up using US sacramentaries because the Roman Missal has been out of print for decades).
The CTS, however, makes no mention of a large print version. Given our ageing priestly population and the increased frequency, in particular, of age-related macular degeneration, such a version will surely be needed or we'll be back to loose-leaf folders on the altar.
My 1975 Sunday Missal has a preface by Cardinal Heenan: "The laity will greet this Sunday Mass Book with great joy. They have grown tired of cards and pieces of paper."
I fear that the staggered introduction of the corrected translation will be unfortunate. Care will be needed.
Meanwhile the published three column comparative text has interesting variations in the rubrics. For example at the sign of peace the 1973 instruction "The priest, extending and joining [h]is hands, adds" becomes "The Priest, turned towards the people, extending and then joining his hands, adds".
If he turns towards the people at that point I wonder which way he faces before that.
Well Fr. It's official you really have plumbed the depths. Your name appears alongside the likes of that Taliban Catholic James Preece on the vile internet site Christian Order.com.
This site maligns the Bishops of England and Wales and anybody else they consider fair game who cannot defend themselves.
They voraciously tear into individual characters. +Conry is on the receiving end of the latest offering.
Quite frankly its disgusting that they use the word ‘Catholic‘, that it has any association with the bile they spew out.
I think that this celebrity priest blogging status has gone to your head. By the way can Mac please cease taking endless photos of you during Mass. You are a priest not a movie star. It is a distraction and not what Holy Mass is all about!
Andrew - I think you are a little harsh on Christian Order. It is often rather trenchant but "spewing bile" is a bit over the top.
Taking photos at Mass can help towards the edification of others but I appreciate that it can be distracting. It's something we have to review now and again to get the balance right. Incidentally, I am not usually facing the camera ;-)
Talk about getting one's proverbial knickers in a twist (Andrew Morgan)
Is there any truth in the rumour invocante mentions - viz. that the OT, Epistle and Gospel readings are to be from some ghastly PC "gender-neutral" (etc. etc.) version of the Bible?
I think that a current version of the bible is being purged of unacceptable gender neutral language, especially when referring to the Divine Persons.
I agree with Invocante that it would have been far more sensible to use the old RSV. In fact, this has itself been amended to accord with Liturgiam Authenticam (principally, I think, to remove thee's and thou's). There is in fact a lectionary produced by Ignatius but I heard that it was only approved for use in the Antilles or something.
Currently the old RSV is still licit in England for the Liturgy but you can't get a new copy of it.
All crazy stuff really.
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