In 2000, Pope John Paul II promulgated the third edition of the Roman Missal, the text which explains the ritual for the Mass. In 2007 the Congregation for Divine Worship issued a document with specific guidelines on how the Missal ought to be translated into English.
Fast forwarded to November 17, 2009, when United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the English translation of the third edition of the Missal, which though not completely finished (the Vatican must still translate some of antiphons for the Psalms into English), is now on track to be used in parishes around the country within the next couple of years.
For most of us, we just want to know what these changes actually are, and why they are happening. I will try to provide a brief synopsis of a few of the changes, though for more in depth explanations, check out the USCCB’s website.
Currently at a few points in the liturgy the priest says, “The Lord be with you,” and the congregation responds, “And also with you.” The new response will be “And with your spirit,” because it is a literal translation from the Latin “Et cum spiritu tuo”, which is a reference to “The Lord be with your spirit,” “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,” and “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,” in 2 Timothy 4:22, Galatians 6:18, and Philippians 4:23 respectively (New American Bible).
Another change in translation is in the Confiteor, the prayer that begins “I confess to Almighty God” found in the Penitential Act. The key change to the new translation is:
[...] in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; [...]
This is a closer translation to the Latin, “mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.”
There are also several changes to the wording of the Nicene Creed. First, rather than saying “We believe,” it will be “I believe,” a literal translation of the Latin “Credo” which is in the first person singular. Another change to the Creed is that rather than “was born of the Virgin Mary,” it will read, “was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,” a closer translation of “Et incarnatus est [...] ex Maria Virgine.”
In the Creed, and throughout the Mass, there are several other changes, all of which attempt to be closer translations of the original Latin.
According to the Catholic News Agency, the translation is expected to be approved sometime in 2010. Parishioners, however, will not start hearing the new translation in Mass until after the full approval process has been completed and the new Order of the Mass is promulgated.
For more information and for full texts of the proposed translation, click the below link:
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