The New English Translation of the Roman Missal
On Sunday, December 2, 2012, the Church starts a new liturgical year in the season of Advent. It will also be the start of the full implementation of the New English Translation of the Roman Missal for the Catholic Church in the Philippines.
We re-post this article to help lay people know and understand these changes in the New English Translation of the Roman Missal.
INTRODUCTION:
The Liturgy of the Mass:
The Catholic Church
desires all
its faithful attending Holy Mass to be active participants and not just silent
spectators.
"The
Second Vatican Council... exhorts the faithful to take part in the
celebration of the Holy Mass consciously and actively as befits
every baptized person. Thus, "the faithful should have a good
understanding of the rites and prayers" in the Mass.
"Worship,
particularly the liturgy, is a sacred form of communication with God.
God speaks to us and we respond in adoration, petition, and awe.
Communication happens through rites and prayers, each of which expresses
in various ways the word of God and the prayer of the Church.
The New English Translation of the Roman Missal:
The
Bishops of the Philippines, which is the highest body collectively
representing the Catholic Church in the Philippines, voted in January
2011 to adopt the New English Translation of the Roman Missal in toto,
which will be fully
implemented throughout the country by December 2012 during the Advent
Season. Before that, there is a gradual implementation of the new
English Translation.
However,
before the eventual use of the new liturgical text, it is necessary to
explain and provide catechesis on the implication of the changes
introduced to the Order of the Mass. It is important to note that these
changes do not differ in doctrinal content compared to the present
version.
First Change: Greeting in the Mass:
As
the Priest-celebrant greets with "The Lord be with you," in the
beginning of the Mass the response of the faithful is as follows:
A. The Text
Latin: Et cum spiritu tuo.
Latin: Et cum spiritu tuo.
Present version: And also with
you.
New version: And with your spirit.
Other parts of the Mass where this greeting is used:
1. Liturgy of the Word
2. Introduction of Eucharistic Prayer (Preface)
3. Kiss of Peace
4. Before the Final Blessing
B. Analyis of the changes:
The new version is a more literal translation from Latin. "The answer in both the Greek and
Latin liturgies is "And with your spirit."
Latin liturgies is "And with your spirit."
"Ancient Greek philosophy recognized three ascending levels in humans: the body, the soul,
and the spirit. The spirit represents what is best and noblest in a person.
and the spirit. The spirit represents what is best and noblest in a person.
"In such a case, it is a courteous way of returning the greeting "The Lord be with you".
We
graciously address people by referring to their rank, status, or dignity. Thus, we commonly
use the honorific title such as "Your Honor", "Your Reverence", and "Your Excellency".
graciously address people by referring to their rank, status, or dignity. Thus, we commonly
use the honorific title such as "Your Honor", "Your Reverence", and "Your Excellency".
C. Catechesis:
"When the people reply "And with your spirit",
they return the greeting and express
the
prayerful wish that the priest will also be filled with the presence of the risen Lord, and
that his ministry may receive the power and blessing of the Holy Spirit."
Second Change: Penitential Act:
A. The Text
Latin: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa
Present version: I have sinned through my own fault
New version: through my fault, through my fault, through my most
grievous fault
B. Analysis of change:
The present English version in use (which was from the 1973 translation of the Roman
Missal) compressed the triple mea culpa of the Latin in just one "through my own fault".
The new version goes back to the literal translation of the Latin Penitential Act, or Confiteor
(which means "I confess..."), as shown above.
C. Catechesis:
"Before we enter into the sacred celebration (of the Mass) we acknowledge that we are
sinners in need of God's mercy.
The restoration of the Latin mea culpa in the Penitential Act is indeed timely.
Pope Pius XII lamented: "perhaps the greatest sin of the world today is precisely the loss
of the sense of sins."
Thus, the repetition of mea culpa three times "should etch in our consciousness the
sense of being sinners, though never despairing of God's mercy and always intent on doing
our best to achieve true and lasting conversion of life."
"But a word of caution needs to be said. Acute awareness of sin should not grow into a
pessimistic view of ourselves and the world. Christians are not pessimists because they
put their trust in God."
Thus, even when we "fail again and again, but by the grace of God" we can also rise again
and again.
In the Confiteor we "confess to God and to one another as individual persons, but we stand
together before our merciful God as a community of sinners and saints. Thus, while we own
responsibility for our personal sins, we share at the same time the burden of one another's
guilt.
Pope Paul VI wrote:"The hidden and gracious mystery of God units us all through a super-
natural bond: on this basis one person's sin harms the rest even as one person's goodness
enriches them."
"Such bond obliges us to say mea culpa for our sins and the sins of our sisters and brothers.
Herein lies the mystery of Christ's mystical body. Indeed Christ, the sinless one, carried our
sins on his innocent shoulders and nailed them to the cross."
"And because we are members of the one mystical body of Christ, we make amends for the
sins we have not committed" through our mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!
Deo Optimo Maximo
Nick Isip
prayerful wish that the priest will also be filled with the presence of the risen Lord, and
that his ministry may receive the power and blessing of the Holy Spirit."
Second Change: Penitential Act:
A. The Text
Latin: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa
Present version: I have sinned through my own fault
New version: through my fault, through my fault, through my most
grievous fault
B. Analysis of change:
The present English version in use (which was from the 1973 translation of the Roman
Missal) compressed the triple mea culpa of the Latin in just one "through my own fault".
The new version goes back to the literal translation of the Latin Penitential Act, or Confiteor
(which means "I confess..."), as shown above.
C. Catechesis:
"Before we enter into the sacred celebration (of the Mass) we acknowledge that we are
sinners in need of God's mercy.
The restoration of the Latin mea culpa in the Penitential Act is indeed timely.
Pope Pius XII lamented: "perhaps the greatest sin of the world today is precisely the loss
of the sense of sins."
Thus, the repetition of mea culpa three times "should etch in our consciousness the
sense of being sinners, though never despairing of God's mercy and always intent on doing
our best to achieve true and lasting conversion of life."
"But a word of caution needs to be said. Acute awareness of sin should not grow into a
pessimistic view of ourselves and the world. Christians are not pessimists because they
put their trust in God."
Thus, even when we "fail again and again, but by the grace of God" we can also rise again
and again.
In the Confiteor we "confess to God and to one another as individual persons, but we stand
together before our merciful God as a community of sinners and saints. Thus, while we own
responsibility for our personal sins, we share at the same time the burden of one another's
guilt.
Pope Paul VI wrote:"The hidden and gracious mystery of God units us all through a super-
natural bond: on this basis one person's sin harms the rest even as one person's goodness
enriches them."
"Such bond obliges us to say mea culpa for our sins and the sins of our sisters and brothers.
Herein lies the mystery of Christ's mystical body. Indeed Christ, the sinless one, carried our
sins on his innocent shoulders and nailed them to the cross."
"And because we are members of the one mystical body of Christ, we make amends for the
sins we have not committed" through our mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!
Third Change: "Glory to God in the
highest"
A. The Text:
Latin: et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis
Present version: and peace to his people on earth
New version: and on earth peace to people of good will
B. Analysis of change:
The new version is the literal and more faithful translation of both the Latin
and Greek text.
We hear the angels greeting the birth of the Messiah with the song: "Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace among people of good will."
"Goodwill" and "good will" express two different thoughts in English. The first
refers to God; the second to the people."
C. Catechesis:
The joyful hymn of the angels' greetings "carries us back to the first Noel when
the Son of God descended to earth with the glad tidings of peace. But he worked
for it; he shed his blood for it." In other words, "peace is the Father's gift to us,
but Christ had to win it in order to own it and thus bestow it."
"Peace is God's gracious gift to the fallen world. Not one of us can claim to
deserve it. Not one of us is good enough to merit the grace of peace. Such was
the gratuitousness of divine grace that Christ died for us not because we were
saints, but because we were helpless sinners."
Thus, when "we sing 'on earth peace to people of good will', we ought to keep
in mind that God's peace is not a reward grated to people who possess good will;
rather, it is the benevolence of God, a goodwill gift, a divine favor bestowed on our
unworthy selves."
"We keep reminding ourselves that the only reason why we can claim to be
'people of good will' is because God has first shown his favor to us. Finally, we
resolve with the help of divine grace to live worthily so that the peace of Christ
may always dwell in our hearts."
Fourth Change: The Creed
This time the change is in The Creed. We use two versions of The Creed, the
Nicene Creed which is the longer version, and the shorter version of the Apostles'
Creed.
The Nicene Creed is the most widely accepted statement of faith among Christian
churches. This was defined during the First Council of Nicea in the year 325 AD.
Catholics refer to the Nicene Creed as the "Symbol of Faith".
Nicene Creed:
A. The Text:
Latin: Credo in unum Deum... Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et
apostolicam Ecclesiam.
Present version: We believe in one God... We believe in one holy catholic
and apostolic Church.
New version: I believe in one God... I believe in one holy catholic and
apostolic Church.
B. Analysis of change:
The present version in the first person plural ("we") is based on the Greek version.
The Latin version has consistently used the first person singular ("I"). Both may be
used for valid reason.
"The plural pronoun "we" indicates that what we declare in the creed is the faith of
the Church... This plural form of the Creed is proclaimed meaningfully on the
occasion of synods and councils."
"The singular pronoun "I", on the other hand, expresses personal adherence to the
tenets of faith. It is the form of the Creed that we use when we profess or renew our
baptismal faith." The new version of the Creed recited at Mass will now follow the
Latin version of the singular pronoun.
C. Catechesis:
In our baptism, we or our parents on our behalf made the profession of faith in the
Holy Trinity in the first person singular.
"At baptism we do not merely state what the whole Church believes; we declare that
we personally adhere to what the Church believes: 'I believe in God, the Father
almighty; I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; I believe in the
Holy Spirit.'"
"There is thus interplay between our personal profession of faith and the official
creed of the Church."
"On Sundays and solemn feasts the Church wants us to renew our profession
of faith. It is not a mere recitation of the fundamental doctrine of the Church
about the Holy Trinity, the Church and the communion of saints, baptism and
forgiveness of sins, and everlasting life. We are saying in effect: 'I embrace the
faith of the Church. To this faith I commit my whole life, my every thought,
word, and action."
"The creed at Sunday Mass extends to the entire year our commitment to live
according to what we promised when we were baptized. It is a commitment of
a lifetime, and it is a personal act that engages our entire person."
Apostles' Creed:
A. The Text:
Latin: descendit ad inferos
Present version: He descended to the dead.
New version: He descended into hell.
B. Analysis of Change:
The ancient meaning of the Latin term inferi is "limbo" where the souls of our
ancestors from the time of Adam and Eve to the coming of Jesus Christ stayed.
"It was believed to be the abode or realm of the dead where the ancestors
awaited the coming of the Savior."
"The new translation revives a former English translation of inferi as hell,
which does not correspond to the current understanding of hell. In fact, the Latin
inferi can mean either underworld or hell.
C. Catechesis:
"The context of 'He descended into hell' is the Easter Triduum of Christ's
death, burial, and resurrection.
"If Good Friday commemorates his (Jesus') death and Easter Sunday his
resurrection, Holy Saturday recalls the day of his burial. Ancient tradition
connects the burial of Christ with his visit of the ancestors in the inferi or realm
of the dead. His rest in the tomb on Holy Saturday, the seventh day when God
rested from all his work of creation, was not really a day of rest from his work
of salvation; he went in search of his ancestors. He died in order to visit the
dead and raise them with himself.
He came down to earth alone; he returned to the Father in the company of
those he had redeemed. This is the awesome event of Holy Saturday, the mystery
of his burial."
"We can speak of hell in a metaphorical or even idiomatic way as in "all hell broke
loose" when there is a great uproar and disorder. For some of us life can be real
hell, but we know that Christ came down to the hell that sin created. He tasted
the hell of poverty, betrayal, and bodily pains. There were moments when his life
was hell and he cried in utter helplessness: 'My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?'"
But Jesus' "experience of earthly hell allows us to trust that he, the
compassionate Shepherd, will not abandon us in our hell. We cling then to the
faith of Holy Saturday: Christ descends into our hell in order to impart to us the
virtue of Christian optimism and hope in God." Because we believe that Christ
will descend into our hell to keep us company and lift us up to the Father.
Fifth Change: The
Eucharistic Prayer - Introductory Dialogue
We now come to that part of the Mass called The Eucharistic Prayer.
The Eucharistic Prayer means "a prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification. The priest
invites the people to lift up their hearts to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving; he
unites them with himself in the prayer which, in the name of the entire community,
he addresses to God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. Thus, the
entire congregation of the faithful joins "itself with Christ in confessing the great
things God has done and in offering the sacrifice" of the Mass.
A. The Text:
Latin: Dignum et iustum est.
Present version: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
New version: It is right and just.
B. Analysis of change:
The classical Latin phrase "Dignum est" signifies "the worthiness of an action.
"The word 'right', which translates dignum includes not only our obligation to
do the right thing in relation to God but also our realization that in the first
place God deserves to be thanked."
"The word 'just' translates iustum. It tells us that God is just or righteous.
We acclaim God's justice and righteousness, which he imparts to us through
the Spirit of adoption."
"In a word, the acclamation Dignum et iustem est means that God is worthy to
be thanked (dignum) and his justice makes us holy (iustum).
However, the present translation "elaborates the word 'dignum', but in the
process it leaves out iustum: "It is right to give him thanks and praise."
C. Catechesis:
"When the priest exhorts us to 'give thanks to the Lord our God', we answer
with enthusiasm and fervor: "It is right and just.'"
We say "it is right, because God is worthy of all thanks. The great work of our
salvation, which he accomplished in Jesus Christ, infinitely exceeds our ability
to give thanks.
And we also acclaim that "it is just, because God, the Just One, shares with
us his own righteousness whereby we become holy and righteous in his sight.
In summary, therefore it is right and just to give thanks to the Lord our God.
Sixth Change: The Communion Rite
"Since the Eucharistic Celebration is the paschal banquet, it is desirable that
in keeping with the Lord's command the faithful who are properly disposed
receive his body and blood as spiritual food. This is the purpose of the breaking
of the bread and the other preparatory rites that lead the faithful directly to
Communion.
"Lord, I am not worthy..."
A. The Text:
Latin: Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum:
sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea.
Present version: Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say
the word and I shall be healed.
New version: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under
my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall
be healed.
B. Analysis of change:
"The liturgical formula is an adaptation of the words a centurion addressed to
Jesus. The pagan centurion had a slave who was close to death. He sent some
Jewish elders to Jesus to heal the slave. But as Jesus was not far from the
house, the centurion sent message to Jesus: "I am not worthy to have you
come under my roof..."
But "what matters here is not the story of the centurion, which has no
connection with Holy Communion, but his attitude toward Jesus. His humility
and faith are exemplary and truly edifying and should be the attitude of those
who receive Holy Communion.
The present version made a simple and straightforward translation of the
Latin text.
The new version is literal and brings to mind the words of the centurion.
C. Catechesis:
"The centurion's attitude of humility and faith should become our own when
we approach Holy Communion. He was aware of his unworthiness. He knew
that as a pagan he was not holy enough to invite Jesus to his home.
But "Jesus considered him worthy of his love and attention because of his
humility and faith.
Epilogue:
Thank you for your time to read and understand the changes and catechesis of the New English Translation of the Roman Missal.
A. The Text:
Latin: et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis
Present version: and peace to his people on earth
New version: and on earth peace to people of good will
B. Analysis of change:
The new version is the literal and more faithful translation of both the Latin
and Greek text.
We hear the angels greeting the birth of the Messiah with the song: "Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace among people of good will."
"Goodwill" and "good will" express two different thoughts in English. The first
refers to God; the second to the people."
C. Catechesis:
The joyful hymn of the angels' greetings "carries us back to the first Noel when
the Son of God descended to earth with the glad tidings of peace. But he worked
for it; he shed his blood for it." In other words, "peace is the Father's gift to us,
but Christ had to win it in order to own it and thus bestow it."
"Peace is God's gracious gift to the fallen world. Not one of us can claim to
deserve it. Not one of us is good enough to merit the grace of peace. Such was
the gratuitousness of divine grace that Christ died for us not because we were
saints, but because we were helpless sinners."
Thus, when "we sing 'on earth peace to people of good will', we ought to keep
in mind that God's peace is not a reward grated to people who possess good will;
rather, it is the benevolence of God, a goodwill gift, a divine favor bestowed on our
unworthy selves."
"We keep reminding ourselves that the only reason why we can claim to be
'people of good will' is because God has first shown his favor to us. Finally, we
resolve with the help of divine grace to live worthily so that the peace of Christ
may always dwell in our hearts."
Fourth Change: The Creed
This time the change is in The Creed. We use two versions of The Creed, the
Nicene Creed which is the longer version, and the shorter version of the Apostles'
Creed.
The Nicene Creed is the most widely accepted statement of faith among Christian
churches. This was defined during the First Council of Nicea in the year 325 AD.
Catholics refer to the Nicene Creed as the "Symbol of Faith".
A. The Text:
Latin: Credo in unum Deum... Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et
apostolicam Ecclesiam.
Present version: We believe in one God... We believe in one holy catholic
and apostolic Church.
New version: I believe in one God... I believe in one holy catholic and
apostolic Church.
B. Analysis of change:
The present version in the first person plural ("we") is based on the Greek version.
The Latin version has consistently used the first person singular ("I"). Both may be
used for valid reason.
"The plural pronoun "we" indicates that what we declare in the creed is the faith of
the Church... This plural form of the Creed is proclaimed meaningfully on the
occasion of synods and councils."
"The singular pronoun "I", on the other hand, expresses personal adherence to the
tenets of faith. It is the form of the Creed that we use when we profess or renew our
baptismal faith." The new version of the Creed recited at Mass will now follow the
Latin version of the singular pronoun.
C. Catechesis:
In our baptism, we or our parents on our behalf made the profession of faith in the
Holy Trinity in the first person singular.
"At baptism we do not merely state what the whole Church believes; we declare that
we personally adhere to what the Church believes: 'I believe in God, the Father
almighty; I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; I believe in the
Holy Spirit.'"
"There is thus interplay between our personal profession of faith and the official
creed of the Church."
"On Sundays and solemn feasts the Church wants us to renew our profession
of faith. It is not a mere recitation of the fundamental doctrine of the Church
about the Holy Trinity, the Church and the communion of saints, baptism and
forgiveness of sins, and everlasting life. We are saying in effect: 'I embrace the
faith of the Church. To this faith I commit my whole life, my every thought,
word, and action."
"The creed at Sunday Mass extends to the entire year our commitment to live
according to what we promised when we were baptized. It is a commitment of
a lifetime, and it is a personal act that engages our entire person."
Apostles' Creed:
A. The Text:
Latin: descendit ad inferos
Present version: He descended to the dead.
New version: He descended into hell.
B. Analysis of Change:
The ancient meaning of the Latin term inferi is "limbo" where the souls of our
ancestors from the time of Adam and Eve to the coming of Jesus Christ stayed.
"It was believed to be the abode or realm of the dead where the ancestors
awaited the coming of the Savior."
"The new translation revives a former English translation of inferi as hell,
which does not correspond to the current understanding of hell. In fact, the Latin
inferi can mean either underworld or hell.
C. Catechesis:
"The context of 'He descended into hell' is the Easter Triduum of Christ's
death, burial, and resurrection.
"If Good Friday commemorates his (Jesus') death and Easter Sunday his
resurrection, Holy Saturday recalls the day of his burial. Ancient tradition
connects the burial of Christ with his visit of the ancestors in the inferi or realm
of the dead. His rest in the tomb on Holy Saturday, the seventh day when God
rested from all his work of creation, was not really a day of rest from his work
of salvation; he went in search of his ancestors. He died in order to visit the
dead and raise them with himself.
He came down to earth alone; he returned to the Father in the company of
those he had redeemed. This is the awesome event of Holy Saturday, the mystery
of his burial."
"We can speak of hell in a metaphorical or even idiomatic way as in "all hell broke
loose" when there is a great uproar and disorder. For some of us life can be real
hell, but we know that Christ came down to the hell that sin created. He tasted
the hell of poverty, betrayal, and bodily pains. There were moments when his life
was hell and he cried in utter helplessness: 'My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?'"
But Jesus' "experience of earthly hell allows us to trust that he, the
compassionate Shepherd, will not abandon us in our hell. We cling then to the
faith of Holy Saturday: Christ descends into our hell in order to impart to us the
virtue of Christian optimism and hope in God." Because we believe that Christ
will descend into our hell to keep us company and lift us up to the Father.
We now come to that part of the Mass called The Eucharistic Prayer.
The Eucharistic Prayer means "a prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification. The priest
invites the people to lift up their hearts to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving; he
unites them with himself in the prayer which, in the name of the entire community,
he addresses to God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. Thus, the
entire congregation of the faithful joins "itself with Christ in confessing the great
things God has done and in offering the sacrifice" of the Mass.
A. The Text:
Latin: Dignum et iustum est.
Present version: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
New version: It is right and just.
B. Analysis of change:
The classical Latin phrase "Dignum est" signifies "the worthiness of an action.
"The word 'right', which translates dignum includes not only our obligation to
do the right thing in relation to God but also our realization that in the first
place God deserves to be thanked."
"The word 'just' translates iustum. It tells us that God is just or righteous.
We acclaim God's justice and righteousness, which he imparts to us through
the Spirit of adoption."
"In a word, the acclamation Dignum et iustem est means that God is worthy to
be thanked (dignum) and his justice makes us holy (iustum).
However, the present translation "elaborates the word 'dignum', but in the
process it leaves out iustum: "It is right to give him thanks and praise."
C. Catechesis:
"When the priest exhorts us to 'give thanks to the Lord our God', we answer
with enthusiasm and fervor: "It is right and just.'"
We say "it is right, because God is worthy of all thanks. The great work of our
salvation, which he accomplished in Jesus Christ, infinitely exceeds our ability
to give thanks.
And we also acclaim that "it is just, because God, the Just One, shares with
us his own righteousness whereby we become holy and righteous in his sight.
In summary, therefore it is right and just to give thanks to the Lord our God.
Sixth Change: The Communion Rite
"Since the Eucharistic Celebration is the paschal banquet, it is desirable that
in keeping with the Lord's command the faithful who are properly disposed
receive his body and blood as spiritual food. This is the purpose of the breaking
of the bread and the other preparatory rites that lead the faithful directly to
Communion.
"Lord, I am not worthy..."
A. The Text:
Latin: Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum:
sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea.
Present version: Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say
the word and I shall be healed.
New version: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under
my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall
be healed.
B. Analysis of change:
"The liturgical formula is an adaptation of the words a centurion addressed to
Jesus. The pagan centurion had a slave who was close to death. He sent some
Jewish elders to Jesus to heal the slave. But as Jesus was not far from the
house, the centurion sent message to Jesus: "I am not worthy to have you
come under my roof..."
But "what matters here is not the story of the centurion, which has no
connection with Holy Communion, but his attitude toward Jesus. His humility
and faith are exemplary and truly edifying and should be the attitude of those
who receive Holy Communion.
The present version made a simple and straightforward translation of the
Latin text.
The new version is literal and brings to mind the words of the centurion.
C. Catechesis:
"The centurion's attitude of humility and faith should become our own when
we approach Holy Communion. He was aware of his unworthiness. He knew
that as a pagan he was not holy enough to invite Jesus to his home.
But "Jesus considered him worthy of his love and attention because of his
humility and faith.
Epilogue:
Thank you for your time to read and understand the changes and catechesis of the New English Translation of the Roman Missal.
Nick Isip
______________________________
* Source: The
New English Translation of the Roman Missal: A Catechetical Primer, by Fr. Anscar J. Chupungco, OSB
