New Translation of Holy Mass in English

When I was at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, DC, my office was across the street from the ICEL office. I was able to go over and spend time with Msgr. Harbert several times and learn about the new translation of the Holy Mass. Msgr. Harbert is the head of the new ICEL (not the old one – don’t throw stones!). I think he and his team did a great job. We all ought to raise a toast to them when these changes are implemented.

Text below from Mark Adams. My comments in red.

Some of the things I have found most irritating about the English
translation of the Catholic Mass have been fixed in a newly approved
translation (though it won’t go into effect for several years). My
personal favorites:

— Whenever the priest says, “The Lord be with you,” the people will
respond, “And with your spirit.” The current response is “And also
with you.” [This is true to the Latin which reflects the Hebrew idiom.]

— In the first form of the penitential rite, the people will confess
that “I have greatly sinned … through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault.” In the current version, that part is
much shorter: “I have sinned through my own fault.” [If God is “Holy, Holy, Holy,” certainly our sins are threefold as well!]

— The new response at the “Ecce Agnus Dei” (“Behold the Lamb of God”)
is: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but
only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” [This Latin idiom follows the Greek words of the Gospel account. It works well in the English because we call the top of our mouths the “roof” of our mouth. Thus, entering under our roof has anatomical connections in English.]

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Other notable changes:

— The Gloria has been translated differently and the structure of the
prayer will have changes from the current text. [The Gloria was so beautifully translated in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer – I hope this translation captures the same and actually includes all the content. The current Gloria omits material found in the Latin.]

— The opening of the Nicene Creed changes from “We believe … ” to
“I believe … “; other changes in the prayer also have been made.

— Before the preface, when the priest says, “Let us give thanks to
the Lord our God,” instead of saying, “It is right to give him thanks
and praise,” the people will respond, “It is right and just.” [Good old Roman simplicity.]

— The Sanctus will start “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.” The
current versions says “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might.” [This is how we said it as Anglicans. I would prefer if they left Sabaoth untranslated. I think that all Hebrew words left untranslated in Greek and Hebrew should remain untranslated in English – e.g. Hosanna, Amen, Alleluia.]

— At the Consecration, the priest will refer to Christ’s blood which
is “poured out for you and for many”– an accurate translation of pro
multis– rather than “for all” in the current translation. [It’s about time! Not only is this the correct translation, it will calm the traditionalists.]

— In the Eucharistic prayer, references to the Church will use the
pronouns “she” and “her” rather than “it.” [Beautiful!]

— In the Agnus Dei, the text cites the “Lamb of God, who takes away
the sins of the world,” rather than using the singular word “sin.”

— Throughout the translation of the Offertory and Eucharistic Prayer,
the traditional phrases of supplication are restored, and the Church
is identified as “holy”– in each case, matching the Latin original of
the Roman Missal.

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