2007 Anglican Use Conference Review

The 2007 Anglican Use Conference in Washtington, D.C. went off, well. First, those who visit the blog, “What is the Anglican Use“? The Anglican Use is the liturgy used by personal parishes of the Pastoral Provision of John Paul II. These were Episcopal congregations that converted en masse with their priests. They use modified form of the Roman Rite that has been adapted form the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. The liturgy they used can be found in the Book of Divine Worship.

This year’s lectures were:

Rev. Peter Gerald

Catholic Chaplain of the University at Kent in Canterbury England

Rev. Charles Connor, Ph.D.

Rector of St Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, PA and EWTN host

Mrs. Linda Poindexter

Episcopal priest for 13 years and convert to the Catholic Faith

Rev. Msgr. Bruce E. Harbert

Executive Director of the reconstituted International Commission on English in the Liturgy

The most interesting lecture was Msgr. Harbert’s discussion on the history of the liturgy in English. Msgr. Harber focused on the tendency since Trent to translate the Roman liturgy, particularly the Holy Mass with with “we” language. He showed how post-Tridentine translators began to translate the Holy Mass for devotional use and in doing so “expanded” the liturgical language to encompass “us.” Nearly all prayers that are particular to the priest have been expanded to “we” and “us” and those prayers particular to a group in the assembly (e.g. catechumens) are also modified from being for “them” to “us.” Even Thomas Cranmer is not exempt from this tendency.

Msgr. Harbert made an interesting comment that the Roman Canon in the Book of Divine worship is not the Coverdale translation. David Burt explained that it derives from the Knott Missal.

The conference ended with a glorious celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by Father Eric Bergman according to the Anglican Usage in the crypt chapel of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.