The new English translation: day 2

The new English translation: day 1

Nada, nothing, zilch, zip.

Same old, same old lame duck 1973 ICEL version.

How disappointing.

Some thoughts on the new translation and the South African experience

St Malachy and his family are just back from an extended holiday in South Africa.

The new English translation of the Missal is already (partially) in use in that country and I understand it's been a rough ride.

During our holiday we had the opportunity of attending Mass at two different parishes over 5 weeks, including the Easter Triduum. Also, St Malachy went to a number of week days Masses at both parishes. Our experiences at the two parishes (which are probably less than 5 miles apart) could not have been more different.

In parish number one it was evident before the greeting was over that the new translation was very much partially in use! I'd say the response to the greeting was a 50/50 split between "And also with you" and the new "And with your spirit". The Confiteor could best be described as interesting with most people having sinned through their own fault with a smaller number having greatly sinned through their threefold fault! And so it went on including use of the present translation of "pro multis" in the words of consecration as "...for all".

On the other hand, in parish number two, the new translation was very much in use. The responses of the people were clear and confident. The entire experience was utterly different. Incidentally parish 2 also seems a more welcoming place (although that's a very subjective view).

So what was the underlying reason for the difference between the two parishes? I would say two things:
1. Catechism - it was evident in parish 2 that the people had some explanation of the reason for the changes; and
2. The attitude of the parish priest. Clearly in parish 1 the priest - incidentally an important man in the diocese - is of the "What if we just said wait" variety.

I suspect we have interesting times ahead!

The new English translation of the Missal

There is a very interestting article on Insidecatholic.com by Fr Robert Johansen entitled The New Missal: Disaster or Opportunity?

He makes the point that many of the objections to the new translation are ideological objections [masquerading as something else]:

I have observed that "something more" before, writing and speaking about what I describe as "ideologized" liturgy -- that is, liturgy being made to bear ideological burdens that are extrinsic and, in many cases, inimical to it. The highly charged language of many of those objecting to the new Missal is frequently ideological: When I see words like "archaic" and "tyrannical," and phrases like "a great step forward" or "a major step backward," being used in complaints about the Missal, I suspect that the train of thought is carrying heavy ideological freight.

I use "ideology" here in the circumscribed manner of political theorists like Michael Oakeshott and Russell Kirk: to refer to the political fanaticism that results from elevating an abstraction to an absolute, all-explaining and all-encompassing concept, and making everything, including persons, subordinate to that concept. It is to take political concepts and impulses and make them serve ends that are properly religious.

Fr Johnson also makes reference in the article to the South African experience and I shall post some thoughts on that shortly. In the meantime his whole article is well worth a read.

New English translation?

That the bones you have crushed may thrill blog has a lovely piece on the Heretics Catholics for a Changing Church new (dreamland) translation of the Mass.

It's a must read but here is a brief taster:

Controversial aspects of the new translation include the replacement of the phrase 'God our Father' with 'Daddy', 'Lord' with 'O Lordy, Lordy' and 'we ask this through Christ our Lord' with 'for Chrissakes'.

Have a look, it's a hoot!

We've waited long enough

The new English translation of the Roman Missal has finally been passed by the American bishops.

Even after all this time there are liturgical dinosaurs who are trying to hold up the implementation of the translation. Dinosaurs like Bishop Trautman who thinks words like "ineffable", "consubstantial" and "oblatgion" are TOOOO HAAAARD for normal people to understand.

Then we have dinosaurs like Fr Ryan and America Magazine who want us "just wait" and are running a petition to that effect. How much longer should we wait? Another 35 years Father?

Now we have a chance to respond. Please add your name to the petition "We've Waited Long Enough".

Friday thought

Statistically, most Catholics today come nowhere near the Liturgy, and even when they occasionally do, there is the serious risk of their being infected with what one might term 'spiritual food poisoning' from the diet of poor translations, gross informality, trite music, and any number of abuses.... with which they may be confronted.

Dom Alcuin Reid: "Do we need a New Liturgical Movement?" UK CIEL Conference, London 2004