Martin Foster, assistant secretary to the Department of Christian Life and Worship of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, described the text’s release into the public domain as “unfortunate”. “It does not allow bishops to make their decisions in the best atmosphere,” he said.What "atmosphere" is that, then? An atmosphere of immunity from criticism, freedom from scrutiny, insulation from the many learned Catholics who would be glad to give their time free of charge to see the best translation possible?
Depressingly, an official from the Congregation for Divine Worship predicted that the text of the entire Missal might be ready by early 2009. The article continues:
The release of the text is likely to upset the bishops of England and Wales, who may prefer to introduce the new translation only when the entire Roman Missal has been approved.What we need then is something from Vox Clara or the CDW authorising the use of the texts of the Ordinary in the meantime - even without the new people's responses if anyone really thinks that is such a big problem. Lord knows! I remember the 70s when there was a new leaflet on the altar every other week. We're not asking for that. Can we not just use a decent translation of the text of the Roman Canon which has been denied to the People of God for thirty years?
15 comments:
If it is ok for bishops to use pottery chalices, or pray for Anglicans as brother bishops, or quote homosexual films in pastoral letters, would it be so wrong to start introducing the texts now. After all many bishops have been using sung paraphrases of the ordinary for ages.
They were quick enough off the mark when "All Men" was changed to "All". That happened overnight.
Sorry your Lordships, you have lost this battle, the Catholic Church was not reformed into another organisation in the 1960's its the same Church it always was.
The game is up. Accept it. Stop being the Labour Party at Prayer.
Fr Sean is to be commended for bringing these translations into the public domain.
Our Bishops seem to rush decisions I consider to be harmful and procrastinate on those that would be helpful, I really can see no reason why they shouldn't be introduced earlier than 2009, at least those parts which, as you suggest, need no response.
As Richard says liturgical experimentation and novelty is rife, even amongst their Lordships. Though I think any priest should be loathe to break ranks and do anything that is illicit, such experimentation would certainly not invalidate the celebration of the Mass.
I do think that it would be helpful to those who make the final decision to have some feedback from clergy and lay people on the actual practical use of these texts. Though I would be concerned on who is actually listened to.
The one advantage of keeping them secret is that it would mean that it delays the setting of them to "Missa Trivia" music but I doubt that the Bishop's intention is that by 2009 we will have no texts for the Ordinary apart from those in Latin.
I'd like to make a second comment. With no disrespect to the Herald, which I regularly buy, several years ago the first I and only way I would have heard of such a leak was via a publication such as the Herald. In this case we have all been discussing it on the blogs for some time and the printed newspapers have followed.
It demonstrates that the blogosphere is now a mainstream media communication resource. Importantly it is different though. Traditional media is top down. The editor of a TV channel or newspaper has enormous powers to impose his opinions and prejudices on others (responsible publications like the Herald don't of course but many do)
In the blogosphere the blog owner has no such power as he will be shot down in flames by the commentators who are read as avidly as the blogger. The newspapers are already slowly morphing into blogs. The "quality" newspapers now publish free online and each article has become a blog with people commenting on that article.
What this means is that the power of a small amount of people to massively influence others by means of one way communication, which started with the printing press at around the time of the reformation, is now on the wane and for the Church, as Vatican 2 so wisely foresaw, the laity in general need to be well formed and educated in their faith to enable actual participation in the life of the Church because, as the new media becomes mainstream, they will have abilities to challenge and correct that that is wrong, which did not exist even a decade ago.
For people of certain views and their publications this will be a bitter pill to swallow.
"The People of God"? That is so 70's, Father!
Let's start using "Catholic faithful" again...
What is it with Damian Thompson and the Catholic Herald? Can anyone expolain the politics of Catholic newspaper editors in this country?
What is the relationship between the newspapers and the hierarchy for example? Why were William Oddie (Herald) and the late Alice Thomas Ellis (Universe) sacked but Damian carries on mocking the hierarchy. How is he getting away with it?
My suspicion is that he enjoys the personal support of the Telegraph's Barclay brothers and the Bishops are scared to take him on.
Any views?
Thompson isn't the Editor of the Herald - he's the Editor-in-Chief. I don't know what this means in practice, but he's more a Telegraph/Spectator writer than a Herald editor. The Universe's editor has sometimes made annoyed comments about Thompson on his forum, contrasting him with the Herald editor.
Given Cardinal Arinze's views, it's hard to believe that the English and Welsh Hierarchy will be allowed to get away with 2009. They'll try to force a "compromise" date of Advent 2008.
Damian Thompson shares the same interest as the owner of the Herald, Peter Sheppard, hence lots on liturgy, little on morals!
Actually Fr. Sean's "leak" was merely reporting a translation that is already in use in parts of the world. But it goes to show the lack of awareness on the part of some of the bishops of what is going on in the world beyond their fifedoms. It is as Philip Jenkins said a few years ago in his book of Christian demographics "The Next Christendom," to the effect that, regarding the hysterical European reaction to Dominus Jesus, a document aimed at the Southern Hemisphere and the fact that in that document, "Europe, for all its hysteria, has yet to realize that in that document, the Holy Father wasn't even talking primarily to THEM!" He went on to point out that there are more Roman Catholics in greater metropolitan Manila, than in all of the Netherlands, yet that country's Cardinal was one of loudest protesters.
No, it's excellent that we are made aware as soon as possible of documents like this, documents in which the faithful have an advisory stake, and about which they frequently know more than the Bishops. Until it becomes official, we have just as much a right to influence it as a Liturgi-Nazi in the diocesan office. WE COUNT. OUR OPINION COUNTS. That is one of the primary themes of Vat II, so having empowered us as the Laity, the Bishops need to be TOLD IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS that they can't shut us up, just because that empowered laity starts saying things THEY don't like, or if the Empowered Laity turns out to be more conservative than they are.
I really liked Paul South Midland's comment on the Blogosphers. Rome, the one world institution which is dogmaticlly bound to be not only consistant with but responsive to the historically defined truth, has yet to fully comprehend the nature and influence of the Internet, and the Blogosphere. Fr. Zuhlsdorf's recent Blog-related influence over the correction of Paragraph 62 of Sacramentum Caritatis is a prime example.
2009???? Why??? Why wait??? Why will it be OK then rather than now??
Why is it that our bishops are constantly being 'caught out'. They are our shepherds but I fear it is the sheep who continuously have to take the initiative while the shepherds are 'out to lunch'.
Thank God for the blogosphere and for sound Catholic Bloggers.
Oh, and while we're at it can we have a decent Catholic Hymnal please!
Fr. Tim
Why does the introduction of the revised ICEL translations have to be the subject of so much negotiation and diplomatic manoeuvring between Rome and the hierarchies in the English-speaking countries? Collegiality is out of control.
And, while we’re on the subject of the CDW, why don’t the left-wing apparatchiks at the English Bishops’ Conference, who sermonize constantly on the subject of racial justice and racial equality, actually practice what they preach by showing due respect and deference to Cardinal Arinze and his liturgical instructions and guidelines?
I don't know who publishes it, but the hymn book in use at the London Oratory seems pretty good.
You can bet that when the new translation of the Roman Missal finally gets published it will be accompanied by an 'interpretative document' that authorises all the current English musical settings and accompanying texts indefinitely.
BTW can anybody tell me, is the Third Edition Roman Missal the only legal text to use for a Latin Novus Ordo Mass?
The 3rd edition is the "Editio Typica" so where there are differences, that is the one that has authority. But the text as was in the older Novus Ordo Latin Missals has not been changed - there are some additions but not any deletions as far as I know. The key thing that was changed was the General Instruction at the beginning.
Apart from a presentational inexactidie of the rubric before the Sanctus in the 4th Eucharistic Prayer (black, not red, so it looks like it's part of the text), the only 'change' in the editio tertio is the addition of "unum" to the Apostles Creed. Received wisdom seems to suggest that was typo rather than a Western change to the ancient Symbol.
Unlike the new ICEL version of the Nicene Creed where, in the new English translation (which is a vast improvement in almost all respects), ICEL and Vox Clara have taken it upon themselves to remove the equivalenet of "homines" in their 'translation'.
Oh indeed, there are typos galore. I think the book is just too large, as well - I generally use the older version when I say Latin Novus Ordo.
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