An Australian web site has a draft of the new translation of the Mass from Latin to English. I like it. It is more faithful to the Latin and thus gives the prayers a new significance. For example, “Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa” is back in the Confiteor as “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.” The creed begins “I believe,” a proper translation of “credo.” And so on. I’m no Latin scholar, but this translation seems much more faithful to the actual Latin text of the Mass.
I’m excited by the idea of this new translation and am looking forward to seeing it implemented. And maybe by shaking things up a bit, we can unintentionally get the people in the pews paying attention again as what has become rote and routine is new and unfamiliar for a little while. It could be a great teaching moment if pastors want to take advantage of it.
Al,
I disagree with the assertion that a local ordinary has the authority to exercise prudential judgment here. The document from the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts I liked to yesterday precludes such.
I would rather have an excessively literal translation from Latin than the excessively “artistic” translations we’ve been dealing with all these years. I don’t find it clumsier, but then your opinion and mine are just that: opinions.
“This whole translation is on the wrong track. What is deficient in the current English translation of the Mass is not that it isn state of grace. Otherwise they are complicit in sacrilege. The controlling principle here is that one may not do evil (communicate and unworthy person) so that good (an avoidance of scandal or strife) may come about.
Dom,
That’s my point. The Code says the same think in Canon 914.
My objection is to call it a “sanction” which would imply that such prudential judgement is called for. The only judgement called for is whether ministers of the Eucharist wish to implicated themselves in Kerry’s sacrilege.