New Roman Missal nears implementation
Priests and deacons as well as lay parish and school leadership have been invited to attend “Deepening the Renewal: The New English Translation of the Mass and Sunday Worship” at St. Mary Cathedral Sept. 18 and 19. Paul Ford, a professor of Systematic Theology and Liturgy at St. John Seminary in Camarillo, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is facilitator for the sessions. Patrick Vallez-Kelly, director of the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, planned the meetings in light of upcoming changes in the language of the Mass. He provided Catholic San Francisco with the following perspective.
What is happening in the area of Church texts for the Mass?
Vallez-Kelly: The English version of the Mass is being revised as we speak. We should remember that the English Mass that we are used to is a translation of the official Latin version. The work of revising the English translation has been in process since 2003 or 2004. But now, the process is nearing completion, and there is a very good chance that the Holy See will issue official recognitio for a completely revised English language Roman Missal in the first half of 2010. After that recognitio is given, we will have about a year until we can expect to begin praying with these revised texts in our churches and chapels.
Why?
Vallez-Kelly: The revision is taking place now for two main reasons. First, the Holy See released a third edition of the Missale Romanum in 2002, so a matching English third edition would normally be in order. Just prior to that, the Holy See also issued a new instruction on how translations of the official rites of the Church are to be done. This new instruction requires that vernacular versions of the Church’s liturgical books match the word order and syntax of the official Latin version very closely. The expectation is that translations will reflect the Latin texts with greater theological accuracy.
Who will it affect?
Vallez-Kelly: The new translation will most directly affect all who celebrate Mass in English. It will affect not only the Church in the United States, but also Roman Catholics in about a dozen other English-speaking countries and bishops’ conferences throughout the world that will also use this new English translation. (No longer will there be separate Sacramentaries for the various English-speaking countries.) The new translation will significantly affect priests because they are responsible for voicing the Eucharistic Prayers and other presidential prayers of the Mass, all of which are being retranslated. Anyone who prays the Creed in English will notice some differences. The new English translation may indirectly affect Catholics who speak other languages if, by chance, they use the English editions for reference in making their own translations or if they are trying to learn the English prayers of the Mass. Because this new instruction on vernacular translations applies globally, other language groups may also need to revise their current translations.
How?
Vallez-Kelly: How the changes will affect us largely depends upon the attitude each of us brings to this time of change. Hopefully most of us will be open to accepting the new texts, even if the change might be a challenge or we might be critical of the choice of some words in the new texts. If one is not willing to give the new texts a chance, then the changes could be a tough pill to swallow. But I’m confident that if we take these upcoming months to prepare ourselves well, we will make the transition gracefully. In the long run the new translation will give us new words to express Christian mysteries that transcend words. It may reinvigorate one’s Catholic imagination. In the short run it will demand some extra work from all of us to let go freely of some expressions in Mass that have become second nature to us (for example, “And also with you.”) and to accept new phrases that echo ancient expressions (“And with your spirit.”)
When will this take place?
Vallez-Kelly: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, along with the other English-speaking conferences of the world, has been working through draft texts of the Roman Missal for several years now. The USCCB is scheduled to vote on three final sections of the Missal at their November 2009 meeting. If these drafts are approved, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments will take the texts approved by the USCCB as well as those approved by other English-speaking conferences and produce a single English language edition of the Roman Missal, potentially in early 2010. After that text is formally recognized, it will take a number of months (possibly up to a year) for publishers to produce new ritual books. In that time, there will be a national effort to provide catechesis and preparation for the new texts. If all voting and production were to take place without a hitch, the new translation could be put to use in our parishes as early as Advent of 2010, but there’s a very good chance that the “must-use-by” date could be set in 2011 as well. And, of course, if unexpected obstacles pop up, it might take longer.
Do we need to be anxious about these updates?
Vallez-Kelly: I don’t think we need to be nervous about these updates for a few reasons. a) The new translations have been developed, critiqued and revised in an extremely thorough process. That isn’t to say that everyone’s going to fall in love with them at first hearing, but in time we may find much to like about them. b) I don’t think we should be nervous that this development is a “turning back the clock” or an attempt to undo the Second Vatican Council. The English translation of the Mass from 1970 that we are accustomed to was completed quickly under a different set of guidelines. It’s not such a bad thing that the matter of vernacular translations is being revisited at this point of forty years following the Council. c) By no means is this the first time that the Church has dealt with changes in its Liturgy. This new translation is certainly more significant than a cosmetic change, but it doesn’t radically change the form or structure of the Mass either.
Whose idea was this?
Vallez-Kelly: I don’t think that the idea for these revisions can be attributed to any one person. This development can be traced back to the Second Vatican Council. With a little bit of research one can see how it’s been just a series of steps from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of 1964 to the first vernacular editions of the Mass (see the timeline posted at www.usccb.org/romanmissal/). Time has allowed for perspective (and differences of opinion) on how vernacular translations best express the truths contained in the Church’s official Latin liturgy. The 2001 instruction (entitled “Liturgiam authenticam on the Use of Vernacular Languages in the Publication of the books of the Roman Liturgy”) from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments was what finally set the process of revising our translation in motion, but this new instruction was mandated by Pope John Paul II way back in 1997.
Aren’t the texts we sing and pray now okay?
Vallez-Kelly: Many of us have become very comfortable with the words of the Mass that we currently hear, sing, say and pray. The current translation has been approved by our bishops in the United States and confirmed by the Holy See, so the Sacraments have been completely valid. But as these current translations were in use over a span of a generation, many came to believe that they could be improved “through correction or through a new draft.” (Liturgiam authenticam no. 6). Those who have prepared the new translation have worked to make sure that the translation of the Latin is more accurate and very rich theologically and biblically. I believe that most will notice more than anything else a change in the style of English that will become our liturgical prayer language. It is being referred to as a “heightened” or “sacred” style with its own rhythms and vocabulary.
Vallez-Kelly: For the most part, it will be sung dialogues, acclamations, litanies and hymns that make up the ordinary part of the Mass that will be affected. The huge body of processional songs and hymns currently in use in the United States may be refined over time as composers and musicians are affected by the new translation and deeper study of the norms of the Roman Missal, but in the short term I don’t think we will face much change in the body of commonly known hymns and songs. We may experience more of the dialogues and prayers of the Mass being sung if priests choose to embrace the new texts by chanting them. Time will tell on that point.
Is new music being written?
Vallez-Kelly: Yes. The revised Order of Mass has been released already (available for study only at www.usccb.org/romanmissal/), and many composers have already created new musical settings of the “Glory to God” and “Holy, Holy, Holy”, for example. I imagine we will be inundated with new musical settings of the Mass in the transitional months ahead. Our parish and school music directors will do well to be selective in choosing a new setting of the highest quality when the time for that comes. Additionally, I think there will be much encouragement for all of us to learn the English chant versions that will be included in the new Roman Missal.
What do we do with the music we know now?
Vallez-Kelly: We’ll be able to continue using some of it, such as settings of the “Lamb of God” or “Our Father” whose texts are not changing. But we will need to bid adieu to some musical settings of parts of the Mass that we know and love because their texts will no longer be approved for liturgical use. But I imagine that many composers are stretching their wings and coming up with completely new music.
What will happen at the meetings Sept 18 and 19?
Vallez-Kelly: The meetings of the weekend of September 18-19 are introductory. We’re going to give attendees a sampling of the revised texts that are already confirmed by Rome. We’ll also tell them where they can look online (www.usccb.org/romanmissal/) to see more of the new texts. We hope to offer a forum where our clergy and lay leaders will be able to ask questions and voice their ideas about the new translation. And finally we will let people know as much as we know at this point about what the national and archdiocesan plans are for introducing all of the new texts to the Church and facilitating the changeover, whenever that may be. The archdiocesan Worship Commission invited Dr. Paul Ford, a nationally recognized theologian and composer from St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California, to lead us in these two study days.
Who is invited?
Vallez-Kelly: The invitation to these initial introductory meetings was intentionally limited. On Sept. 18 we have priests and deacons coming for a talk by Dr. Ford which will be about the upcoming changes specifically as they affect their ministries. For the mini-conference on Sept. 19 we invited parish and school leaders, lay and clerical alike, to come for an introduction to the new texts and to issues that will surround the transition.
What about the Catholic laity?
Vallez-Kelly: There is much information about this topic available for the everyday Catholic on the U.S. Bishops’ new webpage, www.usccb.org/romanmissal/. I urge Catholic San Francisco readers to visit this website to learn more about the changes ahead of us. The meetings on Sept. 18 and 19 will introduce some of this material, but they will also be about leadership in a time of change. Our leaders – our catechists, music directors, liturgy coordinators, deacons, priests and bishops – will be responsible for passing on more information and directions to the faithful as we get closer to the date when we switch over to the new texts (a date as yet undetermined). We want to do what we can to help our leaders get a good handle on the new material and the catechetical process that will be needed before we begin catechizing about the new texts to the faithful at large.
From September 18, 2009 issue of Catholic San Francisco.
