In late November, 2011, a momentous event will take place that will affect the vast majority of English speaking Catholics around the world. On the first Sunday of Advent, the first Sunday of the new liturgical year, a new translation of the English language Mass will be used. From now until that time, priests, bishops and catechists across America will prepare their parishioners to not only learn the new translation, but also to learn why there is a need for the new translation. This blog is the beginning of my own humble contribution to that effort.
First, perhaps we should look at why there is a need for a new translation on the part of the Church. Although the translation of the 1970 Mass, from the missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI, has served English speaking Catholics for the last 40 years, it was somewhat lacking in its closeness to the Latin original. The new translation remedies that problem rather nicely! Second, the old translation often left particular points vague in theological terms. The new translation nicely remedies those problems as well.
Over this series of blog posts I will discuss the new wording of the prayers, and the accompanying theological significance of each. We will examine the changes to the greeting, the Confiteor, the Gloria, the Nicene Creed, the Agnus Dei, and the Domine, non sum dignus. Don’t be thrown off by the Latin names of the prayers! You know the prayers, even if you are not familiar with their Latin names.
Tim Brennan, PhD
