The Introduction of the new Roman Missal - Questions and Answers

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A new English Lectionary is in preparation. The selection of readings will remain the same but the text will probably be based on the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible and the Grail Psalter. These texts however need to be modified in the light of Liturgiam Authenticam. There is no date yet for the new version of the Lectionary.

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Introduction

What can we do in our parishes to prepare? ach diocese will be offering support in different ways according to the resources they have available. Every parish is also different, so though we will all begin to use the Order of Mass at the same time, how we prepare for this will differ.

Many dioceses have already begun the process of preparation with training for clergy and days for lay people.

What about the readings at Mass? he readings we hear proclaimed at every Mass are not part of the new translation of the Missal and so our current Lectionary remains the same.

When will the new Missal text be introduced? he bishops are aware that this is a significant change in the life of the Church, and see it as a time to deepen our understanding of and renew our faith in the Eucharist. For this reason the text will be introduced gradually and with accompanying catechesis.

• From June 2011: Publications including just the Order of Mass should be available from a variety of publishers; other publications with more material (such as the Collects) should be available at the same time as the Altar Missal. CTS will publish an extract from the Missal for use by priests which will cover the period from September to the end of November 2011, when the full Missal is introduced.

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From September 2011, parishes in England & Wales will be able to use the Order of Mass from the new translation; other texts such as Collects will remain in our current translation. The Order of Mass is those texts which are the same at every celebration of Mass.

This includes the people’s responses and texts such as the Gloria and the Creed, and also the Eucharistic Prayers. Accompanying the use of the Order of Mass will be catechesis on the Mass and on the new translation.

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What about other countries and languages? iturgiam Authenticam asks Bishops’ Conferences to retranslate all liturgical texts. Other language groups are also reviewing and retranslating their liturgical books. For many European languages, however, which have either already translated the 2nd (1975) edition of the Missal or whose translation has always been closer to the Latin text, the changes may not be as significant.

When will the full text be published and used? he full text will be used from the First Sunday of Advent this year, that is, Sunday 27 November 2011.

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• November 2011: The Catholic Truth Society is publishing the Roman Missal for the Church in England and Wales and also for Australia and Scotland. They are preparing 3 editions: a large Altar edition, a medium-size Chapel edition and a smaller portable/desk-sized Study edition.

For a fuller examination of the new translation, read CTS booklets: • Companion to the Order of Mass - CTS, (LT01) and • Understanding the Roman Missal - The New Translation - CTS, (LT02) Visit: www.cts-online.org.uk www.ctscatholiccompass.org

A wide range of inexpensive publications is available from CTS to help nurture your faith and keep you informed about a wide range of issues. If you would like to receive further information please contact us: CTS, 40-46 Harleyford Road, London SE11 5AY Or visit www.cts-online.org.uk Tel: 020 7640 0042 Fax: 020 7640 0046

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Questions and Answers

All rights reserved. © 2011 Incorporated Catholic Truth Society. Images: the ‘Psautier d’Ingeburg de Danemark’, c.1210 (vellum) by French School, (13th century) Musée Condé, Chantilly, France/Giraudon/The Bridgeman Art Library. Altar Missal photograph © Lorenzo Lees.

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“I pray that the change will serve as a springboard for a renewal and a deepening of Eucharistic devotion all over the English-speaking world.”

Pope Benedict XVI

A new translation of the Mass has been prepared for the English-speaking world. The current translation we use in England and Wales was prepared in the late 1960s following the renewal of the liturgy after the Second Vatican Council.

What is the Roman Missal? y ‘the Missal’ we mean the official liturgical book which contains the texts prayed by priest and people at every celebration of Mass. This is the large book that rests on the Altar while a priest celebrates Mass. The most recent edition (the 3rd) of this book, properly called the Roman Missal (Missale Romanum in Latin), was published in 2002.

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Two further important developments highlighted the need for a new translation. In 2002 the Holy See published a new, third edition of the Latin Missal and it also produced new guidelines of translating liturgical texts – a document called Liturgiam Authenticam.

These guidelines called for translations which are faithful and accurate, and which respect the structure and the content of the Latin text.

The number of changes since previous editions is not large. The structure of the Mass we celebrate every day remains the same. The latest Missal incorporates additions which have been made since the 2nd Latin edition was published in 1975, such as Saints who have been added to the Universal Calendar, and other texts and prayers.

What is this new translation? ur English Missal is a translation of the Latin Missal. This Latin Missale Romanum is the foundation document for translations into other languages. It means that across the world, though the language and local customs may be different, the form of the Mass and the content of the prayers is the same. The Missal is therefore a sign of the unity of the Church

Though our current translation has served the Church’s prayer for the last 40 years, it was widely felt that it could be improved. The original translators, following the Church’s then guidelines on translation, chose a direct, plain style. Often this meant simplifying the texts of the prayers. One thing that people will notice about the new translation is that it is richer in style, in content and in such things as scriptural allusions.

Why do we need a new translation? fter the Second Vatican Council, people had a great desire to pray the Mass in their own language. The initial translation, which we now have been using for about 40 years, was produced quickly in response to this desire. Early on it was recognised that the translation would need to redone.

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How has it been translated? he new translation has been prepared by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), a mixed commission of 11 Englishspeaking Bishops’ Conferences which is responsible for translating into English liturgical texts issued by the Holy See.

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Since 2002 they have been working on the English translation of the 3rd edition of the Latin Missale Romanum, following the guidelines of Liturgiam Authenticam. The translation went through a number of drafts produced by ICEL and reviewed by Bishops’ Conferences round the world - the last text was voted upon in November 2009.

What is different about this translation? he starting point of this translation, like the previous one, is the Latin Missale Romanum.

The whole text, however, has been newly translated following the guidelines of Liturgiam Authenticam.

This means that some of the words said by the people at Mass will be different. One example would be the Gloria which by following the Latin text more closely is now longer. The priest’s texts, such as the Collects and the Eucharistic Prayers, are also now different.

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What about music? he translation of the main texts (such as the Gloria and the Sanctus) sung by the people at Mass is changing. One of the simplest ways of getting to know the new translation is to sing it, so composers are working on new settings, or reworking current settings to use the new words.

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One of the key features of the new edition of the Roman Missal is the amount of music it contains which is there both for practical use and to remind us of the integral place of music in the liturgy.

The chants in the Missal are offered as a basic, foundational setting for every parish which can be sung at any Mass, Sunday or weekday. Other settings of the new translation may be published in due course with permission.

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