Thursday, November 17, 2011

An Leabhar Aifrinn - progress on new Irish translation

The new Irish language translation of the Ordo Missae and of the propers for Advent and Christmas will come into general use on the same day as the official commencement of the English translation of the Missale Romanum, the Sapienti Committee has confirmed.  

The Committee is an advisory body to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for liturgical texts in the Irish language. 

The Sapienti team and its collaborators from UCC’s Department of Early and Medieval Irish recently met in Cork to discuss the proposed translation of the propers of Lent and Holy Week as well as on the propers for Sundays 12-23 of Ordinary Time. 

They expressed satisfaction with the general quality of the proposed translation and they also commended the work of the translation body of the Bishops’ Conference of Ireland.  

The emendated text of the propers was recommended for the approval of the Holy See.

It is hoped that the revised Irish texts of the Lenten and Holy Week sections of the Missal will be in use from Ash Wednesday 2012.

During the course of the meeting in Cork, an expression of gratitude from Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, was read out to UCC’s Department of Early and Medieval Irish under Professor Máire Herbert for their expertise and contribution to the new translations.  

The Cardinal also noted that substantial progress had been achieved in the provision of new liturgical texts in the Irish language.

The Committee welcomed the Congregation for Divine Worship's acceptance of the Irish translation of the Ordo Missae and the propers for Advent and Christmas. 

The Bishops’ Conference of Ireland requested the Holy See to approve the revised texts on September 14 last and this approval was granted on October 2 2011.

The Bishops’ Conference is currently arranging for the printing of the Irish translation of the Ordo Missae and of the propers of Advent and Christmas and these will come into general use on the first Sunday of Advent on November 27 2011.

The Sapienti Committee members who attended the meeting in Cork were Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam, Bishop Philip Boyce of Raphoe, Bishop Brendan Kelly of Achonry, Professor Pádraig Ó Riain, Dr Caitríona Ó Dochartaigh, Fr Joseph Briody, Fr Mícheál Ó Loingsigh, Brian Ó Donnchadha and Mons James O’Brien.

Prof Pádraig Ó Riain presented a copy of his new book A Dictionary of Irish Saints to the committee to commemorate their visit to Cork. 

The fourth meeting of the Committee will take place in Knock in February 2012.  

The Committee’s fifth meeting will take place in Rome in May 2012.