With the new English translation
of the Roman Missal "substantially complete," a committee that advises
the Vatican on English translations has added five new members,
including two Americans.
The new members of the Vox Clara Committee, established by the Vatican
in 2001, included Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix, and Bishop Arthur
J. Serratelli of Paterson, N.J., former chairman of the U.S. bishops'
Committee on Divine Worship.
Other new members of the international committee, which met Feb. 2-3 at
the Vatican, were Irish Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam; Auxiliary
Bishop David McGough of Birmingham, England; and Bishop John Tong Hon of
Hong Kong.
A press release about the meeting was posted on the blog of Vox Clara member Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa, Ontario.
According to the press release, Cardinal George Pell of Sydney, chairman
of Vox Clara, said that "with the work of the translation of the Roman
Missal substantially complete, initiatives should continue around the
English-speaking world for its effective reception." The Roman Missal is
the book of prayers used in worship in the Latin-rite church; the third
edition of the missal was published in Latin in 2002.
Marist Father Anthony Ward, an official at the Congregation for Divine
Worship and the Sacraments, said the remark implying some work remained
to be completed did not refer to the Mass texts common to all Catholics,
but simply to the approval of special adaptations requested by
individual bishops' conferences and to prayers for a nation's special
occasions. An example of a prayer for a special occasion would be
Thanksgiving Mass prayers in the United States.
National bishops' conferences have different timetables for readying
their priests and people to use the new translation and have set
different dates for beginning to use the text. The U.S. bishops have
announced that use of the new Missal will begin the first Sunday of
Advent, which is Nov. 27. The Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
said parishes will begin using the basic Mass prayers in September but
would not switch totally to the new translation until the texts for
local feasts have been finalized.
While the Vox Clara press release said committee members were pleased
that the new translation "has been welcomed throughout the
English-speaking world," not everyone has been enthusiastic about the
final product or about the way the translations were done.
Most recently, a group representing more than 400 of Ireland's 4,500
priests called in early February for a five-year waiting period to study
alternatives to the new English translation of the missal.
During the meeting, members discussed "the process for the completion of
the Roman Missal, continuing initiatives for publications of the
Lectionary (book of Scripture readings) for Mass by various conferences
and the recent confirmation of the Grail Psalter" of Psalm texts, the
press release said.
Father Ward said the Roman Missal will not be considered complete until
each English-speaking country has printed and distributed copies of the
text.
As for the texts of the Psalms, Father Ward said that every
English-speaking bishops' conference around the world has approved and
is using the Revised Grail Psalter for the Liturgy of the Hours,
including morning and evening prayer. The Vatican, and most bishops'
conferences themselves, would like to see the same Psalm translations
used at every liturgy -- including for the responsorial Psalm at Mass,
he said.
Vox Clara members also discussed the English translation of the blessing
of holy oils for the chrism Mass, the press release said; each year,
often the morning of Holy Thursday, diocesan bishops bless the oils that
will be used in the diocese during the coming year for the sacraments
of baptism, confirmation, ordination and the anointing of the sick.
Because only a bishop uses the prayer of the blessing of holy oils, it
is not part of the Roman Missal and was not translated with the
Mass-text project, the press release said.