One of the surprises to come out of the Synod on Synodality was a call for better liturgy. The final report of the October 2023 session of the synod referred to “the widely reported need to make liturgical language more accessible to the faithful and more embodied in the diversity of cultures.” The English-speaking church Read more
The Catholic Church in New Zealand is setting its sights on introducing an inclusive lectionary for Mass. Improved translations for the opening and post-Communion prayers are also under consideration. The initiative was confirmed by Bishop Stephen Lowe, president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference and the bishops’ representative on the International Commission on English Read more
Synodal feedback calls for reworking the current Roman Missal to provide better, more straightforward and accessible liturgical language. Sadly, this request reads as if this change were not already possible. It has been available to the New Zealand Church since September 3, 2017, when Pope Francis published Magnum Principium (The Great Principle). In Magnum Principium, Read more
Jesus’ blood was poured out “per tutti” – “for all” rather than “per molti”, meaning “for many”, according to the new Italian Missal presented to Pope Francis on 28 August. The pope normally celebrates Mass in Italian. The approved Italian translation from Latin of the new Roman Missal comes nine years after the English version Read more
The Italian bishops’ conference says a revised translation of the missal for Italy has been approved. Conference president Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti says Pope Francis authorised the publication of the revised translation of the third edition of the Messale Romano, which the bishops had approved last November. It will be some months before the books are Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference want the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) to review the 1998 draft Roman Missal translation early next year. The conference’s president, Auckland Bishop Patrick Dunn, told the NZ Catholic their request seeks to balance demand for use of the missal while ensuring “unity is preserved with Read more
Pope Francis has issued a public correction to an article by Cardinal Robert Sarah about the changes the Pope has made to the way liturgical texts are to be translated from the original Latin into local languages. Sarah, a 72-year-old Guinean is the prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Read more
During their recent meeting in Wellington, the New Zealand Catholic bishops discussed Pope Francis’ Motu Proprio ‘Magnum Principium’ (the great principle) which lays out the procedure for preparing translations of liturgical texts from Latin into local languages. They say they will be working in collaboration with English speaking Bishops’ Conferences around the world as they Read more
When Pope Francis issued his motu proprio on liturgical translation (Magnum principium) in September, most of the commentary that followed was focused on the change in Canon Law this enacted, which strengthened the role of bishops’ conferences. The 2001 Vatican instruction on translation, Liturgiam authenticam, had strongly centralized authority in Rome and diminished the role of the bishops’ conferences. Read more
Although Pope Francis has handed control of translating the liturgy to bishops’ conferences, Cardinal Robert Sarah says the Vatican will still need to approve the translations. Sarah, who is the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, says the Vatican will continue to safeguard any changes and any new Read more