The jarring new translation

by Sue Rakoczy · December 9, 2011

Two Sundays have passed in which the new translation has been used. Here are two initial observations.

In the prayer for the consecration of the wine, the use of “chalice” is an anachronism. “Chalice” is a liturgical term. Though it is true that calix can be translated as “chalice” or “cup”, to use “chalice” is to try to make the theological point that Jesus celebrated the Mass at the Last Supper, which he did not. He had a final meal with his disciples and their memory of this gradually evolved into the Eucharistic celebration. “Chalice” was chosen to emphasise Jesus as priest and to strengthen the clericalism of the Church.

And I wonder if people are beginning to ask themselves “am I among the ‘many’ for whom Jesus died, and if so, what about the “rest”? The use of “many” is the most serious theological error in the translation since the constant teaching of the Church down the ages has been that Jesus died for all humanity. The literal translation of multis as “many” leads us down the road of creeping heresy. At a Sunday liturgy of �300 people, who is saved by Christ and who is not? “Many” is not “all”.�The constant repetition of “many” will be jarring to people’s understanding of their relationship with God.