English-speaking Catholics were surprised three years ago to learn that the English translation of the Roman Missal, in use since 1973, was to be replaced by a new English translation. Surprised, because most people did not see anything wrong with the 1973 translation. After the new text had been distributed in 2008 some people certainly [...]

This week’s article on the new missal looks at the context of the decision to develop and use a new English translation. Older Catholics will remember that once upon a time, only the priest and the altar servers said the words used in the Mass and that many Catholics did not own a missal or [...]

The biggest task facing the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) in 1969 was the translation of the Order of the Mass.  The 1969 Roman Missal provided the original text and this had to be translated from Latin into appropriate English. The big question was “How do we do it?”

We are now going to start looking at some of the changes in the new English translation of the Mass with the move away from Dynamic Equivalence towards Formal Equivalence (direct translation) and also to explain the reasons for these changes.  We’ll first look at those changes that were implemented in 2008 and next week [...]

In Southern Africa, we implemented  the new Roman missal’s Phase One — the changes that most directly involve the congregation — in 2008. Phase Two — the changes to the parts of the Mass that are said by the Priest — will be implemented in from the first Sunday of Advent, on November 27, 2011.

Phase Three of the new translation process will see the introduction of the new lectionary with its different translation of the Holy Scriptures. The new lectionary and the new versions of the psalms will be introduced in Lent 2012. The Sunday and daily missals for use by worshippers in the congregation at Mass will also [...]

Over the past six articles we have explored the new English translation of the liturgy of the Holy Mass. The aim of this series has been to inform Catholics of the changes, to help them to understand the reasons for the changes, to help them to participate more fully in the sacrifice of the Mass—but [...]