Alleluia!

Dear Cardinals,


Dear Brother Bishops and Priests,


Members and Consultors of the Vox Clara Committee,


I thank you for the work that Vox Clara has done over the last eight years, assisting and advising the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in fulfilling its responsibilities with regard to the English translations of liturgical texts. This has been a truly collegial enterprise. Not only are all five continents represented in the membership of the Committee, but you have been assiduous in drawing together contributions from Bishops’ Conferences in English-speaking territories all over the world. I thank you for the great labour you have expended in your study of the translations and in processing the results of the many consultations that have been conducted. I thank the expert assistants for offering the fruits of their scholarship in order to render a service to the universal Church. And I thank the Superiors and Officials of the Congregation for their daily, painstaking work of overseeing the preparation and translation of texts that proclaim the truth of our redemption in Christ, the Incarnate Word of God.


Saint Augustine spoke beautifully of the relation between John the Baptist, the vox clara that resounded on the banks of the Jordan, and the Word that he spoke. A voice, he said, serves to share with the listener the message that is already in the speaker’s heart. Once the word has been spoken, it is present in the hearts of both, and so the voice, its task having been completed, can fade away (cf. Sermon 293). I welcome the news that the English translation of the Roman Missal will soon be ready for publication, so that the texts you have worked so hard to prepare may be proclaimed in the liturgy that is celebrated across the anglophone world. Through these sacred texts and the actions that accompany them, Christ will be made present and active in the midst of his people. The voice that helped bring these words to birth will have completed its task.


A new task will then present itself, one which falls outside the direct competence of Vox Clara, but which in one way or another will involve all of you – the task of preparing for the reception of the new translation by clergy and lay faithful. Many will find it hard to adjust to unfamiliar texts after nearly forty years of continuous use of the previous translation. The change will need to be introduced with due sensitivity, and the opportunity for catechesis that it presents will need to be firmly grasped. I pray that in this way any risk of confusion or bewilderment will be averted, and the change will serve instead as a springboard for a renewal and a deepening of Eucharistic devotion all over the English-speaking world.


Dear Brother Bishops, Reverend Fathers, Friends, I want you to know how much I appreciate the great collaborative endeavour to which you have contributed. Soon the fruits of your labours will be made available to English-speaking congregations everywhere. As the prayers of God’s people rise before him like incense (cf. Psalm 140:2), may the Lord’s blessing come down upon all who have contributed their time and expertise to crafting the texts in which those prayers are expressed. Thank you, and may you be abundantly rewarded for your generous service to God’s people

A priestly take on the new translation of the Roman Missal

As many of you know there is a new translation of the Roman Missal coming out soon. For those that don't this, the plan is to have the new translation out by Advent of 2011. What does this mean exactly?

It means that the Novus Ordo (Modern Rite English) Mass will "sound" different... and it very well may *be* different, but that is a philosophical and theological question. In terms of practical application, the Missal will change many of the prayers, parts, and words used in the Modern Mass.

This of course has made some people question the implementation of this new translation. They argue that the new translation is cumbersome, difficult, or confusing. They then argue that added to the "difficulty" of the new translation is the simple fact that "change" and "newness" in the Mass will create confusion on behalf of the people of the Faith.

These arguments are shallow and in fact don't address the REASONS behind the necessity and purpose of the new translation. To better explain this point I direct you to Father Lee Acervo's: Corner where he explains not only why the new translation is SOUND but why it is actually a Holy and Faith-filled endeavor.

Here is a very poignant excerpt from his article:

When the Mass was first translated into English, many tried to make it more understandable or “meaningful.”  Well-intentioned, except that to make it meaningful to more and more people, the words had to become more and more simplified.  The goal of making the earthly liturgy more heavenly was lost.  The earthly liturgy was made more earthly or common.  Rather than a foretaste of Heaven, the Mass was often little different than everyday life.  As a result, Mass was no longer an encounter with something beyond this world causing many to say (and still say), “Why bother going?” 

The goal of these new translations is to lead us to something heavenly, yet understandable.  This may cause offense to some, but the prayers that we use at Mass are addressed to God and not to the people.  The priest is speaking not to the congregation, but to God on behalf of the Church, and when we approach someone of high dignity, we naturally use a higher form of language.  How much more when we approach the Almighty?

You can read the rest of his post here:

On the Revised English translations of the Roman Missal

-Posted by: Joe

As the Catholic Blog-o-world Spins: Link Round-Up

••• New Missal Translation Petitions:

 Mr. Peters over at American Papist has a good post regarding the two petitions concerning the new translation of the Roman Missal.

• Supporting the New Translation - Approx: 4000
• Against the New Translation - Approx: 14,000

As Peters says:

Not to put my hand on the scales here, but I’d hate to think that if an outside observer looked at both petitions, they would conclude that more Catholics want to see us continue using the old, flawed translations conconted in the 70’s, as opposed to joyfully embracing the new, vibrant, faithful translation (which of course, actually brings us closer to the perennial liturgical tradition of the universal Church).

 ••• The Crescast is off to see the Pope... with some help:

One of the bloggers that I find very funny: The Crescat is finally going to take her dream trip to Malta!

She needs a little help though. She plans on going for the Papal Visit, so things will book up quick and she needs some financial support. I can't do that, but I can at least get the word out. She is a good girl, is raising a son and putting herself through nursing school. Every little bit helps!

••• Lent Resources: Aggie Catholics:

Every Catholic blogger and their mom is posting the Aggie Catholics blog post regarding Lent Resources. After reading it, I realized that it was worth posting as well. Plus I didn't want to go against the Blogo-Karma... oh wait... Catholic Karma?

•••Nuns or Sisters? - The Dominican NUNS explain...:

In light of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist being on Oprah, the Dominican Nuns explained how the NUNS weren't on tv, but the Dominican Sisters were. It is a quick primer on what exactly Dominican Nuns are versus Dominican Sisters. They explain that Dominican Nuns are a specific order... and that not all Dominican Sisters are NUNS. 

•••AmP: The Kickbee: Baby tweeting from the womb:

You should probably just read American Papist instead of my blog. But since you are here... AmP posted a cute post about a new product: Kickbee. The most poigniant part of the post is where the AmP posited the question: "So unborn babies can have twitter accounts but not legal rights?" Touche. 

•••Cardinal Mahony Stamps his approval on the New Missal Translation:

I read on Sancte Pater that Cardinal Mahony has endorsed the New Missal Translation on his Blog. This is a powerful endorsement, and we American Catholics should not take it lightly. Go check out the post and check out Cardinal Mahony's Blog as well!

-Posted by: Joe

I have a problem...

...I am somewhat of a Bibliophile. Yet, I am not wealthy enough TO OBTAIN most books I want... so I just continutally check ebay hoping that someone's Catholic estate decides to list their entire library at $1 per book.

Here is my current obsession:

Daily Missal - Missale Romanum - 1962 Edition

I know it is just a Missal. Yet... it is just a wonderful resource, plus it has latin. I am really trying to re-learn latin. (I never really KNEW latin, but I did take it for a few years in middle school). Sad is me though, because it is quite difficult convincing your wife that although you just had your first child, and live in a land where the cost of living makes hawaii look cheap, even a mere $50 is too much to spend on a Missal. [Especially since we don't have the usus antiquior in our area right now.] But Catholic Books are so appealing to my obsession.

My current Missal is a 1952 St. Andrew Daily Missal which "does the job" when we get to a Tridentine Latin Mass, but it just doesn't have the PIZAZZ that this one does.

-Posted by: Joe