Preparations to begin for new translation of Missal
By Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond
(Clarion Herald - 3/6/10 - English; 3/13/10 - Spanish)
You are the chair-elect of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops'
Committee on Divine Worship, which will oversee the implementation of the new
English translation of the Roman Missal that contains the prayers of the Mass.
How did that come about?
The bishops have a nominations committee that asks two bishops to run for
the chairmanship of each major committee. If we accept the nomination, it's
a very simple process from there - it goes to a vote of the bishops of the conference.
Unlike other elections, there is no behind-the-scenes campaigning. Bishops simply
vote their conscience. I will take over as chair in November from Bishop Arthur
Serratelli of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. There are times that others will
ask me why I am involved with committee work for the USCCB. There are two reasons.
First, if we are asked to use our gifts, we should be willing to do it not only
on a local level but also on a broader level, because this is a universal church.
Second, by serving on committees such as this, I've gained wisdom of experience.
In the past I have served on committees on vocations, priestly formation, the
missions, the diaconate, laity, communications and the Greek Orthodox, as well
as with the National Catholic Educational Association. I believe the Archdiocese
of New Orleans benefits because I'm able to see issues not just from a local
perspective but also from a national and international perspective.
The Committee on Divine Worship attracts a lot of feedback from Catholics
because it deals with the supreme importance of how liturgy is celebrated. Can
it be a "hot seat"?
Yes. Recently, a past chair of the Committee for Divine Worship referred to
it as the committee where you put your head on the platter! I never thought
of it that way!
Where does the English translation of the Roman Missal stand right now?
The Roman Missal is pretty much finished. It is waiting for approval from
Rome and then for printing and implementation. Our committee certainly will
be intimately involved in the implementation of the new missal. We also will
have the continuing task to oversee the translations for other sacraments, as
well as the remainder of the lectionary. I will be chair for only three years,
but this is a committee that has its work cut out for it for many, many years
to come.
Archbishop Hughes has served for several years on Vox Clara, a group of
bishops from English-speaking countries around the world that has been working
in concert with the Vatican to give its advice on the Roman Missal translations.
Have you spoken to him about his work?
I have. Whether it's ironic, providential or accidental, it's kind of interesting
that two of us living next door to one another in the same archdiocese are involved
in the translation of the Roman Missal.
Do you have any idea when the new missal might go into effect in the U.S.?
We're not sure of the implementation date. We think the earliest date would
be in 2012, but we're not even sure of that. Some have suggested that the missal
might be ready for Advent in 2011, but I would be very surprised if that were
to happen. But it's not too early to begin explaining to Catholics that while
the liturgy will "sound" different, it won't "look" different.
The only change in the "look" of the liturgy that I'm aware of - and
it's been talked about but not yet decided upon - is whether or not the sign
of peace should be moved before the presentation of the gifts or should remain
where it is in the Communion rite. There's been a consultation with the bishops
of the world on this. Some bishops felt it would be carrying out the biblical
mandate better to move the sign of peace to just before the presentation of
the gifts because Jesus said, "If you have a grievance against your brother
or sister, go and be reconciled and then come and offer your gifts at the altar."
As far as "sounding" different, most of the prayers that we say in
common and many of the prayers that the presider says will have changes in language.
People will ask, "We've been using these prayers since Vatican II, so why
is there a need for change?" This is where we must recognize that we are
not the church of the United States or the church of Asia or the church of Brazil.
We are the church of the world. There was concern throughout the world that
there be a better translation. The translation we will be using will be a more
literal translation of the Latin instead of a paraphrase. Obviously, the meaning
does not change, but in some cases it will be clearer. In other cases, the new
English-language translation might at first sound a little bit different, but
these new prayers will become a habit. Just as we have learned these prayers
since Vatican II, we can learn new ones. Sometimes little changes like this
can help us take another look at the whole prayer and say, "Oh, this is
what it means," instead of just taking it for granted.
You were ordained in 1975. What is your recollection of the last English
translation of the Roman Missal, which happened in 1973.
That was over 35 years ago, and my recollection is that it was a minor change.
The biggest change I can remember is when I was in eighth grade at St. James
Major when we turned the altar around and celebrated the Mass in English. That
was a big deal. I remember as an altar server going to presentations for the
whole parish where this was talked about and we were prepared. I do think one
of the challenges that we saw after Vatican II is that we did not prepare people
adequately for the changes, and so there were a lot of people who felt left
out and did not understand. That's one of the things we're trying to make sure
we address appropriately and accurately this time.
That's where education comes in.
That's correct. I've already spoken with Father Philip Landry, who is head
of our Office of Worship, and his assistants Father Jeffrey Montz and Father
Ray Hymel. We will be putting together some workshops throughout the archdiocese
and help people get ready for this change. There's the adage, "I like change,
except when it affects me." This will affect all of us. But if we approach
it in positive way, we will not only make the best of it but also benefit from
it as God's people in sacred worship.
Archbishop Aymond welcomes questions from readers. Please e-mail questions
to clarionherald@clarionherald.org.