The New English Translation of the

Roman Missal

Why the changes?

After Second Vatican Council allowed use of mother tongue within the Mass the first official English translation of the Roman Missal came out in 1973.

After 40 years the Church sees that there are some English translation that could be improved.

In 2001 Vatican called for more precise translation to give Catholics a better sense of the richness of Latin text

2010 the new English translation came out after thorough study by International Commission on English in the Liturgy approved by Vatican’-Congregation for Divine Worship.

In response to the priest greeting of “The Lord be with you”

2010 translation: AND WITH YOUR

SPIRIT1973Translation: AND ALSO WITH YOU

Catechesis: The response comes after the greeting “The Lord be with you’. An affirmation of the presence of the risen Lord in the assembly during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the great truth of our Catholic faith. And to “acknowledge the Spirit’s activity through the priest during the sacred liturgy.”

PENITENTIAL ACT

2010 Translation:I confess to Almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, THROUGH MY FAULT, THROUGH MY FAULT, THROUGHT MY GRIEVIOUS FAULT. Therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

1973 translation: “I have sinned through my own fault”

Catechesis: The triple (3) “mea culpa” is what is stated in Latin liturgy. This is to etch in our consciousness the sense of being sinners, individually and as a community, even as we never despair for God’s mercy.

GLORIA

2010 Translation:

Glory to God in the highest AND ON EARTH PEACE TO PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL . We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory x x x Amen.

1973 translation: “and peace to his people on earth”

Catechesis: We ought to keep in mind that God’s peace is not a reward granted to people who possess good will, rather, it is the benevolence of God, a goodwill gift, a divine favor bestowed on our our unworthy selves. And we need to exert best effort to make peace factual and alive in our hearts and in the community around us.

APOSTLES’ CREED

2010 Translation:I believe in one God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius

Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; HE DESCENDED INTO HELL; on the third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.

1973 translation: He descended to the dead.

Catechesis:The Latin word inferi was identified as the “limbo” of the ancestors who awaited the coming of the Savior and were freed on Holy Saturday. Our Catholic faith teaches us to cling to the faith of Holy Saturday: Jesus descends into our hell in order to impart in us the virtue of Christian optimism and hope in God.

2010 Translation-

Priest: The Lord be with you.People: And with your spiritPriest: Lift up your heartsPeople: We lift them up to the LordPriest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

People: IT IS RIGHT AND JUST

1973 translation: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Catechesis: This new translation is short and succinct like the original Latin response. This means that God is worthy to be thanked (dignum) and that His justice makes us holy (iustum).

Eucharistic PrayerOpening Dialogue

SANCTUS

2010 Translation:

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY LORD GOD OF HOSTSHeaven and earth are full of your gloryHosanna in the highestBlessed is he who comes in the name of the LordHosanna in the highest.

1973 translation: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might

Catechesis: The translation “God of hosts” is closer to the meaning. “Hosts” meaning an army. It refers to the bond between heavenly and earthly liturgy in which the worshiping community joins the army of angels and the saints in singing the hymn of God’s glory.

2010 Translation-

Priest: THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD

1973 Translation: This is the cup of my Blood.

Comment: The word CHALICE is more formal and refers to “CHALIX” in Latin liturgy. This refers to the Eucharistic cup that the Lord consecrated at the Last Supper (Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25ff)

LORD, I AM NOT WORTHY

2010 Translation:

LORD, I AM NOT WORTHY THAT YOU SHOULD ENTER UNDER MY ROOF, BUT ONLY SAY THE WORD AND MY SOUL SHALL BE HEALED

1973 translation: Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

Catechesis: In the Gospel of Luke (Luke 7:6-7) where the centurion’s servant was sick and Jesus told him that He will go to his house. The centurion said “ x x x I am not worthy to have you come to my roof xxx But only say the word, and let my servant be healed.” The centurion’s attitude of humility and faith should become our own when we approach the Holy Communion.