Introducing the new edition of the Roman Missal

1. Introducing the new edition of the Roman Missal

2. Changes! • http://vimeo.com/25418061

3. Why are we changing? • On the first Sunday of Advent in 2011 the English speaking churches around the world began using a new edition of The Roman Missal. • This edition or new translation pertains to the book of prayers that we use to celebrate the mass. Familiar prayers such as the Gloria and the Creed will have new words and phrases. • This new translation will not affect the scripture readings, the Prayers of the Faithful, or the songs being sung. • The new translation affects the words we speak and sing at every Mass, and the prayers that the priest recites alone.

4. Historical Information • In 1963, bishops from English speaking countries set up the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). • The Commission started to aid the bishops in their intention to implement the Vatican Council’s guide to use the vernacular language in the liturgy rather than the Latin language they had been using previously.

5. It is important to remember that the prayers of the Roman Catholic Church always originate in Latin and are then translated in the vernacular languages. • There have been three Latin editions of The Roman Missal; the third edition of The Roman Missal was recently published in 2002. • The Canadian Translation by ICEL was finally approved on August 15, 2011.

6. The goal of this translation is to faithfully and accurately translate the Latin without paraphrasing it. • The new translation has been done to remain faithful to the Latin text. • As you say and hear the new words, it is hoped you will appreciate even more the value of the faith that has been passed on to you through this new prayer language.

7. Why is this being done? This new translation is more faithful to the Latin text: • Imagine taking a Shakespearean text & “translating” it so that it is written in modern English. As English is an evolving, as a living language, this translation would need updating and changing to keep it fresh and current. So it is with the Mass. • Have you ever seen a movie based on your favourite book? You may have experienced some disappointment in the translation. Since the movie has to be shorter than the book – characters would have to be omitted, some of your favourite scenes or dialogue would have been eliminated and maybe they altered the ending. You might have thought of ways you could have reworked the movie to include those things missing from the book. That is the kind of improvement the new translation wanted to accomplish. After a reassessment of the original text, its goal was to make the translation better.

8. Challenges we will face: • Re-learning old texts • The theological concepts may be unfamiliar • The scriptural references may be unfamiliar or be considered inconsequential • The language of the Mass will not always be precisely as we usually use English day to day

9. Where does this language come from? • The words of the Mass often refers us back to the Scriptures. • The new translation will help you better connect the words of the Mass to the Scripture readings. • You will see more clearly that the traditional words we use for prayer arise from expressions in the Word of God.

10. Scripture Scavenger Hunt With your group, move around the school finding the scripture passage that matches the excerpts from the Mass as we will celebrate with the new Roman Missal. Identify the scripture passage in the blanks on the right.