Paul Keenan
Experts on the translation of the Roman Missal have cautioned that any expectation of change to the translation of the Mass currently in use are “a long shot”.
It comes amid reports from Rome that Pope Francis has established a new commission to review the guidelines that led to the 2011 translation, the language of which has been criticised by some.
Responding to the commission report, yet to be confirmed by the Vatican, Bishop John McAreavey told The Irish Catholic that, in the context of criticism from some commentators that had greeted the 2011 Missal, “it is in place now and being used across the Catholic world”.
Review
“The idea of a review that would lead to a new publication is a long shot,” he said.
Bishop McAreavey is currently a member of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), the body directly involved in preparing English translations of Latin liturgical books and texts in accord with the directives of the Holy See. Echoing Bishop McAreavey’s caution on matters was Spiritan Fr Tom Whelan, who is a member of the Episcopal Council for Liturgy.
Expectations
“While I would love to be excited by the news of the creation of this new commission, my expectations are rather modest,” he told this newspaper with regard to the Missal.
He said that it would be “wonderful” if the current Missal were to be changed. However, he said, “I think that the pragmatics of administrators will win out, especially when it comes to financial aspects of the project”
Fr Whelan said one area a commission could work on would be a return to the practice laid down by Vatican II which “gives the local episcopal conference the authority to approve translations rather than the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome. If we were able to go back to the stipulation of the Council on this matter, it would bring us fully in line with what Pope Francis is trying to do at present – to return to Episcopal Conferences authority to deliberate on local issues.”
This Fr Whelan said, would be a welcome development.