Cardinal Velasio De Paolis Pope increases liturgical translation powers of bishops
In changes to the Code of Canon Law regarding translations of the Mass and other liturgical texts, Pope Francis has shifted more responsibility to local bishops’ conferences.
The document released by the Vatican, Magnum Principium, noted the sometimes tense relationship between bishops’ conferences and the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments over translations of texts from Latin to the bishops’ local languages.
The heart of the document, which applies only to the Latin rite of the Catholic Church, changes two clauses in Canon 838 of the Code of Canon Law. The Vatican no longer will “review” translations submitted by bishops’ conferences, but will “recognise” them. And rather than being called to “prepare and publish” the translations, the bishops are to “approve and publish” them.
Archbishop Arthur Roche, secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, said under the new rules, the Vatican’s “confirmation” of a translation is “ordinarily granted based on trust and confidence”, and “supposes a positive evaluation of the faithfulness and congruence of the texts produced with respect to the typical Latin text”.
Pope Francis made no announcement of immediate changes to the translations currently in use.
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Catholic scholar and theologian dies aged 81
The Vatican announced over the weekend that Cardinal Velasio De Paolis CS, prefect emeritus of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See and a distinguished professor and scholar of canon law, has died in Rome.
Cardinal De Paolis (81) died on September 9. He taught moral theology and canon law in Rome for nearly 40 years, publishing more than 200 books and articles on scientific topics, spirituality and canon law. Most recently, in 2014, he was a contributor to the book, Remaining in the Truth of Christ: Marriage and Communion in the Catholic Church. Edited by Fr Robert Dodaro OSA, it was written in response to Cardinal Walter Kasper’s suggestion that the Church allow those who are divorced and civilly remarried without an annulment to receive the Eucharist.
Cardinal De Paolis was born in Sonnino, Italy on September 19, 1935. He became a professed member of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Charles Borromeo (Scalabrinians) in 1958 and was ordained a priest of the order in 1961. He was ordained a bishop in 2004 and elevated to a cardinal in 2010.
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Teach children peace to stop war says Holy See
Building a culture of peace requires fighting injustice and tackling the root causes that lead to war and violence, according to the Holy See at a UN conference.
At the forum entitled a ‘Culture of Peace’, Archbishop Bernadito Auza, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, said that promoting a culture of peace among children is crucial for future peace.
“Key to instilling this value in children is to educate them in a ‘culture of encounter’, which involves an authentic atmosphere of respect, esteem, sincere listening and solidarity, without the need to blur or lessen one’s identity,” he told the UN.
“Such a culture would enable children to respond actively and constructively to the many forms of violence, poverty, exploitation, discrimination, marginalisation and other indignities.”
Archbishop Auza added that fostering a culture of peace also means efforts towards disarmament and the reduction in the reliance on armed forces to deal with international conflict.