3 Replies to “Beautiful article on the new missal”

  1. Like Bishop Conley, a number of us wrote glowing tributes to the New Missal, basing our praise on the accurate and literate texts of 2007-2008 approved by our bishops. Imagine how we felt when we saw something like this, for instance, come back in the Prefaces for the Dead (try chanting the 2010 versions!).

    Preface II for the Dead
    Ipse enim mortem unus accepit,
    ne omnes nos moreremur;
    immo unus mori dignatus est,
    ut omnes tibi perpetuo viveremus.

    2007-08
    For he is the one Man who accepted death
    to save us all from dying,
    the one Man who chose to die,
    that we might all for ever live to you.

    2010
    For as one alone he accepted death
    so that we might all escape from dying;
    as one man he chose to die,
    so that in your sight we all might live for ever.

    Preface IV for the Dead
    Cuius imperio nascimur, cuius arbitrio regimur,
    cuius praecepto in terra, de qua sumpti sumus,
    peccati lege absolvimur.
    Et, qui per mortem Filii tui redempti sumus,
    ad ipsius resurrectionis gloriam
    tuo nutu excitamur.

    2007-08
    For it is at your summons that we come to birth,
    by your will that we are governed,
    and by your command that we are freed from the law of sin
    as we lie in the earth from which we were taken.
    And we, who have been redeemed by the Death of your Son,
    are raised up at your bidding to the glory of his Resurrection.

    2010
    For it is at your summons that we come to birth,
    by your will that we are governed,
    and at your command that we return
    on account of sin,
    to that earth from which we came.
    And when you give the sign,
    we who have been redeemed by the Death of your Son,
    shall be raised up to the glory of his Resurrection.

    Preface V for the Dead
    Quia, etsi nostri est meriti quod perimus,
    tuae tamen est pietatis et gratiae
    quod, pro peccato morte consumpti,
    per Christi victoriam redempti,
    cum ipso revocamur ad vitam.

    2007-08
    For though we have deserved to perish,
    yet through your grace and loving-kindness,
    when we die because of sin
    we are called back to life with Christ,
    whose victory is our redemption.

    2010
    For even though by our own fault we perish,
    yet by your compassion and your grace,
    when seized by death according to our sins,
    we are redeemed through Christ's great victory,
    and with him called back into life.

    While I know most of us prefer Preface I for the Dead anyhow, even that has been compromised. Vita mutatur, non tollitur was accurately translated in 2007-08 as "life is changed, not taken away." 2010 sadly has gone back to the old ICEL, "life is changed, not ended." So much for Liturgiam authenticam!

  3. Jeffrey,
    Thank YOU, for your service to the Church in presenting this site and all that it provides: the tutorials are invaluable resources. And, as an ardent supporter of all that we had hoped the new translation to be, thank you for your respectful yet refreshingly honest reactions to the infelicities that have come back as alterations to that accurate and literate translation. With you I hope that the CDW will make the necessary corrections to those ill-conceived "revisions."

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