New Roman Missal Debuts at Mass on November 27

First major changes to liturgy in nearly 40 years will challenge priests, parishioners

Chestnut Hill, MA (11/17/2011) – America’s 65 million Catholics are about to hear changes in the familiar language of the liturgy of the Mass for the first time in nearly 40 years. On November 27, the first Sunday of Advent, the Catholic Church introduces a new English-language translation of the Roman Missal, which guides worship throughout the church year.

The new translation, the first since the Vatican-sanctioned switch from Latin to English in 1973, may take some getting used to for both parishioners and priests, said noted Boston College liturgical historian and theologian Fr. John Baldovin, S.J., a professor at BC’s School of Theology and Ministry.

“The new Missal is an attempt to create a more sacred vocabulary – a language of its own for the liturgy,” said Fr. Baldovin, who has been conducting workshops for priests and lay people at parishes and universities across the country. “The language will be much, much more complex and difficult. Priests will have to spend more time preparing, making adjustments for the language and the way it reads and sounds.”

The church’s Vox Clara Committee has worked since 2001 toward a translation of the 1,228-page Missal, including prominent passages such as the Nicene Creed.

In the current Missal, parishioners recite the creed to proclaim that Jesus Christ is “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.” With the new translation, Catholics will profess Christ “begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.”

In the current Mass, the priest says “The Lord be with you,” and the congregation responds “And also with you.” That response changes to “And with your spirit.”

Fr. Baldovin said the new language may make some people uneasy at first, but he expects Catholics will adjust to the changes. The new translation should not interfere with the crucial place of the liturgy in the spiritual life of Catholics.

“The bottom line of the liturgy is how it helps us become better Christians,” said Fr. Baldovin, who worked on liturgical text translation with the International Commission on English in the Liturgy from 1994 to 2002. “Are we living faith, hope and love better? That’s the real question.”

Are the changes enough to drive parishioners away from Sunday Mass? Probably not.

“People are not going to church because Mass is too long or too boring,” he asserted. “It is because they are not feeling cared for by us, by their pastors, and they’re not finding the center of their lives in their Christian faith. And that’s the real challenge. I am hopeful the new translation will help people in this regard.”

Ed Hayward

Office of News & Public Affairs

Boston College

617-552-4826

ed.hayward@bc.edu

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