The Vatican has convened a meeting with church leaders from English-speaking
countries to discuss and clarify questions about the translation of liturgical
texts.
The Oct. 21 encounter will cover a wide range of topics, including the
principles of translation used under new Vatican norms, the respective
competencies of the Vatican congregation and bishops' conferences, the role of
the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, known as ICEL, and the
function of the Vatican-instituted Vox Clara Committee.
Invited to attend the meeting were presidents of bishops' conferences in
countries where English is used in liturgical celebrations.
Cardinal Francis Arinze, head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the
Sacraments, called the meeting and is expected to preside over it, according to
officials at the congregation.
A preliminary agenda drawn up by the congregation, based in part on suggestions
from bishops' conferences, listed three general issues and 11 questions
specifically relating to liturgical translations.
The general issues were:
-- The respective roles and competence of the Vatican's liturgy congregation
and bishops' conferences.
-- Ways to promote more effective communication and consultation.
-- Matters relating to inculturation, in light of the recently published third
edition of the Roman Missal and a 1994 set of Vatican guidelines that urged
caution in integrating local customs into the liturgy.
The specific translation issues included:
-- Strategies to expedite the translation into English of the latest edition of
the Roman Missal, the collection of prayers and rituals used in the Mass, which
was issued in Latin in 2002.
-- The rationale and principal concerns of the 2001 Vatican instruction
"Liturgiam Authenticam" ("The Authentic Liturgy"), on translating
liturgical texts. The instruction underlined the Vatican's insistence on exact,
more literal, translations and its own role in the process, including the right
to make substantial changes before granting final approval.
-- Clarification of respective areas of competence in "Liturgiam
Authenticam."
-- Principles of translation in "Liturgiam Authenticam."
-- Canon law aspects of "Liturgiam Authenticam."
-- The functions of ICEL, which creates English-language liturgical
translations for possible use throughout the world. ICEL, which has 11
English-speaking bishops' conferences as full members, is in the process of
revising its statutes in line with new Vatican rules that give the Holy See
more control over the commission and its work.
-- The significance of the "recognitio," a term that refers to
Vatican approval of local translations of liturgical texts.
-- The functions of the Vox Clara Committee, which the Vatican established in
2001 as an advisory body on English-language translations.
-- Expediting the congregation's examination of texts. In the past, some
bishops' conferences have lamented the long periods of time taken by the
Vatican when it reviews texts submitted for approval.
-- Feasibility of a common English-language Lectionary for Mass. The Lectionary
is the book of Scripture readings used in the Mass. Currently, each bishops'
conference chooses which biblical translation will be used and submits
Lectionary texts for Vatican approval.
-- The need for a translation of documents on the liturgy.