Online Edition – April 2007
Vol. XIII, No. 2
News & Views
Vox Clara: “a swift completion” — please! | Ratio Translationis Still “coming soon” | Father Anthony Ward, SM, New Undersecretary of CDW | New Shrine of the Sacred Heart for Saint Louis Cathedral Basilica
Vox Clara: “a swift completion” — please!
The members of the Vox Clara Committee, organized by the Vatican six years ago to aid in translation of English-language liturgical texts, renewed their commitment to “expend all possible energies in pursuit of an expeditious timeline for publication of the Roman Missal” during their thirteenth meeting, held March 12-15 in the offices of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW) in Rome.
According to its press release issued March 16, the committee reviewed a recent revision in the schedule for the provision by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) of preliminary books to the bishops’ conferences: “Green” (first draft presented to the bishops’ conferences) and “Gray” (revised draft) books. Vox Clara urged ICEL and all concerned to do everything possible to assure a swift completion of the translation of the Roman Missal.
“Dangerously close”
Cardinal George Pell, Sydney (Australia) is chairman of the Vox Clara Committee. In an interview with Britain’s Catholic Herald, Cardinal Pell said the Church is now “dangerously close” to having the first draft of the Missal translation completed. “I’m sure it will prove to be generally acceptable”, he told the Herald. “The worst fears of a few will not be realized in any way at all”. He could not give a date for when the new translation will be available for use, but said that he had often remarked that completion was just two years away — “That must be coming closer to the truth”, he quipped.
Three of the four American members attended the March meeting: Archbishop Oscar Lipscomb, Mobile, Vice-Chairman; Cardinal Justin Rigali, Philadelphia, Treasurer; and Archbishop Alfred Hughes, New Orleans. Chicago Cardinal Francis George, Chicago, was not present.
Advisors to Vox Clara include three Americans: The Reverend Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, The Reverend Dennis McManus, and Monsignor James P. Moroney. Monsignor Moroney is executive director of the US Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy (BCL) Secretariat. Father Driscoll is a consultant to the BCL Subcommittee on Music. Father McManus is a former consultant to the BCL.
Final Review of Order of Mass texts; “formation materials” needed
The Vox Clara members conducted a final review of the proposed translation of the Order of Mass, prior to the confirmation of the text by the Holy See.
They also received a report on musical considerations of those parts reserved to the people at Mass, and proposed appropriate revisions to the CDW. The members also discussed several translation questions posed by the CDW and suggested appropriate strategies for their resolution.
The committee discussed the public reception of the new translation of the Order of Mass once the text is confirmed. Accurate and accessible formational materials of both a scholarly and pastoral character will be needed, the committee decided.
Pope, Cardinal Arinze urge “timely completion”
Pope Benedict XVI received the members and advisors of the Vox Clara Committee at the General Audience March 14, held in Saint Peter’s Square.
More than a year ago, the Holy Father expressed his hope that “the translation into English of the latest edition of the Missale Romanum may soon be completed so that the faithful throughout the English-speaking world may benefit from the use of liturgical texts accurately rendered in accordance with the norms of the Instruction Liturgiam Authenticam” (letter to Cardinal Francis Arinze, November 9, 2005 ).
On the final day of the Vox Clara meeting, members and advisors met with Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the CDW and Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, Secretary to the Congregation. Cardinal Arinze also encouraged them to pursue an expeditious completion of the Roman Missal translation.
Vox Clara’s next meeting is in September 2007.
Source: Vox Clara press release,
Catholic Herald — UK
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Ratio Translationis Still “coming soon”
In progress for nearly five years, the Ratio Translationis, a “style manual” of translation principles for liturgical texts, has now been approved and is expected to be released to bishops’ conferences very soon.
The genre of the Ratio Translationis was established by the 2001 Instruction Liturgiam authenticam. Its purpose is to provide a basic guide to assist with translating liturgical texts; an “illustrative document” intended to spell out the practical implications of the requirements of Liturgiam authenticam to a new generation of English-language translations.
The production of the Ratio Translationis has been guided by the Vox Clara Committee with the aid of experts on various aspects to be considered in producing texts in vernacular languages for the Liturgy.
At the March Vox Clara meeting, the committee completed its final revision of the Ratio Translationis, which includes a section on stylistic application of these principles for English-language translations, with examples.
The English-speaking Conferences of Bishops received a preliminary version of the Ratio Translationis in June 2005.
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Father Anthony Ward, SM, New Undersecretary of CDW
The Vatican announced on March 15 the appointment of British Marist Father Anthony Ward as Undersecretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Father Ward replaces Monsignor Mario Marini of the Diocese of Ravenna, Italy.
Father Ward, who has written several scholarly works on the Liturgy, has served at the CDW for many years, most recently as bureau chief of the Liturgy office.
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New Shrine of the Sacred Heart for Saint Louis Cathedral Basilica
Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis has announced that a shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will soon be installed in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.
In his March 23 column in the St. Louis Review, Archbishop Burke wrote that the image of the Sacred Heart will be enthroned in the shrine, and the Archdiocese of St. Louis will be consecrated to the Sacred Heart.
“The enthronement and the act of consecration will take place in the Cathedral Basilica at the regular 5 p.m. Mass on this coming June 17, the Sunday after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which will be celebrated on June 15”, he said.
A new mosaic image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, created by the Vatican Mosaic Studio, is to be placed in a marble altarpiece that will be installed in the west transept of the Cathedral.
Noted church architect Duncan Stroik, of the School of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame, designed the shrine.
Source: St. Louis Review
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