Church in the World

Vox Clara reviews American Mass translation plans

United States

THE COMMITTEE of bishops appointed by the Vatican to oversee the continuing translation of the Mass into English has been considering US amendments and adaptations for the main prayers of the Mass.

Archbishop Alfred Hughes of New Orleans, a member of the Vox Clara Committee, said members reviewed and discussed each of the changes proposed by American bishops to the text prepared by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL).

The Vox Clara Committee, which ended a five-day meeting at the Vatican on Friday last week, advises the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments on English-language translations. The congregation must approve translations adopted by a national bishops' conference before use.

Archbishop Hughes said Vox Clara spent time on the translation approved in June by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops because it was the only conference to have approved the text with amendments and adaptations. The ICEL text of the Order of the Mass has been adopted by the bishops' conferences of England and Wales, Australia, New Zealand and Scotland. The Canadian and Irish bishops are expected to vote on the text in October, and Indian bishops in January.

Currently, the United States is the only country that does not use the phrase "consubstantial with the Father" in describing Jesus. The US bishops proposed to continue using the phrase "one in being with the Father".  During the American bishops' June meeting in Los Angeles, Archbishop Hughes' motion to use the word "consubstantial" was defeated. While he would not share details about the Vox Clara discussion of the term, he reiterated his personal position that " ‘consubstantial' has a very significant and sacred history in the Church. It is a term that helped sort out controversy in the fourth century about the divinity of Christ."

Archbishop Hughes cited the priest's prayer from the penitential rite as a further example of why a new translation is needed. It  now reads: "May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life." The new text says: "May Almighty God have mercy on you and, having forgiven your sins, lead you to everlasting life."

"Because of the way it was translated," he said, "people have been led to believe that some kind of absolution was being offered."

As for the Creed, which is being changed from "We believe" to "I believe", the archbishop said: "It will be important for celebrants to explain that each person coming to celebrate the Eucharist is invited to express his or her faith, which is the Church's faith."