New Bible for liturgy well received

A new Bible translation for liturgical use has been well received in France, indicating that the francophone world should be spared the disputes seen when new Mass texts were  introduced in English-speaking countries.

The main novelty in the Bible, which will be the basis for the new French lectionary to be updated according to Vatican instructions, was a change in the Lord’s Prayer. “Do not submit us to temptation” was changed to “Let us not enter into temptation” because the earlier version suggested God might make humans succumb to sin.

The long-running dispute in several countries over whether the consecration text should say Christ’s blood is shed “for all” or “for many” has no echo here because the French bishops chose “for the multitude” decades ago.

Some 70 theologians and linguists took around 10 years to update the 1974 Bible translation currently used for the liturgy. The new version, which has been praised as well suited for reading aloud, will be the basis for updated liturgies in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, North Africa and francophone West Africa from late 2015.

The text took local usage into account, for example, by changing the term for the Sanhedrin to “supreme council” from “grand council,” which is the name for a cantonal council in Switzerland. The Greek “diabolos” is once again rendered as “devil” after decades of “demon” in the post-Vatican II translation. The earlier translators thought “devil” narrowed evil down to a horned medieval figure and overlooked social evils. Jesus no longer multiplies the loaves and fishes because he “has pity” on the listening crowds but out of “compassion” for them. “Compassion” connoted disdain after 1968 in France, according to one explanation, but is now positive and closer to the original Greek term. “We should update [the texts] every 40 or 50 years to keep abreast of the evolution of cultures and mentalities,” said Fr Jacques Rideau, executive secretary of the French Church’s commission for liturgical translations.

The staccato rendering of the Beatitudes in the earlier version was filled out to make for smoother reading and most of St Paul’s Epistles were overhauled.

The Protestant and Orthodox Churches in France have also expressed approval of the new translation.