Vatican's new Mass 'elitist,' priests say

A statement from the association said, "The ACP is gravely concerned that this literal translation from Latin has produced texts that are archaic, elitist and obscure and not in keeping with the natural rhythm, cadence and syntax of the English language."

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By Michael Higgins | April 12, 2011

A new English translation of the Roman Missal -used by Catholics in Mass -is under attack by some priests, with clergy in Ireland calling it archaic, elitist, obscure and sexist.

Priests in Australia and the United States have also criticized the new translation, which has been 10 years in the making and will be used at Catholic Masses in the Englishspeaking world-including in Canada -this November.

The Vatican ordered a new translation so that the new edition of the missal -the ritual text containing prayers and in-structions for the celebration of the Mass -would be more literal and closer to the Latin original.


A few of the changes include: "One in Being with the Father," will become "consubstantial with the Father"; "Before he was given up to death, a death he freely accepted," has been changed to "At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion"; and the priest's introduction to the Lord's Prayer, "Let us pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Savior gave us," has been changed to "At the Savior's command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say."

However, the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) in Ireland has objected to the translation and called for the new edition to be postponed for five years for more consultation.

A statement from the association said, "The ACP is gravely concerned that this literal translation from Latin has produced texts that are archaic, elitist and obscure and not in keeping with the natural rhythm, cadence and syntax of the English language."

Further, it said the new text was unfair to females. "We fear that the continued use of sexist language with its use of man, men and brothers as generic terms will alienate some women and men," it said.

The association also raised the issue of theological accuracy in the new missal, in which the Eucharist prayers state that Jesus Christ died "for many" rather than "for all."

"A central teaching of the Christian Churches is that Jesus died for all people. This meaning is conveyed in the current translation of the Latin words of consecration over the chalice, 'Pro vobis et pro multis.' The phrase is translated 'For you and for all' in the current missal. The new text opts for the more literal translation, 'For you and for many.' In English, the word 'many' contrasts with the word 'few,' so people may be led to ask, 'Are there some for whom Jesus did not die?' " the statement added.

Calls by some priests in Australia for a boycott of the missal were "opening the doors to liturgical anarchy," warned Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Liturgy Commission executive secretary Fr. Peter Williams.

U.S. Catholic officials were supportive of the new translation.

"The first time I saw some of the texts, I was shocked," said Rev. Richard Hilgartner, who as executive director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat of Divine Worship is overseeing the introduction of the new missal in the United States.

"But the more time I've spent with it, the more comfortable I became with it," he said. "We know that people aren't going to understand it initially, and we'll have to talk about it. I've said to priests, we will welcome and crave opportunities for people to come up and ask us about God. It's a catechetical opportunity."


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