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Last time I wrote of the various Latin editions of the Roman Missal (See below). The first edition after the Second Vatican Council was published by Pope Paul VI in 1969. Another was published in 1975 and the most recent published in 2002 by John Paul II. The inspiration behind the first edition had many aspects but three things stand out. First, the fruits of over 50 years of study of the bible and the early church Fathers, the liturgical movement and the ecumenical movement, came together at the Council. This was a return to the origins of the liturgy after centuries of bits and pieces being added and subtracted in various times and places. Second, there was a recovery of a particularly liturgical theology and spirituality, namely that the heart of the liturgy is always the paschal mystery of Christ in which we are immersed from our baptism. Third, there was a pastoral desire to promote a "full and active participation" of the people in the action of the liturgy. This participation was meant primarily in the sense that all the faithful are part of the action of Christ in the paschal mystery. This participation can take various forms such as in our silence, listening, singing, praying, movement, and posture.

When the Missal came to be translated into English and other vernacular languages there was a new understanding of the Church at it's heart. The Church was now looked at not only as a hierarchical institution but also as a communion of all the Baptised from the smallest child to the Pope. So there was less concern with a centralised control over the ways in which various language groups translated the Roman Missal and other liturgical books. The translations were made very much with local pastoral concerns in mind. The translations "must be faithful to the art of communication in all its aspects" so said the document which guided translations at the time (Comme le Prevoit 1969. Note it is in French!). This meant there was a serious attempt made both to translate and compose liturgical prayer that respected the genius of each language and people. The guidelines encouraged a diversity in liturgical language according to the different cultures. The authority to do this was given to the bishops of the world by the Council working in a collegial way. What is remarkable is that the translation was produced very quickly. As a result it had shortcomings. Nevertheless, it has become the language of our liturgical prayer for the past 50 years. It has been an great gift to the Church. Through it we have begun to learn how to pray liturgically in English. The Anglicans have had several centuries of experience doing this.

Not long after this first English translation had been published work had begun on a new one by 1987. Next time I will say more about this translation.

Fr Graham

There is a new Mass Missal coming out sometime next year. In view of this I will provide some background to its publication in coming months.

The first time the Church of the Roman Latin Rite had a Missal that was to be used universally was that published in 1570 by Pope Pius V after the Council of Trent. That Council was in response to the Protestant Reformation. Before that time various books and collections of prayers were used in different places. Now there was an attempt to have a certain uniformity throughout the Latin Church of the West. Even so some older Rites such as those used in Milan and Toledo were allowed to keep their own versions. The Churches of the East are another story entirely and have their own Rites.

Since then there have been eight editions of the Latin Roman Missal. Four of them have been in the last 50 years! Pope John XXIII published an edition just before the Second Vatican Council in 1962. Immediately following that Council Pope Paul VI published the entirely new Roman Missal in 1969. Again in 1975 he published a revised edition. These last two have been translated in to various languages as a result of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Then in 2002 Pope John Paul II produced another edition. This, of course, is in Latin.

Roman Missals are always a work in progress as new prayers and rituals are incorporated in new circumstances. For example Pope Pius XII revised the rites of Holy Week and Easter in the 1950s and the present Pope Benedict added prayers for newly canonised saints etc in 2008. Then there will be a need to include prayers for Mary Mackillop after her canonisation later this year.

Next time I will say a little about the English translations of the Roman Missal since the Second Vatican Council.
Fr Graham