Lost In Translation? Not the Germans!

We will soon be upon the second anniversary of being forced fed the revised English Translation of the mass done in accordance with the 2001 Vatican document Liturgiam authenticam. And with that it would seem that the German Bishops are having a better handle than the American Bishops in dealing with the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome.

Why?

Because the news came out this past week that the Germans basically said, “Thanks, but no thanks” to Rome.  It seems that they are happy with the translation they currently have, and for now, have no interest in dealing with a difficult and awkward translation.  And it is not just the Germans – add in the Austrians and the Swiss.  They must have been feeling our pain!

The online article quotes, “The president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, said in 2010 that the current text was OK and that a new German translation was not needed. Subtle changes in the translations are what cause the disagreements, such as changing the words of consecration from “for all” to “for many.”  And last week, that position was reaffirmed.

 

One can only hope that this may give Rome reason to pause and rethink the mandate for a verbatim vernacular translation from the Latin.  Then perhaps, one day, we can have the translation back that worked “for all” versus “the many!”