VATICAN CITY, MARCH 20, 2003 (Zenit.org).- The episcopal committee that was set up to help the Holy See in the translation of liturgical texts into English met recently to analyze a draft of a key document.
The document describes the specific application to the English language of the principles that must be followed in the translations.
The meeting of the Vox Clara Committee took place from March 12-14 in the Vatican, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments revealed in a statement on its Web page.
«The committee considered a draft of a document, termed a ‘ratio translationis,’ describing the specific application to the English language of the principles contained in ‘Liturgiam Authenticam,'» the statement explained.
«Additionally, the committee examined translations of select parts of the Missale Romanum with a view toward providing the congregation with texts that might be considered exemplars of liturgical translations that conform to the criteria established by the instruction ‘Liturgiam authenticam,’ approved by the Holy Father on March 20, 2001.»
The statement added: «In particular, the committee was pleased to hear of recent initiatives by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy to assure the effective application of the principles of ‘Liturgiam authenticam’ to the processes and principles underlying the timely translation of the Missale Romanum, ‘editio typica tertia,’ into the English language.»
The bishops also had met with Cardinal Francis Arinze, the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, the statement said.
The committee of senior bishops from the English-speaking world was established in July 2001. Its inaugural meeting took place last April 22-24.
The Vox Clara chairman is Archbishop George Pell of Sydney, Australia.
