WASHINGTON, D.C., JULY 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The adaptation of a new English translation of the Roman Missal for use in the United States is advancing, the bishops’ conference reported.
In a press release Friday, the conference reported the approval of four liturgical item actions that were up for a vote at the June biannual meeting of the bishops.
Though the votes were inconclusive at that time, as ballots were still being collected through July 16, the approval has now been confirmed.
The majority of bishops approved the Roman Missal’s translated Order of Mass II, the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Intentions, the Rituals for Votive Masses and Masses for the Dead, and the text for Ritual Masses.
The executive director of the Secretariat for Divine Worship, Monsignor Anthony Sherman, explained that «this vote marks a steady and sure movement toward the translation of the Roman Missal.»
«The modifications and amendments made by the bishops should be very helpful to the development of the final translation,» he added.
The prelates will continue reviewing texts, moving now to consider the Proper of Saints Gray Book, The Commons Gray Book, U.S. Propers for the Roman Missal, U.S. Adaptations for the Roman Missal and the Roman Missal Supplement Gray Book.
The communiqué explained that a «gray book» is a «revised translation proposed for final vote by the International Commission for English in the Liturgy.»
The monsignor stated that after this, «the bishops will then have completed this section of the review process, and we would then await a recognitio from the Congregation of Divine Worship at the Vatican.»
He noted that the «time for this is not yet determined.»
On its Web page, the bishops’ conference is offering to clergy and lay people catechetical material about the changes in the new missal.
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On the Net:
Catechetical material: http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/missalformation/index.shtml
