{"id":25154,"date":"2014-04-04T21:09:41","date_gmt":"2014-04-05T02:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/?p=25154"},"modified":"2014-12-28T12:56:00","modified_gmt":"2014-12-28T18:56:00","slug":"musings-on-the-new-missal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2014\/04\/04\/musings-on-the-new-missal\/","title":{"rendered":"Musings on the New Missal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Early next week, <i>Pray Tell<\/i> will release the results of the study commissioned by the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.csbsju.edu\/sot\/lifelong-learning-and-events\/diekmann-center\" target=\"_blank\">Diekmann Center<\/a> at St. John\u2019s University, \u201cAttitudes of Clergy and Lay Leaders toward the New Translation of the Roman Missal: Findings from CARA\u2019s National Survey of Catholic Parishes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s hoping (and praying) for a constructive and charitable reception of the survey results. It\u2019s time to move beyond the feelings of demoralization some have had, to move beyond any remaining resentments about the product and the process that brought it about. It\u2019s time to look at the 2011 missal with new eyes, to appreciate its strengths and to find the right way to critique its limitations.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been on <a href=\"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2010\/11\/06\/translation-directory-watch-this-space\/\" target=\"_blank\">quite a journey<\/a> with this missal, as you all know. At the outset, I was excited to be brought on to ICEL\u2019s music committee charged with writing the English chant for the missal. I was excited to be part of a \u201creform of the reform\u201d that would make Catholic liturgy more beautiful. I found all of my work with ICEL to be thoroughly rewarding, and I treasure the friendly relationships I have still with my ICEL friends.<\/p>\n<p>Early on in the process, I became concerned about the texts being produced. I would forward a few howlers to fellow monks confidentially (and illegally), \u201cDo you believe what they\u2019re doing with this collect?\u201d I gradually learned that some of those involved in the translation work were also skeptical, including one key player who told me he thought it was sufficiently problematic that the best result would be that the Church would learn from the mistakes when the thing was released and didn\u2019t work. My enthusiasm started deflating.<\/p>\n<p>Fast forward several years: the national bishops\u2019 conferences approved ICEL\u2019s texts (sometimes with a few modifications), and they were sent to Rome for <i>recognitio <\/i>(approval). And then Vox Clara\u2026. nah, let\u2019s not go there. Does it matter anymore? Is there any reason to rip open those wounds again? Rather, let\u2019s look forward.<\/p>\n<p>When the new missal came out, at first I thought I\u2019d correct its biggest problems when I celebrated Mass. \u201cFor you and for the many,\u201d which I thought sounded more like a collective mass of people than a limitation. \u201cThis sacrifice which is mine and yours,\u201d since the Latin doesn\u2019t say \u201cmy sacrifice and yours\u201d which could imply two sacrifices. And so on.<\/p>\n<p>Then I came around to realizing that there\u2019s no way, given my history, that I could \u201ccorrect\u201d the missal from the altar without calling attention to myself. And the <i>last<\/i> thing the Sacrifice of the Mass is about is the celebrant! I also realized that it brought about inner turmoil rather than inner peace when I focused on the translation problems instead of the spiritual content of the texts as given.<\/p>\n<p>Then I admitted to myself what I had known at some level right from that First Sunday of Advent 2011: there are things I rather like in the new missal. \u201cAnd with your spirit,\u201d for example. And \u201cunder my roof\u201d \u2013 never had I bought the narrow rationalism of those who don\u2019t get how the liturgy uses texts poetically and allegorically (and even fancifully). And \u201cIt is right and just\u201d \u2013 my Latin students were unanimous last week that they love the short, punchy rhythm of this, and then the transition to \u201cIt is truly right and just\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Have we turned the corner on this missal thing? Are we ready to build up the church with a constructive discussion of its strengths and weaknesses?<\/p>\n<p>I think so. I see two reasons for hope. First, Pope Francis. I trust nothing needs be said to explain that. Second, the <a href=\"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2014\/03\/31\/archbishop-gregory-on-new-missal-flaws-and-difficulties-it-needs-correction\/\" target=\"_blank\">candid remarks of Archbishop Wilton Gregory<\/a>, former president of the U.S. bishops\u2019 conference, during a Q&amp;A last week. If his remarks are representative at all of episcopal thought, we can take confidence that our leaders really do want what is best for their people.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, before the survey results come out next week, you might want to take another look at the previous <a href=\"http:\/\/www.csbsju.edu\/sot\/lifelong-learning-and-events\/diekmann-center\/new-roman-missal-survey-of-us-priests\" target=\"_blank\">study from the Diekmann Center<\/a> on the attitudes of U.S. priests toward the missal. That study didn\u2019t have a scientifically representative sample, but it is a good rough indicator of the landscape, and it will\u00a0be interesting to compare it with the more scientific study coming next week.<\/p>\n<p>I recommend especially the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.csbsju.edu\/Documents\/SOT\/Diekmann%20Center\/Unedited%20Survey%20Comments%20-%202013%20Survey%20of%20U.S.%20Priests%20on%20the%20New%20Roman%20Missal.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">comments made by priests<\/a>\u00a0in the first study. The comments exude a loving concern for the liturgy and for the people these priests obviously love serving. The attitude of priests such as these is the attitude that will prove helpful in future discussions of the missal.<\/p>\n<p>awr<\/p>\n<p><em>Editor\u2019s note: <\/em>Pray Tell<em> is publishing several posts on translation and the new missal in coming days, including the eventual\u00a0release of the final results of a national study of the attitudes of clergy and lay leaders on the new missal commissioned from\u00a0the CARA research center.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When the new missal came out, at first I thought I\u2019d correct its biggest problems when I celebrated Mass. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-translation-new-missal"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - 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Anthony Ruff, OSB, is a monk of St. John's Abbey. He teaches liturgy, liturgical music, and Gregorian chant at St. John's University School of Theology-Seminary. He is widely published and frequently presents across the country on liturgy and music. He is the author of Sacred Music and Liturgical Reform: Treasures and Transformations, and of Responsorial Psalms for Weekday Mass: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter. 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Anthony Ruff, OSB, is a monk of St. John's Abbey. He teaches liturgy, liturgical music, and Gregorian chant at St. John's University School of Theology-Seminary. He is widely published and frequently presents across the country on liturgy and music. He is the author of Sacred Music and Liturgical Reform: Treasures and Transformations, and of Responsorial Psalms for Weekday Mass: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter. 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