Treasures of the Roman Missal: Eucharistic Prayer IV

There are inexhaustible riches buried in the Eucharistic Prayers of the modern Roman Rite. The new English translation helps uncover them, but to delve even deeper, we need to look directly at the Latin. I recommend a look at Eucharistic Prayer IV, which is rarely used, but is a stellar recounting of salvation history filled with resonant biblical language and powerful imagery.

Here's a selection from the Post-sanctus of EP IV, first in the new English translation, and then in the underlying Latin:

You formed man in your own image
and entrusted the whole world to his care,
so that in serving you alone, the Creator,
he might have dominion over all creatures.
And when through disobedience he had lost your friendship,
you did not abandon him to the domain of death.

Here is the Latin:

Hominem ad tuam imaginem condidisti,
eique commisisti mundi curam universi,
ut, tibi soli Creatori serviens,
creaturis omnibus imperaret.
Et cum amicitiam tuam, non oboediens, amisisset,
non eum dereliquisti in mortis imperio.

There are two pairs of bolded words in the English and in the Latin: commisisti and amisisset, imperaret and imperio. The two pairs are translated in different manners. Let us look at the second pair first.

The word imperaret is a third person imperfect subjunctive form of the verb imperare "to order, command; to rule (over)." The word imperio is the noun form of that verb: "command; authority; rule". It is sensible to translate them into English as "might have dominion" and "the dominion", for this captures the sense of the Latin words and the linguistic link between them. The treasure I see here in the text is this: God gave dominion (mastery, you could say, or stewardship) of His creation to man, but when man sinned, He did not let death have dominion over man. This treasure is not too hard to spot in the new translation. (The previous English translation was another matter, translating these two words as "to rule" and "power", two words not immediately related to each other in English. The proposed 1998 text used "be stewards" and "power", even less associated with each other.)

But I think a more concealed treasure (partly due to the translation) is in the first pair: commisisti and amisisset. The first is the second person perfect form of the verb committere which means "to entrust" along with "to bring together, unite"; the second is the third person pluperfect subjunctive form of the verb amittere which means "to lose" along with "to send away; to part with". Both verbs are related to the root verb mittere which means "to send". The treasure to be uncovered here is that God unites — sends together, com-mittere — man and the rest of His creation as part of His friendship with man, but then man casts away — sends away, a-mittere — this friendship. God puts something special and precious into the hands of man, and man casts it aside.

These are just two pearls of great price I've uncovered as I study the Eucharistic Prayers (during the research phase of my work on Praying the Mass vol. 3, The Eucharistic Prayers). There are many more to be uncovered!

Critiquing the new translation alongside earlier ones

I'm still reading Anscar Chupungco's critique of the official English translation of Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation I:

ICEL2010 takes liberty with the Latin text in unum corpus congregentur in Christo, a quo omnis auferatur divisio, whose literal meaning is: “they may be gathered into one Body in Christ, from which may every division be {482} removed.” It is obvious that a quo refers to corpus, not to Christo. There can be no division in Christ in the first place. (A Commentary on the Order of Mass, pp. 481-482)

That is a good literal translation of the Latin provided by Fr. Chupungco (a Benedictine monk). The English text he is critiquing, from the new English translation of the Roman Missal, is "they may be gathered into one Body in Christ who heals every division." He goes on to say:

The Latin text does not say that Christ “heals” every division. The verb “to heal” is not a dynamic equivalent, much less a literal translation of auferatur. What is prayed for is that all division be eliminated from the community, the body gathered into one in Christ. (Ibid, p. 482)

He has a valid point here. The verb auferre means generally "to remove". It appears in a penitential prayer of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (commonly called the Tridentine Mass), aufer a nobis... ("Take away our iniquities from us...").

I wonder, though, why here in the commentary on translation, mention is not made of earlier translations (e.g. 1975 and 1998) of the same Latin text; comparing the 2010 text to earlier translations happens quite frequently in this particular commentary. The two earlier translations I have noted (1975 and 1998) employed dynamic equivalency, and yet they rendered the phrase in question as "healed of all division" and "in whom all divisions are healed". Perhaps this is why a comparison or remark is absent.

While Fr. Chupungco is correct that "healed" does not translate (literally or dynamically) auferatur, I would dare to suggest that "healed of all division(s)" does dynamically (though not quite literally) translate omnis auferatur divisio. For, in this case, the divisions are in a body, a body which is meant to be perfectly united, perfectly one, utterly undivided. The removal, therefore, of divisions in this body appropriately be called "healing".

Translating the Sanctus

The Adoremus Bulletin had an article nine years ago about the proper translation of Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. This article pointed out that while "Deus" is a noun in the nominative (subject of a verb) and vocative (direct address) cases, "Dominus" is only properly a nominative noun. The vocative form of "Dominus" is "Domine", as in Miserere, Domine.

This means the strictly literal translation of the first line of the Sanctus is really "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of Hosts," instead of what we're used to, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts."

So I was a bit surprised when reading Anscar Chupungco's analysis of the new English translation, wherein he writes:

In compliance with the norms of formal correspondence advocated by [Liturgiam Authenticam], the English Sanctus for [Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation I] in ICEL2010 (“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts”) appropriately corrects its 2007 gray book translation of this prayer (Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts). (A Commentary on the Order of Mass, p. 478)

There are a number of other inaccuracies in the final translation of the Latin text which the numerous authors in the Commentary have pointed out, but I was surprised at this one.

New Translation: Awkward wording in the doxology

While I am for the most part pleased with the new English translation of the Roman Missal — what I've read and heard of it — there are a few awkwardly worded sections.

In this post, I'd like to examine one example: the concluding doxology of the Eucharistic Prayer.  In the old translation, the priest said:

Through him, with him, in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours,
almighty Father,
forever and ever.

This is a decent (although not exact) translation of the Latin, which reads:

Per ipsum, et cum ipso, et in ipso,
est tibi Deo Patri omnipoténti,
in unitáte Spíritus Sancti,
omnis honor, et glória,
per ómnia sæcula sæculórum.

If you haven't noticed, I'm putting the prepositions in bold. Here is a strict word-for-word translation:

By him, and with him, and in him,
is to you God Father almighty,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honor and glory,
during all ages of ages.

And here's how it is rendered in the new translation:

Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours,
forever and ever.

As you can see, the individual lines of the prayer have been re-arranged to match their order in the Latin, but I think it ends up being a little anti-climactic. The order of the Latin phrases is not, in this case, necessary to the form of the prayer; this is not a collect, for example, where the prayer takes the form of "O God, who did X, we ask you, grant us Y."

There is another problem which exists in both the old and the new translation: a missing preposition. This may not seem like a big deal, but the Latin does not simply say that all glory and honor is the Father's; it specifically says that all glory and honor is (that is, it goes) to the Father by (through), in, and with the Son, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit. This small detail is not captured by either translation, and can be tricky to convey in natural-sounding English.

Does the new translation of the Mass over-emphasize our sinfulness?

My parish prayed the Confiteor at Mass this morning.  One thing I have read complaints about, in the new translation, is that the Confiteor over-emphasizes our sinfulness.  "I have greatly sinned ... through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault."

Did you happen to notice, new translation aside, the First Reading from this morning's Mass?

Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.

Geez, Isaiah!  Lighten up, would you?  And yet, the First Reading ends thus:

Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.

And so ends the Confiteor, or whatever Penitential Act is used:  we acknowledge that God is almighty in His mercy, capable of granting us forgiveness of our sins, and ready to do so.

Different methods of translation

These texts come from various translations of the Roman Missal, courtesy Fr. Z. They are the collect for September 9, the memorial of St. Peter Claver.

Latin (2002 Missale Romanum)
Deus, qui beatum Petrum servorum servum effecisti
eumque mira in eis iuvandis caritate et patientia roborasti,
eius nobis intercessione concede,
ut, qua Iesu Christi sunt, quaerentes,
proximos opere et veritate diligamus.

English (1973 English translation)
God of mercy and love,
you offer all peoples
the dignity of sharing in your life.
By the example and prayers of Saint Peter Claver,
strengthen us to overcome all racial hatreds
and to love each other as brothers and sisters.

English (2011 English translation)
O God, who made Saint Peter Claver a slave of slaves
and strengthened him with wonderful charity and patience
as he came to their help,
grant, through his intercession,
that, seeking the things of Jesus Christ,
we may love our neighbor in deeds and in truth.

Quite a difference in method of translation, eh?

"And with your spirit" and the new Gloria

Thursday morning at 8:10 AM (Eastern) tune into your local EWTN radio affiliate to hear me speaking with Brian Patrick of the Son Rise Morning Show about the new English translation of the Mass, specifically our response "And with your spirit" and the changes to the Gloria.

Two more books on the new translation of the Mass

In addition to the three books I mentioned earlier, there are two more that have recently come to my attention.  Magnificat has one coming out this month (The Roman Missal Companion), and another local author (Mary Poust, from the diocese of Metuchen, my former stomping grounds) published a book on the Mass and prayer in March, The Essential Guide to Catholic Prayer and the Mass.

Books on the new translation of the Mass

I've just finished reading Mystical Body, Mystical Voice.  I've already read A Biblical Walk Through the Mass and The Mass.  These are the three other books on the new translation I'm aware of.  In the near future (July?) I will post reviews of each of these books.  I'll also highlight how my books differ from these others.

Have a blessed Pentecost!

Eucharistic Prayer Inserts for Ritual Masses

NUPTIAL MASSES
EP I
Latin	English 2008	English 2010
Hanc ígitur oblatiónem servitútis nostrae, sed et famulórum tuórum N et N totiúsque famíliae tuae, quae pro illis tuam exórat maiestátem, quaesumus, Dómine, ut placátus accípias: et sicut eos ad diem nuptiárum perveníre tribuísti, sic (tuo múnere desideráta sóbole gaudére profícias, atque) ad optátam sériem próvehas benígnus annórum. (Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. Amen.)	Therefore, Lord, we pray: graciously accept this oblation of our service, that of your servants N. and N. and of your whole family, who entreat your majesty on their behalf; and as you have granted them to reach their wedding day, so (make them rejoice in your gift of the children they desire and) bring them in your kindness to the length of days for which they hope. (Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)	Therefore, Lord, we pray: graciously accept this oblation of our service, the offering of your servants N. and N. and of your whole family, who entreat your majesty on their behalf; and as you have brought them to their wedding day, so (gladden them with your gift of the children they desire and) bring them in your kindness to the length of days for which they hope. (Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)
EP II
Latin	English 2008	English 2010
Recordáre quoque, Dómine, N et N, quos ad diem nuptiárum perveníre tribuísti: ut grátia tua in mútua dilectióne et pace permáneant.	Remember also, Lord, N. and N., whom you have brought to their wedding day, so that by your grace they may abide in mutual love and peace.	Be mindful also, Lord, of N. and N., whom you have brought to their wedding day, so that by your grace they may abide in mutual love and in peace.
EP III
Latin	English 2008	English 2010
Confórta, quaesumus, in grátia Matrimónii N. et N., quos ad diem nuptiárum felíciter adduxísti, ut fodus quod in conspéctu tuo firmavérunt, te protegénte, in vita semper consérvent.	Strengthen, we pray, in the grace of Marriage N. and N., whom happily you have brought to the day of their wedding, that with your protection they may always be faithful in their lives to the covenant they have sealed in your presence.	Strengthen, we pray, in the grace of Marriage N. and N., whom you have brought happily to their wedding day, that under your protection they may always be faithful in their lives to the covenant they have sealed in your presence.

SCRUTINIES
EP I
Latin	English 2008	English 2010
Meménto, Dómine, famulórum famularúmque tuárum, qui eléctos tuos susceptúri sunt ad sanctam grátiam baptísmi tui, et [recitantur nomina patrinorum et matrinarum] et ómnium circumstántium, quorum tibi fides cógnita est… Hanc ígitur oblatiónem, Dómine, ut propítius suscípias, deprecámur, quam tibi offérimus pro fámulis et famulábus tuis, quos ad aetérnam vitam et beátum grátiae tuae donum numeráre, elígere atque vocáre dignátus es. (Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. Amen.)	Remember, Lord, your servants who are to present your chosen ones for the holy grace of your Baptism, [here the names of the godparents are read out] and all gathered here, whose faith and devotion are known to you. Therefore, Lord, we pray: graciously accept this oblation of our service, which we make to you for your servants whom you have been pleased to number, to choose and to call for eternal life and for the blessed gift of your grace. (Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)	Remember, Lord, your servants who are to present your chosen ones for the holy grace of your Baptism, [here the names of the godparents are read out] and all gathered here, whose faith and devotion are known to you. Therefore, Lord, we pray: graciously accept this oblation which we make to you for your servants, whom you have been pleased to enroll, choose and call for eternal life and for the blessed gift of your grace. (Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)
EP II
Latin	English 2008	English 2010
Recordáre quoque, Dómine, servórum tuórum, qui hos eléctos susceptúri sunt ad fontem regeneratiónis.	Remember also, Lord, your servants who are to present these chosen ones at the font of rebirth.	Remember also, Lord, your servants who are to present these chosen ones at the font of rebirth.
EP III
Latin	English 2008	English 2010
Adiuva grátia tua, quaesumus, Dómine, servos tuos, ut hos eléctos verbo et exémplo perdúcant ad vitam novam in Christo, Dómino nostro.	Assist your servants with your grace, O Lord, we pray, that they may lead these chosen ones by word and example to new life in Christ, our Lord.	Assist your servants with your grace, O Lord, we pray, that they may lead these chosen ones by word and example to new life in Christ, our Lord.

Concern for the new English translation example: Advent I

(This comes from a thread on Catholic Answers Forum about the new translation.)

The following prayer is an example of poor translation: a pronoun not connecting intuitively with its antecedent. This example is sadly one which we will hear on the first day of the new translation's use!

First Sunday of Advent - Post-Communion

May these mysteries, O Lord,
in which we have participated, profit us, we pray,
for even now, as we walk amid passing things,
you teach us by them to love the things of heaven
and hold fast to what endures.

What is the "them" referring to? It's so far away from "mysteries", and much closer to "passing things" (which it immediately follows) that the average reader -- or, more to the point, listener -- will connect "them" with "passing things".  So this prayer will be interpreted to mean that the Eucharist will enable the "passing things" of this world to teach us "to love the things of heaven."

That's not what the prayer really says!

Prosint nobis, quaesumus, Dómine,
frequentáta mystéria, quibus nos, inter praetereúntia ambulántes,
iam nunc instítuis amáre caeléstia et inhaerére mansúris.

In the Latin, there is no confusion: "quibus" (by which) is in the ablative, and immediately follows the ablative expression "frequentata mysteria". The phrase "praetereúntia ambulántes" is in the accusative, as required by the preposition "inter".

Here's a rough literal translation, with the word order as it is in the Latin:

May [they] be of benefit to us, we pray, Lord,
[these] frequented mysteries, by which us, while walking amid passing [things],
even now you teach to love heavenly things and cling to abiding [things].

The "by which us ... you teach" is rendered like that simply to match the Latin word order, but it is really "by which you teach us". Here's a cleaner translation:

O Lord, may these mysteries we frequent profit us, we pray,
for you teach us by them, even now as we walk amid that which passes away,
to love heavenly things and hold fast to that which endures.

The previous revision of this prayer, from 2008, was clearer than the 2010 version:

May these mysteries in which we have participated
profit us, we pray, O Lord,
for even now, as we journey through this passing world,
you teach us by them
to love the things of heaven
and hold fast to what will endure.

It was clear that "them" refers to the "mysteries", despite the distance between "mysteries" and "them", because there was no other plural noun to confuse "them" with. Sure, the plural expression "praetereúntia ambulántes" was made into a singular (but collective/encompassing) noun "this passing world", but that sort of adjustment is not forbidden, and it is done elsewhere even in the 2010 translation!

So this is not a matter of getting used to Latin syntax (not required by the translation guidelines) or some elevated language.  This is a bad editorial decision, a poor translation.

Support and concern for the new English translation

Louie Verrecchio, a columnist for the Catholic News Agency, has put together a petition by which people can show their prayerful support of our bishops as they begin (or continue) their catechetical efforts to prepare people for the new English translation of the Roman Missal:  "What If We Just Said 'Pray'?"

The petition reads:

We are very concerned about those who are attempting to undermine the new English translation of the Roman Missal. We believe that by [sic] imposing their negative attitudes on our people - especially before a program of preparation - will have an adverse effect on our prayer and cause serious division in our communities.

We are convinced that adopting these new translations, which are highly faithful and which leaders among our bishops as well as many highly respected liturgists and linguists consider to be substantially richer than the text we’ve been praying lo these past forty years, will be a great grace.

For this reason we earnestly applaud the bishops of the English-speaking world for their contribution to the new translations and we welcome this great opportunity to grow in our awareness of Holy Mass through liturgical catechesis.

Furthermore, we hereby commit ourselves to earnest prayer for our bishops; that they may be strengthened in their ministry, as well as for the conversion of all who oppose Holy Mother Church - especially those who struggle to embrace the new English translation of the Roman Missal.

We are convinced that this approach will lift up the entire People of God who have so much to gain by the corrected translations.

We realize that the power of intercessory prayer is unlimited, as are the graces made available to those who approach the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with humility.

Ad Iesum per Mariam!

Now, I would not go so far as to say that people who are "struggl[ing] to embrace the new English translation" are people "who oppose Holy Mother Church", but the petition has a laudable aim.  I signed it because I am aware of efforts by various people to discourage Catholics from approaching the new translation inquisitively and calmly, and I think this makes any attempt at liturgical catechesis that much harder.  I think we do need to pray for the bishops, and for all involved in liturgical catechesis, that they may be able to teach the people well.

At the same time, there are continued "reports" of flaws and deficiencies in the new translation.  I am becoming less and less convinced of the degree to which the new translation is "highly faithful" to the Latin and to the principles of translation put forth in Liturgiam Authenticam and the Ratio Translationis.  Examples such as the post-communion on the First Sunday of Advent, the translation of adstare as "to be" rather than "to stand" in Eucharistic Prayer II, the complete dropping of a phrase about an angelic messenger from the Preface for the Annunciation.  These examples come from the contributors to and readership of the sometimes-controversial but resource-abundant Pray Tell Blog.