In the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article linked in this earlier post, our pastor mentions that he sent a letter to parishioners on the pending changes in the English translation of the Mass. Here is his letter.
Those changes and what lead up to them are also the subject of this Adoremus Bulletin article.
They differ on almost every point, even on history. Father Jurkus portrays a change in approach sprung in 1999 by "Pope John Paul II and, reportedly, a smaller group of Vatican experts...". The Adoremus article notes that "Pope John Paul had called for review and reform of the post-conciliar liturgy in his 1988 apostolic letter Vicesimus Quintus Annus."
Yes, it’s not difficult to figure out where the Pastor stands on this. Appeal to translating the ‘sense’ of the Latin rather than the literal meaning is akin to ‘individual interpretation of Scripture’ or to the ‘Spirit of Vatican II’ rather than the actual texts of the Council. That mindset has also led to the mess we frequently find in NO Masses today with individual priests ‘making it up as they go along’ and taking liberties with the rubrics.
ReplyDeleteBut, ultimately, it all comes down to Pride and the non serviam of the Original Dissenter…
So... let me translate your pastor's letter into colloquial English, relying on the sense of his message rather than the not-too-subtle (but very manipultaive) literal original:
ReplyDelete"I don't like it. It's been forced upon us by ivory-tower bureaucrats. You shouldn't like it either."
How's that?
Aquinas, you forgot a phrase:
ReplyDelete"It will cost you money, and you'll have to spend time listening to our unhappy duty."
FWIW, Jurkus' iteration of the history of Latin is also flawed; Latin WAS in use across the Continent, but certainly not by all people. Priests, monks, Bishops, and other educated laity used it all the time.
The point of retaining Latin had to do with 'univerality,' rather than building another Tower of Babel.
Today, of course, we see priests who cannot read or pronounce Latin, much less actually translate it.
And priests who cannot write a sentence in English, for that matter.