Liturgy document invoked as example
Rome
Over the last several years, few debates have highlighted the
problem of collegiality in the English-speaking world more than the liturgy,
especially control of how liturgical texts are translated.
Two years ago, the curial office responsible for liturgy asserted
new controls over a translation agency sponsored by English-speaking bishops,
called the International Commission on English in the Liturgy. More recently
the office issued norms insisting that translations stick to a uniform Roman
model.
For more than two years, Chilean Cardinal Jorge Medina, the curial
official responsible for liturgy, has declined repeated requests from
English-speaking bishops for a meeting to discuss the issue. That reluctance
has drawn criticism.
South African Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier told NCR that
English-speaking prelates were able to make some progress on this front at the
consistory. We had a meeting [with Medina] over coffee and arranged to
have a meeting at a later stage, he said. No date was set. We were
just trying to find where we stood, what the possibilities were of a real,
proper meeting. Thats as far as it got, he said.
Despite the seemingly definitive nature of the new norms, Napier
said the Vatican will have to show flexibility.
For example, Napier said, the documents insistence on using
the Latin edition of liturgical texts as the base for translation is
unrealistic in South Africa, where a number of tribal languages are widespread
in addition to English.
A lot of our work would be more or less arrested, he
said. We cant use Latin, we dont have people with a knowledge
of Latin. If we do, they wont have a knowledge of the local language.
Hence it would be virtually impossible to produce a vernacular
translation.
Napier also said issuance of the document was mishandled.
Many of us havent even gotten it in our hands, and normally we get
documents directly from the Vatican as they hit the public. In this case
Ive got a summary, which I took off the Internet, but I havent got
the document. In itself this says theres something wrong.
Napier said he does not think the document means the death of the
International Commission on English in the Liturgy. Before we can start
talking about what happens, we have to wait until the presidents of the
conferences are called together to have a meeting, said Napier, who is
president of the South African bishops conference.
Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles said that liturgy and
translation was the most frequently invoked example at the consistory of the
need for collegiality.
I understand Romes concern is that texts be
authentically and accurately translated. But it seems to me that its best
done by the church leaders in the countries where the texts will be used. We
know better how language is used in our own areas.
-- John L. Allen Jr.
National Catholic Reporter, June 1,
2001
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