Lost in Translation (Part 3)

Lost in Translation

Changes specifically called for by the new instruction include keeping the first person singular of the Nicene Creed. Thus, "Credo" will be translated "I believe" rather than "We believe." It is worth speculating what effect this might have on the faithful. It may well be that Mass-goers, suddenly saying "I believe in one God," will be jolted into a realization that they are making a personal profession of faith, rather than going along (often unreflectively) with the congregation.

Likewise, "Et cum spiritu tuo," in the people's response to the priest's "Dominus vobiscum" (The Lord be with you), should be translated literally as "And with your spirit." Reference to spirit makes one think of the soul.

Also noteworthy is the amount of Scripture that will be called to mind with literal translations. Just before communion, when the priest shows the Host to the faithful, the priest says in Latin, "Ecce Agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit peccata mundi. Beati qui ad cenam Agni vocati sunt." The people's response is, "Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbo et sanabitur anima mea." These lines contain rich scriptural references not found in the ICEL translations. "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed is he who is called to the supper of the Lamb," echoes John 1:29, where the Baptist says at the Jordan, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world," and Revelation 19:9, in which the angel instructs St. John the Evangelist to write, "Happy are they who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb."

The people's response, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou should come under my roof, but say only the word and my soul shall be healed," calls to mind Christ's meeting with the Roman centurion who asked him to heal his dying servant. Jesus recognized the great faith that officer had, and we imitate that faith as we pray these words before communion. ICEL's obliteration of the biblical connections here seems all the more strange considering the renewed emphasis on Scripture since the Second Vatican Council.

Those who have hoped for more accurate translations have often been criticized as promoting a "slavish literalism," while ICEL and its defenders argue that its translations have been conveying the proper meaning through dynamic equivalence.

But some would argue that dynamic equivalence has left the door open to theological errors. Liturgiam authenticam remedies those. For example, a literal translation of the "pro multis" clause at the consecration of the Precious Blood would render: "Take and drink this, all of you: for this is the chalice of My Blood of the new and eternal Covenant, which shall be poured out for you and for the many in remission of sins . . . " (emphasis added by author). Edgeworth says that translating "pro multis" as "for all" encourages the Universalist heresy, the idea that Christ's salvation is extended to all. "We are losing people to the Lefebvrists over that phrase," he said. "'Multis' never means 'all' in Latin." (The line above is taken from a translation that CREDO commissioned in 1993 and offered to the bishops as a worthy alternative to the ICEL translation.)

Edgeworth also points out that the beautiful phrase in the Roman Canon "hostiam puram, hostiam sanctam, hostiam immaculatam," with its triple repetition, is boiled down to "this holy and perfect sacrifice" in ICEL's translation. Not only are the three adjectives reduced to two, but if the celebrant is not careful, the phrase comes off sounding like "this wholly imperfect sacrifice." CREDO translates it as "a pure victim, a holy victim, a spotless victim."

Edgeworth cringes as he remembers Catholic students once arguing that transubstantiation is fine for Catholics but not for anyone else. After all, they point out, the priest during the preparation of the altar and gifts says that the hosts will "become for us the Bread of Life." Because the celebrant says "for us," the students reasoned that the bread does not become the Bread of Life for non-Catholics. Nor, by extension, does the wine become the blood of Christ if you don't believe it.

Liturgiam authenticam prohibits glossing texts — adding anything that is not in the original — but here Edgeworth would call for a gloss, translating "ex quo nobis fiet panis vitae" with "Let it nourish us by becoming the Bread of Life." That explains the true meaning behind the words and safeguards the transmission of the faith, he says.

As for the debate over inclusive language, Liturgiam authenticam insists that the word "fathers" be kept in the masculine when referring to patriarchs, kings of Israel, and fathers of the Church. And, of course, the Christological term "Son of man" must be kept as is. The document calls for catechesis and homilies to explain that the word "man" in some cases means "all people."

Rev. James Moroney, executive director of the BCL, told Catholic News Service that Liturgiam authenticam permits some inclusive translations like "Happy the one" instead of "Happy the man."

But Michael Waldstein, a Scripture scholar who directs the International Theological Institute in Gaming, Austria, said that the Church fathers understood Psalm 1, which begins, "Happy is he who follows not the counsel of the wicked . . . but delights in the law of the Lord," to refer to Christ. Therefore, it is necessary to retain the word "he." And, Waldstein adds, the original Hebrew is ha ish, which means "the man."