John Allen's Interview of Cardinal Pell
National Catholic Reporter have published an interesting interview with Cardinal Pell.
I think the most important revelation was from John Allen's question: "Is the plan for the Order of Mass to be issued separately from the rest of the Missal, so that it could go into immediate use?" Cardinal Pell replied: "I think that's the ambition and the expectation of Vox Clara."
That is not the expectation in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, n. 387, published in 2002. "The Roman Missal, whether in Latin or in lawfully approved vernacular translations, is to be published in its entirety."
This has already been breached by Cardinal Arinze approving the separate publication of one part of the Roman Missal, the General Instruction, in 2003. Now Cardinal Pell seems to be advising him to publish another part, the Order of Mass.
How does Cardinal Pell envisage things working in early 2005? Will every English speaking priest have two Roman Missals? One with the new translation of the Order of Mass, another with the old proper parts of the Mass.
I also see problems with the mechanism for approving the changes to translation he is talking about. Cardinal Pell wants a change from "And also with you" to "And with your spirit." Does he only want this change for the Mass? What about other ceremonies? In baptisms, the liturgy of the hours and blessings does he want the new words or old? Changing the words for these requires changing lots of books.
According to Canon 846: "The liturgical books, approved by the competent authority, are to be faithfully followed in the celebration of the sacraments." There are enough problems with people choosing not to follow this instruction without making it more complicated with "approved amendments" to books.
My advice for changing translations is to have complete translations and complete publications. It would be best if these were implemented world-wide on a particular date.
By J.R. Lilburne, 21 March, 2004. I give what I have written on this page to the public domain.