Australian GIRM
This morning I read on cathnews.com "Vatican approves new Aussie Missal Instruction".
I followed the link to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and downloaded the PDF file of the approved General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM).
I thought I would compare it to the USA edition and the Latin original.
In one day I found 20 errors, apparently missed by a Conference of Bishops, a Vox Clara Commission and a Vatican Congregation. In five years!
One has to wonder about priorities and competence. These are not debates about translations, but simple proof-reading.
In summary, here are the different parts of the Australian GIRM:
"43. ... In Australia, apart from what is said above, the people are to sit from the Preparation of the Gifts until the completion of the priest's invitation Orate fratres, and stand from the beginning of the people's response "May the Lord accept..." to the end of the Sanctus. They then kneel from the completion Sanctus until after the Great Amen, and then stand from the beginning of the invitation of the Lord's Prayer until the completion of the Agnus Dei, when they are to kneel again until the distribution of Holy Communion. During the sacred silence after the distribution of Holy Communion, they may either sit or kneel."
"82. In Australia the most common form of the gesture of peace is the handshake, although different practices according to region and culture are not excluded."
"160. ... In Australia standing is the most common posture for receiving Holy Communion. The customary manner of reception is recommended to be followed by all, so that Communion may truly be a sign of unity among those who share in the same table of the Lord. When approaching to receive Holy Communion, the faithful bow in reverence of the Mystery that they are to receive."
Almost nothing. Lots of differences in wording compared to the USA GIRM, as listed here. But hardly anything substantial.
Here are the errors, beginning with the number in the GIRM:
22. Fail to start a new paragraph for second sentence, as in the Latin and USA edition.
26. Instead of correctly having "395-399" the Australian edition has "395, 399".
46. In USA and Latin edition last sentence is a new paragraph. In Australian edition it is not.
49. Second sentence is a new paragraph in Latin and USA edition, not in Australian.
65. Footnote 63. USA and Latin have in footnote "can. 767 § 1.". Australia has "can. 767".
71. USA and Latin have a new paragraph for the last sentence. Australia does not.
89. Both the USA and Latin have a new paragraph for the last sentence: "The people make the prayer their own by the acclamation, Amen." The Australian edition does not have a new paragraph, but lists it with the third ending (which is dot pointed and indented)
90. The USA and Latin list the four points with letters (a, b, c and d). Australia has numbers.
92. Footnote 80. Australia has added "38" at the end of the footnote. It is not in the Latin or the USA edition, which has: "80. Cf. Caeremoniale Episcoporum, editio typica, 1984, nos. 175-186."
95. Footnote 83. Australian edition has "39" at the end. It is not in the Latin or USA editions.
103. Incorrect spelling of "relevant" with "relevanet".
114. Footnote 94. Australia has added "44" to the end of the footnote. It is not in the Latin or USA edition.
275. Australia have two dot points, USA and Latin have "a)" and "b)".
282. Footnote 107. Australia has at end: "Denz-Schon, 1725-1728." USA: "Denz-Schön, 1728." Latin: "Denz-Schönm. 1728."
288. In Chapter heading: "THECELEBRATION".
318. Footnote 133. USA and Australia have wrong year: "133. Cf. The Roman Pontifical: Order of the Dedication of a Church and an Altar, editio typica, 1984, Chapter 4, no. 10;". But the Latin has: "133 Cf. PONTIFICALE ROMANUM, Ordo Dedicationis ecclesiae et altaris, editio typica 1977, cap. IV, n. 10;". I believe the correct year is 1977, as in The Rites Volume Two, Liturgical Press, 1991, ISBN: 0-8146-6037-1, page 347.
333. Footnote 136. (Similar to previous error). USA and Australia have "136. Cf. The Roman Pontifical: Order of the Dedication of a Church and an Altar, editio typica, 1984, Chapter 7, Order of the Blessing of a Chalice and a Paten;". But the Latin has:
"136 Cf. PONTIFICALE ROMANUM, Ordo Dedicationis ecclesiae et altaris, editio typica 1977 Ordo benedictionis calicis et patenae;".
335. Footnote 137. Australia has "90." at the end of the footnote, which is not in the Latin or USA editions.
393. Australia has footnote 152 at the end of n. 393. In the USA and Latin editions it is in the middle of the first sentence:
"393. Bearing in mind the important place that singing has in a celebration as a necessary or integral part of the Liturgy, 152 all musical settings".
397. Australia leaves out the numbering of this. In n. 396 it appears to have four paragraphs, but the second paragraph should be numbered "397".
[Update 1 September 2007 to the above story of 4 July 2007. The PDF I downloaded was created at 4.27 pm on 3 July 2007. Today I download a different PDF, created at 5.03 pm on 5 July 2007. Frustrating that they would change the documents and give no hint that they have done this. For example I found the error in n. 103, which I described as "Incorrect spelling of "relevant" with "relevanet"."
In the 3 July PDF it had: "What is said about the choir also applies, in accordance with the relevanet norms, to other musicians, especially the organist." But the 5 July PDF has: "What is said about the choir also applies similarly to other musicians, especially the organist."]
By J.R. Lilburne, 4 July 2007. Updated 1 September 2007. I give what I have written on this page to the public domain.
Other sites:
Australian GIRM at acbc.catholic.org.au Click on "printable version" to download the PDF.
Cathnews article "Vatican Approves New Aussie Missal Instruction"