Changed Encyclical
The officially published version of the encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia is different from every copy I have been able to find on the internet.
The version in Acta Apostolicae Sedis of 7 July 2003 has 107 footnotes. But there are 104 footnotes in the version published in the L'Osservatore Romano Weekly Edition in English of 23 April 2003. Internet versions also have 104 footnotes, including the one currently available at www.vatican.va.
A difference in the encyclical was reported by John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter on 6 February 2004. The internet Latin version has pro omnibus, but this Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume XCV, page 434, the Latin text has pro multis.
On the same day the Vatican Information Service reported John Paul II saying: "the reception of magisterial documents on the part of Catholic faithful, who are often disorientated more than informed by immediate reactions to and interpretations by the media. In reality, reception of a document, must be seen above all as an ecclesial event of welcoming the magisterium in the communion and most cordial sharing of the doctrine of the Church. It is a question in fact of an authoritative word that shines light on a truth of faith or on several aspects of Catholic doctrine that are contested or distorted by particular currents of thought or action."
If encyclicals are going to be an authoritative word then they cannot be changed after the event. If there is truthful reporting about the one document signed by John Paul II on 17 April 2003 then there cannot be two versions being published by the Vatican. If someone has lied about what he signed this should be explained and corrected.
There are important issues of truth here. It is similar to what John Allen wrote about of whether John Paul II said "It is as it was" about the movie The Passion of the Christ. The difference is that the encyclical is public document, not a private comment. But we are struggling to know the truth about which he signed under the words: "Given in Rome, at Saint Peter's on 17 April, Holy Thursday, in the year 2003, the Twenty- fifth of my Pontificate, the Year of the Rosary."
This incident highlights serious mismanagement at the Vatican. If the encyclical has 107 footnotes why has this version only been published in Acta Apostolicae Sedis and Notitiae of July 2003? If it is worth correcting in Acta, why was it not worth correcting in the versions published by bishops conferences and the Vatican's website?
The main change in the Acta version is that the words of institution are taken directly from the Roman Missal, instead of from the bible. These occur in n. 2 and n. 5 of the encylical.
English from www.vatican.va:
2. ... It is there that Christ took bread, broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: “Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is my body which will be given up for you” (cf. Mk 26:26; Lk 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24). Then he took the cup of wine and said to them: “Take this, all of you and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all, so that sins may be forgiven” (cf. Mt 14:24; Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25).
Latin from www.vatican.va:
2. ... Ibi enim suas in manus panem sumpsit Christus quem fregit discipulisque dedit dicens: "Accipite, comedite: hoc est corpus meum, quod pro vobis datur" (cfr Mt 26, 26; Lc 22, 19; 1 Cor 11, 24).
Deinde calicem in manus vini sustulit eisque dixit: "Accipite et bibite omnes: hic calix novum aeternumque testamentum est in sanguine meo, qui pro vobis funditur et pro omnibus in remissionem peccatorum" (cfr Mc 14, 24; Lc 22, 20; 1 Cor 11, 25).
Latin from Acta (some changes in bold):
2. ... Ibi enam suas in manus panem sumpsit Christus quem fregit discipulisque dedit dicens: "Accipite, comedite: hoc est corpus meum (Mt 26,26), quod pro vobis datur (Lc 22, 19)". Deinde calicem in manus vini sustulit eisque dixit: "Accipite et bibite ex eo omnes: hic est enim calix Sanguinis mei novi et aeterni testamenti, qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum". [Footnote 3: Cfr MR, 3a ed., p. 586.]
English from www.vatican.va n. 5
“This is my body which will be given up for you This is the cup of my blood, poured out for you...”.
Latin from www.vatican.va n. 5
"Hoc est Corpus meum quod pro vobis tradetur... Hic est calix Sanguinis mei qui pro vobis effundetur...".
Latin from Acta, page 436, n. 5:
"Hoc est enim Corpus meum quod pro vobis tradetur ... Hic est enim calix Sanguinis mei novi et aeterni testamenti qui pro vobis et pro multi effundetur...". [Footnote 5: MR, 3a ed., p. 586.]
Another addition is a new footnote 4 at the end of n. 4: "Liturgia Horarum II, ed. typica altera, p. 533.". The Latin edition at www.vatican.va has an incorrect reference to "(Lc 22, 21)" in n. 2, but the English has the correct "(Lk 22:19)".
There are versions for eight languages at www.vatican.va. All have 104 footnotes, not the 107 in Acta.
By J.R. Lilburne, 11 February 2004. I give what I have written on this page to the public domain.
Other sites:
Encyclical in English at www.vatican.va
Google search "104 Saint Thomas Aquinas"
Google search "107 Saint Thomas Aquinas"
John Allen's article of 6 February 2004
Encyclical in Latin at www.vatican.va