Letters

Accuracy needed

Carol V. Phillips

Contents - Nov 2006 - Buy a copy now Editorial: EWTN and the secular media: fighting fire with fire Education: The Spirit of Generation Y: the challenge for Catholic schools - Cardinal George Pell Living the Faith: What distinguishes a practising Catholic? - Bishop Luc Matthys News: The Church Around the World England: British Catholicism's dark night of the soul Books: Is the Catholic Church in Australia 'lost'? - Michael Gilchrist Brisbane Archdiocese: inclusive language in the liturgy continues - Michael Apthorp Liturgy: US bishop sets out clear guidelines on celebrations of the Mass - AD2000 REPORT Television: EWTN: now affordable and accessible in Australia - Moira Kirkwood Letters: Missal translation - Pat Hurley Letters: Translation hang-up - Fran Swindale Letters: Accuracy needed - Carol V. Phillips Letters: Faith and reason - Peter D. Howard Letters: Narrow - Norm Yodgee Letters: Infallible teaching - Don Ford Letters: Education needed - Judy O'Reilly Letters: Early baptism - John Schmid Letters: Declining practice - Gerard J. Keane Letters: Chavagnes College scholarship applications - Ferdi McDermott Letters: Conversion by violence - Gregory F.J. O'Regan Letters: Generation 'Y' - Kevin Cains Letters: Common sense and married clergy - Errol Duke Letters: Poem's author - Valerie J.Staunton Letters: Anonymity - Michael Apthorp Letters: EWTN by broadband - Bren Scheiner Poetry: Sometimes Gladness: Collected Poems 1954 to 2005, by Bruce Dawe - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: St John Bosco, St Dominic and the Rosary, St Thérèe of Lisieux - Siobhan B. Reeves (reviewer) DVD: A Family Retreat, by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen - Daniel Tobin (reviewer) Events: The teachings of the Catholic Church: an exploration Events: Second Annual Victorian Catholic Students Association Conference 25-26 Nov 2006 Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: Catholic schools must proclaim the total love of Christ - Fr Sebastian Camilleri OFM

I most heartily agree with Philip Holberton, who questions the new draft English translation of the Order of the Mass in relation to ‘propter nos homines’. Deleting the word ‘men’ is both inaccurate and a pandering to the feminist mindset.

Additionally, I strongly object to the refusal to return to the accurate rendition of the Gloria. The Latin text reads ‘Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis’, which, in earlier Missals was translated accurately as, ‘and on earth peace to men of goodwill."

In the present Missal it is translated as, ‘and peace to His people on earth’, which means something quite different. Here is another feminist rendering, which also alters the meaning of the Angel's greeting to the shepherds at the Birth of the Saviour.

The Angel ‘wishes’ peace to men of goodwill. Even if all men of goodwill can be said to be automatically, or fundamentally, God's people, the Liturgy translators had no right to do such violence to the original Latin. ‘His people on earth’ gives the impression that all men are included in the Angel's greeting, rather than only those of goodwill.

I believe that this distortion ought also to be corrected in the new translation.

CAROL V. PHILLIPS (MRS)
Burswood, WA

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 19 No 10 (November 2006), p. 13