BALTIMORE (CNS) — The U.S. bishops approved the English
translation and U.S. adaptations of five final sections of the Roman Missal in
voting on the second day of their annual fall general assembly in Baltimore.
With overwhelming majority votes, the bishops approved translations of the
proper of the saints, specific prayers to each saint in the universal
liturgical calendar; the commons, general prayers for celebrating saints listed
in the “Roman Martyrology”; the Roman Missal supplement; the U.S.
propers, a collection of orations and formularies for feasts and memorials
particular to the U.S. liturgical calendar; and U.S. adaptations to the Roman
Missal. There was some debate on the floor about a separate piece of the
translations — the antiphons — which has not come to the bishops for
consideration, but instead has advanced through the Vatican’s approval
procedures without the consultation of the English-language bishops’
conferences around the world. But the final five sections of the missal before
the bishops passed with minimal discussion and only a handful of proposed
amendments to the texts. The Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship now must
grant its “recognitio,” or approval, to allow the translations to
proceed.
Read Father John Zuhlsdorf’s perspective on the liturgical translation
issue passed today. As Father Z said, it’s over!