The USCCB has announced that the Vatican has given its "recognitio," or official approval, to the new English translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal, although a date for implementation has not been set yet. It will be up to the USCCB to decide how and when to authorize use of the new translation in dioceses and parishes in the United States. The Office of Divine Worship is currently offering workshops to clergy and diocesan leaders to prepare them for implementation.
In a letter to the Vox Clara Committee that worked on the new translation -- a decade-long process, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged that the changes might not be easily accepted by Catholics who have been saying the prayers of the Mass the same way for a lifetime:
"A new task will then present itself, one which falls outside the direct competence of Vox Clara, but which in one way or another will involve all of you – the task of preparing for the reception of the new translation by clergy and lay faithful. Many will find it hard to adjust to unfamiliar texts after nearly forty years of continuous use of the previous translation. The change will need to be introduced with due sensitivity, and the opportunity for catechesis that it presents will need to be firmly grasped. I pray that in this way any risk of confusion or bewilderment will be averted, and the change will serve instead as a springboard for a renewal and a deepening of Eucharistic devotion all over the English-speaking world."If you'd like to check out some of the changes for yourself, head to the USCCB Roman Missal site by clicking HERE. Click on "Sample Texts" to see General Instruction, Priest's Parts, People's Parts, and the Order of the Mass.
