The "New" English Missal Translation: Not-so-new
A professional translator’s perspective

Almost every corner we peek around as English speaking Catholics, someone, somewhere has something to say about the upcoming release of the "new translation" of the English Roman Missal...

Concerned Catholics should trust the Church’s wisdom in issuing this new version. From a purely linguistic, non-theological standpoint, the "new" Missal is not-so-new, nor does it involve great change or a shift in teaching; rather, it is simply a movement into a different style of language which is well-within the Catholic Church’s preference and ultimate authority as "author" of its own message.

Indeed, it is even within the Church's authority to decide at some future date whether the language may change yet again.

As a dynamic entity on the world scene, and as author and owner of its own documents, the Catholic Church has a right and a duty to disseminate its own information according to the rules, lexicons, traditions and preferences it deems appropriate at any given time. No other organization – whether large or small, secular or religious – does any less. Professional linguists are well-familiar with such caveats. The intimate process of translation, like language itself, is dynamic and constantly evolving, and to criticize this process is absurd from a linguistic perspective.

Just as goals evolve, messages evolve. Just as language changes, translations change. Just as communication can be improved, sentences can be reworded.

In other words:

Objectives change, and campaigns change. Languages evolve, and so do translations. Improving communication is always possible, and editing is one way to do it.

The Church's MESSAGE itself is perpetual, and has never changed, though the method chosen to communicate that message may evolve over the course of history. The latest translation of the English Missal does not alter what we eat; it is simply another step toward enhancing the "flavor" of an eternally-perfect meal.





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