M
Manfred
Guest
- from the December, 2007 Adoremus Bulletin:
The second segment of a revision of the Lectionary in use since 2002 was presented for the bishops’ approval at this meeting. This part contains readings for the Sundays of Lent and the Passion Account.
As with the Advent readings that the bishops approved last November, the justification given for revising the Lectionary now is to provide translations that are “more suitable for proclamation, and more understandable”.
The conference had approved the Lectionary currently in use on condition that it be reviewed after five years. In 1992, a revised Lectionary using base texts from the Revised New American Bible (RNAB) Psalms (1991) and the New Testament (1986), was approved by the US Conference and sent to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for recognitio. However, before it could be approved by the Holy See, this Lectionary required correction by a panel of US bishops and Vatican experts because of the deficiencies in the base texts — chiefly “inclusive language”. Some bishops complained about “Vatican interference” at the time.
In response to continuing translation problems, in 2001 the Holy See issued Liturgiam authenticam, the fifth post-conciliar Instruction on implementation of the Council’s liturgical reform, providing norms for liturgical translation.
Recently, the Old Testament of the New American Bible has also been revised. And other English-speaking countries are also grappling with the problem of producing an updated Lectionary.
In the new US version, the RNAB base translations have at least on occasion been supplemented by other contemporary English translations. (In at least one instance, a passage was said to have been amended reflecting the wording in the New Revised Standard Version.)
The bishops approved this second segment by 95%. (Sixteen bishops voted against it, and five abstained.)
Oh, brother.
