Three strikes or one with the new translation?

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Since the translation of the confiteor is changing, are we returning to three strikes of the breast, or are we staying with one? If one, which “fault” gets the strike? Please provide a document or something if you can. I’d like to know before next week. Our diocese chose not to provide instruction on gestures for the confiteor, only instructions on the words.
 
we were told very clearly one strike only. but, if they told us when, I missed it sorry.
 
Pug said:
Since the translation of the confiteor is changing, are we returning to three strikes of the breast, or are we staying with one? If one, which “fault” gets the strike? Please provide a document or something if you can. I’d like to know before next week. Our diocese chose not to provide instruction on gestures for the confiteor, only instructions on the words.
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In continuity with tradition, you should strike your chest 3 times.
 
In 1978, the official ruling was given: only one strike is required.
It does not seem, therefore, that anyone has to strike his breast three times in pronouncing those words in Latin or in another language, even if mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa is said. It suffices that there be a striking of the breast. It is obvious also that only one gesture suffices in those languages in which the words for showing one’s fault have been rendered in a more simple manner, as, for example, in English, « I have sinned through my own fault », or in French, « Oui, j’ai vraiment peche ».
You may read the original in Latin and English here.
 
Ambiguous language in the Missal, as usual, lends to ambiguous actions. I don’t understand how it wouldn’t be simple to just state it in the red text in the missal, but I see it’s too much trouble to do that.
 
MarkThompson said:
In 1978, the official ruling was given: only one strike is required.
It does not seem, therefore, that anyone has to strike his breast three times in pronouncing those words in Latin or in another language, even if mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa is said. It suffices that there be a striking of the breast. It is obvious also that only one gesture suffices in those languages in which the words for showing one’s fault have been rendered in a more simple manner, as, for example, in English, « I have sinned through my own fault », or in French, « Oui, j’ai vraiment peche ».
You may read the original in Latin and English here.
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Thanks for the link to an official document. I think, however, that the above quote is not the best foundation for “one strike” since it refers to the english translation as being simplified and the new translation restores the 3 fold culpa. The next line is probably better at showing one strike is all that’s required:
The words mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa which are found in the Confiteor are introduced in the restored Roman Missal by a rubric of this sort: All likewise … striking their breast, say … (OM, n. 3). In the former Missal, in the same place, the rubric sounded like this: He strikes his breast three times. It does not seem, therefore, that anyone has to strike his breast three times in pronouncing those words in Latin or in another language, even if mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa is said. It suffices that there be a striking of the breast.
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NewEnglandPries notes exactly what had led me to wonder, that it doesn’t say three times in the missal. This is also the type of reasoning that appears in MarkThompson’s link (thank you for it).

I suspect there will be much confusion on the issue. The parish across town from me was carefully instructed today to strike their breast three times next week, perhaps for the reason that TheMc gave, and yet we have ermcma who was clearly told to do it only once.

Did anyone else receive specific instructions about it?

Even if only one strike is required, are three okay to do?
 
Pug said:
NewEnglandPries notes exactly what had led me to wonder, that it doesn’t say three times in the missal. This is also the type of reasoning that appears in MarkThompson’s link (thank you for it).

I suspect there will be much confusion on the issue. The parish across town from me was carefully instructed today to strike their breast three times next week, perhaps for the reason that TheMc gave, and yet we have ermcma who was clearly told to do it only once.

Did anyone else receive specific instructions about it?

Even if only one strike is required, are three okay to do?
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You know, we’re going to have back and forth arguments about who’s right until there is a definitive statement on it.
 
Pug said:
NewEnglandPries notes exactly what had led me to wonder, that it doesn’t say three times in the missal. This is also the type of reasoning that appears in MarkThompson’s link (thank you for it).

I suspect there will be much confusion on the issue. The parish across town from me was carefully instructed today to strike their breast three times next week, perhaps for the reason that TheMc gave, and yet we have ermcma who was clearly told to do it only once.

Did anyone else receive specific instructions about it?

Even if only one strike is required, are three okay to do?
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It does not seem to be the intention of the rubric to regulate how many times the congregant strikes his breast. One time “suffices” to satisfy the instruction, but nothing appears to forbid or prevent striking three times (which is, I’m sure, what I will do!). The old instruction had expressly said “ter,” thrice, and if it had been the intention of the new instruction to limit it to once, then it could easily have said expressly “semel,” once. The apparently deliberate omission of any adverb of frequency ought typically to be taken to indicate a choice not to regulate the frequency.

As for me, I’ll count my lucky stars if we do the Confiteor before Lent. 😦
 
MarkThompson said:
It does not seem to be the intention of the rubric to regulate how many times the congregant strikes his breast. One time “suffices” to satisfy the instruction, but nothing appears to forbid or prevent striking three times (which is, I’m sure, what I will do!). The old instruction had expressly said “ter,” thrice, and if it had been the intention of the new instruction to limit it to once, then it could easily have said expressly “semel,” once. The apparently deliberate omission of any adverb of frequency ought typically to be taken to indicate a choice not to regulate the frequency.

As for me, I’ll count my lucky stars if we do the Confiteor before Lent. 😦
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Lent! It is very common around here. Maybe every other week, about. Good point about how they did not use the word “once”.
 
As one who has never been to a TLM, i feel compelled to strike three times, with the new confiteor.
 
I was wondering this too, but I have decided to do it three times like it’s done at the EF. Now watch, no one will use the Confiteor during Mass.
 
I have never seen “breast striking police” near any Catholic church. So I think I’ll follow tradition. 😃
 
It goes in continuity with tradition.
Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievious fault.
Strike breast…Strike breast…Strike breast
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To me it will be natural to strike three times, just like I did as a child when I said that prayer before bed. Our last pastor used the Confiteor all the time. The priest who’s here now while we wait for a new pastor doesn’t use it very frequently but I’ve noticed that he uses it more now than he did when he was our pastor.

Now let’s hope we get our copy of the Roman Missal before Friday or we’ll be stuck using the Sacramentary on the weekend.
 
YoungTradCath said:
That would be a horrific letdown.
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No kidding! I’ve been looking forward to saying in English most of what I already say when I go to Mass in a French parish and I’ve been awaiting this translation for years. The Missal was supposed to be shipped starting on Nov. 10 but so far, nothing.
 
Phemie said:
No kidding! I’ve been looking forward to saying in English most of what I already say when I go to Mass in a French parish and I’ve been awaiting this translation for years. The Missal was supposed to be shipped starting on Nov. 10 but so far, nothing.
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That’s weird. Most missals in the US were shipping around early October, I think.
 
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