Magnum principium

Last updated

Magnum principium ("The Great Principle") is an apostolic letter issued by Pope Francis and dated 3 September 2017 on his own authority. It modified the 1983 Code of Canon Law to shift responsibility and authority for translations of liturgical texts into modern languages to national and regional conferences of bishops and restrict the role of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW). It was made public on 9 September 2017 and its effective date was 1 October of the same year.

While directly concerned only with liturgical texts, it represented a significant initiative in the program long advocated by Francis of changing the role of the Roman Curia in the Catholic Church and fostering "shared decision-making between local churches and Rome." [1] [lower-alpha 1] That he used canon law to achieve his aims demonstrated, in the view of liturgist Rita Ferrone, the intensity of his commitment to this project. [4]

Background

For several decades the Catholic Church has increased the use of the vernacular in place of Latin in its liturgies. The Sacred Congregation of Rites, predecessor of the CDW, granted permission for the use of local languages in several countries with expanding missionary activity, including Mandarin Chinese in Mass except for the Canon in 1949 and Hindi in India in 1950. For rituals other than Mass, it gave permission for the use of a French translation in 1948 and a German one in 1951. [5]

The Second Vatican Council's Sacrosanctum Concilium , issued by Pope Paul VI on 4 December 1963, discussed the use of the vernacular in the context of the need to enhance lay participation in liturgies. It suggested an increased use of the "mother tongue" of the congregation and instructed local groups of bishops to consider the role of the vernacular. It "opened up the possibility of linguistic change but did not make it mandatory". [6]

As local groups of bishops and Vatican authorities disputed the quality and nature of translations, the CDW's instruction Liturgiam Authenticam , issued on 28 March 2001 with the approval of Pope John Paul II, ruled that texts "insofar as possible, must be translated integrally and in the most exact manner, without omissions or additions in terms of their content, and without paraphrases or glosses. Any adaptation to the characteristics or the nature of the various vernacular languages is to be sober and discreet." [7] One side in the ongoing debate promoted the philosophy of translation called dynamic equivalence, roughly "sense-for-sense" translation, rather than the more literal word-for-word translation that John Paul said was required. [8] [lower-alpha 2]

In the 21st century, Catholic bishops in Germany decided not to work with a commission Pope Benedict XVI erected to guide their translation efforts and then found their own translations rejected by the CDW. French, Italian and Spanish translations were rejected as well. [9] The CDW also dictated much of the work and staffing of the multi-national board, the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), created to produce English translations, which have met with criticism. [1] [10] The bishops of Japan contested the Vatican's right to judge the quality of a translation into Japanese, questioning both the quality of the review and the subsidiary position in which the CDW's review placed them. [8]

Text

In Magnum principium, Francis outlined the mission of the translation effort of liturgical texts: [11]

The goal of the translation of liturgical texts and of biblical texts for the Liturgy of the Word is to announce the word of salvation to the faithful in obedience to the faith and to express the prayer of the Church to the Lord. For this purpose it is necessary to communicate to a given people using its own language all that the Church intended to communicate to other people through the Latin language. While fidelity cannot always be judged by individual words but must be sought in the context of the whole communicative act and according to its literary genre, nevertheless some particular terms must also be considered in the context of the entire Catholic faith because each translation of texts must be congruent with sound doctrine.

While acknowledging the role Latin continues to play in Catholic liturgy, he expressed confidence that translations could achieve a similar status, that over time "vernacular languages themselves [...] would be able to become liturgical languages, standing out in a not dissimilar way to liturgical Latin for their elegance of style and the profundity of their concepts". [11]

Where the Council fathers spoke of the participation of the laity, Francis wrote of "their right to a conscious and active participation in liturgical celebration". [12]

He recognized the role of the CDW and said that to promote "vigilant and creative collaboration full of reciprocal trust" between the CDW and conferences of bishops he thought "some principles handed on since the time of the [Second Vatican] Council should be more clearly reaffirmed and put into practice". [11]

Magnum principium modified two clauses in canon 838 of the Code of Canon Law. Before its modifications the passage at issue read:

§2 It is the prerogative of the Apostolic See to regulate the sacred liturgy of the universal Church, to publish liturgical books and review their vernacular translations, and to be watchful that liturgical regulations are everywhere faithfully observed.

§3 It pertains to Episcopal Conferences to prepare vernacular translations of liturgical books, with appropriate adaptations as allowed by the books themselves and, with the prior review of the Holy See, to publish these translations.

The revised text read (highlighting in original): [11]

§2. It is for the Apostolic See to order the sacred liturgy of the universal Church, publish liturgical books, recognise adaptations approved by the Episcopal Conference according to the norm of law, and exercise vigilance that liturgical regulations are observed faithfully everywhere.

§3. It pertains to the Episcopal Conferences to faithfully prepare versions of the liturgical books in vernacular languages, suitably accommodated within defined limits, and to approve and publish the liturgical books for the regions for which they are responsible after the confirmation of the Apostolic See.

Accompanying Note

A note accompanying the release of Magnum principium authored by Archbishop Roche, secretary of the CDW, explained that the CDW was tasked with confirming a translation, that the process "leaves responsibility for the translation, presumed to be faithful, to [...] the bishops' conference", and "presupposes a positive evaluation of the faithfulness and congruence of the produced texts with respect to the Latin text". [13] The CDW's role is to ratify the bishop's approval, not to review the translation itself. [14] The CDW still has a role in reviewing "adaptations", that is, additions to liturgical texts, rather than translations per se. [15] The term adaptations, as used by liturgists, refers to modifications introduced into a liturgy to incorporate or reflect local culture, which can include practices, movement, costume, and music as well as text. The more common term for this undertaking is inculturation. [16] The note also stated that "The object of the changes is to define better the roles of the Apostolic See and the Conferences of Bishops in respect to their proper competencies which are different yet remain complementary." [17] [18]

Reactions

In The Tablet , Christopher Lamb wrote that "This throws open the possibility that the 2011 English Roman Missal–which became mired in disagreement with claims that the Vatican had overly controlled the process–could be changed. The onus will now be on local bishops to take the initiative." [10] In America , liturgist John F. Baldovin wrote: "those conferences which have been experiencing tension with the Vatican over revised translations, like the French-speaking and German-speaking, now have much more breathing room in deciding what is best for translating liturgical texts". [15]

Cardinal Blaise Cupich thought Francis was "reconnecting the church with the Second Vatican Council" by "giving in this document an authoritative interpretation of the council as it relates to the responsibilities of bishops for the liturgical life of the church". [19]

Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich-Freising said that German bishops felt "great relief" and the Episcopal Conference of Germany thanked Francis for underlining the "genuine doctrinal authority" of episcopal conferences. [20]

Postquam Summus Pontifex

On 22 October 2021, the Congregation for Divine Worship released the decree Postquam Summus Pontifex. The decree is an interpretation as well as corrections of previous documents, to correct "whatever is found to the contrary [of Magnum principium] in the Institutiones generales and in the Prænotanda of the liturgical books, as well as in the Instructions, Declarations, and Notifications published by this Dicastery according to the old norms of §§ 2 and 3 of can. 838". For example, those changes apply to Liturgiam authenticam . [21] [22] [23] [24]

Notes

  1. ↑ In his exhortation Evangelii gaudium (2013), the first major work of his papacy, Francis addressed the need to alter the balance between Rome and national or regional conferences of bishops: "The Second Vatican Council stated that ... episcopal conferences are in a position 'to contribute in many and fruitful ways to the concrete realization of the collegial spirit.' Yet this desire has not been fully realized, since a juridical status of episcopal conferences which would see them as subjects of specific attributions, including genuine doctrinal authority, has not yet been sufficiently elaborated. Excessive centralization, rather than proving helpful, complicates the Church's life and her missionary outreach." [2] [3]
  2. ↑ An oft-cited example of these approaches to translation are the Latin words used in the consecration pro multis, variously translated as "for many", "for the many", "for all men", or "for all". [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Missal</span> Central book of the most widespread Catholic liturgical rite

The Roman Missal is the title of several missals used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. Along with other liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the Roman Missal contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the most common liturgy and Mass of the Catholic Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass of Paul VI</span> Type of liturgical rite in the Roman Catholic Church

The Mass of Paul VI, also known as the Ordinary Form or Novus Ordo, is the most commonly used liturgy in the Catholic Church. It was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969 and its liturgical books were published in 1970; those books were then revised in 1975, they were revised again by Pope John Paul II in 2000, and a third revision was published in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tridentine Mass</span> Form of liturgy in the Roman Rite

The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or the Traditional Rite, is the liturgy in the Roman Missal of the Catholic Church codified in 1570 and published thereafter with amendments up to 1962. Celebrated almost exclusively in Ecclesiastical Latin, it was the most widely used Eucharistic liturgy in the world from its issuance in 1570 until the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acolyte</span> Ministry in the Christian Church

An acolyte is an assistant or follower assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession. In many Christian denominations, an acolyte is anyone performing ceremonial duties such as lighting altar candles. In others, the term is used for one who has been inducted into a particular liturgical ministry, even when not performing those duties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New American Bible</span> English-language Catholic Bible translation

The New American Bible (NAB) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1970. The 1986 Revised NAB is the basis of the revised Lectionary, and it is the only translation approved for use at Mass in the Latin Church Catholic dioceses of the United States and the Philippines, and the 1970 first edition is also an approved Bible translation by the Episcopal Church in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition</span> 1966 English translation of the Bible

The Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1966. In 1965, the Catholic Biblical Association adapted, under the editorship of Bernard Orchard OSB and Reginald C. Fuller, the Revised Standard Version (RSV) for Catholic use. It contains the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament placed in the traditional order of the Vulgate. The editors' stated aim for the RSV Catholic Edition was "to make the minimum number of alterations, and to change only what seemed absolutely necessary in the light of Catholic tradition."

<i>Nova Vulgata</i> Classical Latin translation of the Bible

The Nova Vulgata, also called the Neo-Vulgate, is the official Classical Latin translation of the original-language texts of the Bible published by the Holy See. It was completed in 1979, and was promulgated the same year by John Paul II in Scripturarum thesaurus. A second, revised edition was published in 1986. It is the official Latin text of the Bible of the Catholic Church. The Nova Vulgata is also called the New Latin Vulgate or the New Vulgate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments</span> Department of the Roman Curia

The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is the dicastery of the Roman Curia that handles most affairs relating to liturgical practices of the Latin Church as distinct from the Eastern Catholic Churches and also some technical matters relating to the sacraments.

An episcopal conference, sometimes called a conference of bishops, is an official assembly of the bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory. Episcopal conferences have long existed as informal entities. The first assembly of bishops to meet regularly, with its own legal structure and ecclesial leadership function, is the Swiss Bishops' Conference, which was founded in 1863. More than forty episcopal conferences existed before the Second Vatican Council. Their status was confirmed by the Second Vatican Council and further defined by Pope Paul VI's 1966 motu proprio, Ecclesiae sanctae.

The International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) is a commission set up by a number of episcopal conferences of English-speaking countries for the purpose of providing English translations of the liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the originals of which are in Latin.

The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches is the title of the 1990 work which is a codification of the common portions of the canon law for the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in the Catholic Church. It is divided into 30 titles and has a total of 1546 canons. The code entered into force in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Bible</span> Catholic Church canon of Bible books

The term Catholic Bible can be understood in two ways. More generally, it can refer to a Christian Bible that includes the whole 73-book canon recognized by the Catholic Church, including some of the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament which are in the Greek Septuagint collection, but which are not present in the Hebrew Masoretic Text collection. More specifically, the term can refer to a version or translation of the Bible which is published with the Catholic Church's approval, in accordance with Catholic canon law.

<i>Roman Pontifical</i> Christian ritual book

The Roman Pontifical is the pontifical as used in Roman Rite liturgies of the Catholic Church. It is the liturgical book that contains the rites and ceremonies usually performed by bishops.

1983 <i>Code of Canon Law</i> 1983 codification of canonical legislation for the Latin Catholic Church

The 1983 Code of Canon Law, also called the Johanno-Pauline Code, is the "fundamental body of ecclesiastical laws for the Latin Church". It is the second and current comprehensive codification of canonical legislation for the Latin Church of the Catholic Church. The 1983 Code of Canon Law was promulgated on 25 January 1983 by John Paul II and took legal effect on the First Sunday of Advent 1983. It replaced the 1917 Code of Canon Law which had been promulgated by Benedict XV on 27 May 1917.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Roche</span> English prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1950)

Arthur Roche is a British cardinal of the Catholic Church who has served as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship since 2021. He previously served as secretary of the congregation from 2012 to 2021.

Liturgiam authenticam is an instruction of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, dated 28 March 2001.

The Grail Psalms refers to various editions of an English translation of the Book of Psalms, first published completely as The Psalms: A New Translation in 1963 by the Ladies of the Grail. The translation was modeled on the French La Bible de Jérusalem, according to the school of Fr. Joseph Gelineau: a simple vernacular, arranged in sprung rhythm to be suitable for liturgical song and chant. All official Catholic English translations of the Liturgy of the Hours use the Grail Psalms.

In the Roman Catholic Church, collegiality refers to "the Pope governing the Church in collaboration with the bishops of the local Churches, respecting their proper autonomy." In the early church the popes sometimes exercised moral authority rather than administrative power, and that authority was not exercised extremely often; regional churches elected their own bishops, resolved disputes in local synods, and only felt the need to appeal to the Pope under special circumstances.

Traditionis custodes is an apostolic letter issued motu proprio by Pope Francis, promulgated on 16 July 2021 regarding the continued use of pre-Vatican II rites. It restricts the celebration of the Tridentine Mass of the Roman Rite, sometimes colloquially called the "Latin Mass" or the "Traditional Latin Mass". The apostolic letter was accompanied by an ecclesiastical letter to the Catholic bishops of the world.

Liturgical use of Latin is the practice of performing Christian liturgy in Ecclesiastical Latin, typically in the liturgical rites of the Latin Church.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Pope pushes decentralization on translation of liturgical texts". CRUX. 9 September 2017. Archived from the original on 17 December 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  2. ↑ Pope Francis (24 November 2013). "Evangelii gaudium". Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  3. ↑ O'Leary, Naomi (26 November 2013). "Pope attacks 'tyranny' of markets in manifesto for papacy". Reuters. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  4. ↑ Horowitz, Jason (9 September 2017). "Pope Francis Shifts Power From Rome With 'Hugely Important' Liturgical Reform". New York Times. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  5. ↑ Pecklers, Keith F. (2003). Dynamic Equivalence: The Living Language of Christian Worship. Liturgical Press. pp. 31ff. ISBN   9780814661918 . Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  6. ↑ McDannell, Colleen (2011). The Spirit of Vatican II: A History of Catholic Reform in America. Basic Books. ISBN   9780465023387 . Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  7. ↑ "Liturgiam authenticam". Congregation for Divine Worship. 28 March 2001. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  8. 1 2 O'Connell, Gerard (9 September 2017). "Pope Francis has ordered a review of the new Mass translation rules". America . Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  9. ↑ Malzac, Marie (9 September 2017). "Le pape renforce l'autorité des évêques en matière liturgique". La Croix (in French). Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  10. 1 2 Lamb, Christopher (9 September 2017). "Pope releases new liturgical law paving way for revision of English missal". The Tablet. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Apostolic Letter in the form of Motu Proprio Magnum principium". Vatican.va. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  12. ↑ Harris, Elise (9 September 2017). "Pope issues new directives on revision, translation of liturgical texts". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  13. ↑ McElwee, Joshua J. (9 September 2017). "Francis decentralizes most authority for liturgical translations to local bishops". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  14. ↑ Scaramuzzi, Iacopo (9 September 2017). "Il Papa lascia la traduzione dei testi liturgici agli episcopati". La Stampa (in Italian). Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  15. 1 2 Baldovin, John F. (9 September 2017). "A liturgical expert explains Pope Francis' change to Mass translation rules". America. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  16. ↑ Chupungco, Anscar J. (1995). Liturgical Inculturation: Sacramentals, Religiosity, and Catechesis. Liturgical Press. p. 24. ISBN   9780814661208 . Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  17. ↑ "Pope Francis issues Motu Proprio on liturgical translations". Vatican Radio. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  18. ↑ Scaramuzzi, Iacopo (9 September 2017). "Il Papa lascia la traduzione dei testi liturgici agli episcopati". La Stampa (in Italian). Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  19. ↑ O'Loughlin, Michael J. (9 September 2017). "Cardinal Cupich: Pope Francis' Mass translation change another sign that Vatican II endures". America. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  20. ↑ Pongratz-Lippitt, Christa (9 October 2017). "German-speaking bishops move to take full control over liturgical translations". La Croix. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  21. ↑ "Decreto della Congregazione per il Culto Divino e la Disciplina dei Sacramenti attuativo delle disposizioni del can. 838 del Codice di Diritto Canonico". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2021-10-23.
  22. ↑ "Holy See: Mgr. Roche (Congregation for Divine Worship), "Episcopal Conferences are responsible for translations of liturgical texts from Latin"". S.I.R. Agenzia d'informazione. 22 October 2021.
  23. ↑ "Vatican decree clarifies role of Bishops' conferences in liturgical translations". Vatican News. 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2021-10-23.
  24. ↑ Mares, Courtney (22 October 2021). "Vatican clarifies responsibilities for translation of Latin liturgical texts". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2021-10-23.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.