In addition to today being St Valentine's Day it is also the feast of two 9th Century Byzantine Greek brothers, Cyril and Methodius who got into trouble for translating the Mass prayers and Scriptures into the language of the people !!
Now isn't that something relevant today !
This short video explains who they were. The information is good but the tone of the speaker gets a bit preachy towards the end.
I have repoduced below today's post by Fr. Fritz Bauerschmidt and the comments section at Pray Tell Blog which is timely given the recent divisions over translations of the liturgy and the recent sad news from Fr Anthony Ruff who withdrew from all his upcoming speaking engagements on the Roman Missal in dioceses across the United Statesfor the following reasons:
"I have concluded that I cannot promote the new missal translation with integrity. I’m sure bishops want a speaker who can put the new missal in a positive light, and that would require me to say things I do not believe.............
"I have concluded that I cannot promote the new missal translation with integrity. I’m sure bishops want a speaker who can put the new missal in a positive light, and that would require me to say things I do not believe.............
The forthcoming missal is but a part of a larger pattern of top-down impositions by a central authority that does not consider itself accountable to the larger church. When I think of how secretive the translation process was, how little consultation was done with priests or laity, how the Holy See allowed a small group to hijack the translation at the final stage, how unsatisfactory the final text is, how this text was imposed on national conferences of bishops in violation of their legitimate episcopal authority, how much deception and mischief have marked this process—and then when I think of Our Lord’s teachings on service and love and unity…I weep.
I see a good deal of disillusionment with the Catholic Church among my friends and acquaintances. Some leave the Catholic Church out of conviction, some gradually drift away, some join other denominations, some remain Catholic with difficulty. My response is to stay in this church for life and do my best to serve her. This I hope to do by stating the truth as I see it, with charity and respect. I would be ready to participate in future liturgical projects under more favorable conditions."
Below is the post from Fr. Bauerschmidst:
"Though Jerome is usually considered the patron saint of translators, I think the feast of Ss. Cyril and Methodius is as good a time as any to pray for those who have the usually thankless task of translating. They had not only to translate the liturgy, but to invent a whole new script in which to do so.....
So here is the the collect for this feast day, in the original Latin, the current translation, and what (I think) we will be praying next year. Pick your favorite version and use it as a way of praying for translators, and for the people of God who are sanctified by their labors, that we might become “a people of one accord in true faith and right confession” (or, if you prefer, “one in faith and praise”)."
MR 2002
Deus, qui per beatos fratres Cyrillum et Methodium
Salvoniae gentes illuminasti,
da cordibus nostris tuae doctrinae verba percipere,
nosque perfice populum
in vera fide et recta confessione concordem.
Per Dominum. . .
ICEL 1970
Father, you brought the light of the gospel to the Slavic nations
through Saint Cyril and his brother Saint Methodius.
Open our hearts to understand your teaching
and help us to become one in faith and praise.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
ICEL 2010
O God, who enlightened the Slavic peoples
through the brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius,
grant that our hearts may grasp the words of your teaching,
and perfect us as a people of one accord
in true faith and right confession. Through our Lord...
A couple of Comments extracted from Pray Tell from
Fr. Cody of Holy Women, Holy Men (Episcopal Church, 2010): who puts forward this translation :
The Episcopal Church’s prayer is perhaps even more appropriate to our current situation in the Catholic Church (”a hostile and divided people”).
So here is the the collect for this feast day, in the original Latin, the current translation, and what (I think) we will be praying next year. Pick your favorite version and use it as a way of praying for translators, and for the people of God who are sanctified by their labors, that we might become “a people of one accord in true faith and right confession” (or, if you prefer, “one in faith and praise”)."
MR 2002
Deus, qui per beatos fratres Cyrillum et Methodium
Salvoniae gentes illuminasti,
da cordibus nostris tuae doctrinae verba percipere,
nosque perfice populum
in vera fide et recta confessione concordem.
Per Dominum. . .
ICEL 1970
Father, you brought the light of the gospel to the Slavic nations
through Saint Cyril and his brother Saint Methodius.
Open our hearts to understand your teaching
and help us to become one in faith and praise.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
ICEL 2010
O God, who enlightened the Slavic peoples
through the brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius,
grant that our hearts may grasp the words of your teaching,
and perfect us as a people of one accord
in true faith and right confession. Through our Lord...
A couple of Comments extracted from Pray Tell from
Fr. Cody of Holy Women, Holy Men (Episcopal Church, 2010): who puts forward this translation :
Almighty and everlasting God,
by the power of the Holy Spirit
you moved your servant Cyril and his brother Methodius
to bring the light of the Gospel to a hostile and divided people:
Overcome all bitterness and strife among us by the love of Christ,
and make us one united family
under the banner of the Prince of Peace;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
by the power of the Holy Spirit
you moved your servant Cyril and his brother Methodius
to bring the light of the Gospel to a hostile and divided people:
Overcome all bitterness and strife among us by the love of Christ,
and make us one united family
under the banner of the Prince of Peace;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
and this is response to Fr. Cody from the splendid Fr. Bauerschnmidt who says :
and this one from Graham Wilson
What does “right confession” mean? And more important: what does it mean to an average layperson? Confess your sins properly? Confess Jesus Christ is Lord? Confession of Faith? The Bohemian Confession? Written Confession?
This for me is an example of the unfortunate dimming of meaning in the new translation mandated by the rules in Liturgiam Authenticam.
—
I MUCH prefer “one heart” in ICEL 2008 to “one accord” in ICEL [Vox Clara] 2010. I know immediately what “one heart” means. “Accord” is a clinical word that isn’t immediately gripping – a small example of how Vox Clara has fumbled the translation by unnecessary tinkering. Why did they do this?
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