This morning I have three separate stories to share that effect our Catholic faith in one way or another, from three separate news sources (links provided). The issues are: the new Vatican approved English translation for parts of the mass (some changes we will all have to adjust to), dissident Catholic groups petitioning the Pope to change the Church's stand on birth control and last but not least, Catholic adoption agencies in England and Wales forced to accept homosexual couples as adoptive parents even though it goes against our faith.
The New Vatican approved English Translation
This new translation is an effort to be as close to the Latin as we can get with English, a more literal and clear translation. Some of the changes are (quote taken from CatholicCourier.com):
-- Whenever the priest says, "The Lord be with you," the people will respond, "And with your spirit." The current response is "And also with you."
-- In the first form of the penitential rite, the people will confess that "I have greatly sinned ... through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault." In the current version, that part is much shorter: "I have sinned through my own fault."
-- The Gloria has been translated differently and the structure of the prayer will have changes from the current text.
-- The opening of the Nicene Creed changes from "We believe ... " to "I believe ... "; other changes in the prayer also have been made.
-- Before the preface, when the priest says, "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God," instead of saying, "It is right to give him thanks and praise," the people will respond, "It is right and just."-- The Sanctus will start "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts." The current versions says "Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might."
-- The new response at the "Ecce Agnus Dei" ("Behold the Lamb of God") is: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed."
Source: http://catholiccourier.com/tmp1.cfm?nid=76&articleid=102580
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Dissident 'Catholic' Groups
Apparently "Catholics for Choice" (an oxymoron) started this push to attempt to get the Church to change its views on birth control. The dissident 'Catholics' involved are from around the world and not limited to the Washington state "Catholics for Choice" group. Here is a quote from Yahoo.Com.
"The groups published their appeal on the 40th anniversary of the 1968 encyclical "Humanae Vitae" ("On Human Life") — the document issued by Pope Paul VI that prohibits Catholics from using artificial contraception. The initiative was spearheaded by Catholics for Choice, a Washington based pro-choice advocacy group, but the letter was signed by organizations from countries across the Americas and Europe."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080725/ap_on_re_eu/rel_vatican_birth_control;_ylt=AqnoY2ytUhsu.HULCIgvxL07Xs8F
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Catholic Adoption for Gays in Europe
The Catholic Children’s Society of Arundel and Brighton, Portsmouth and Southwark (A&BSP), had the choice to either close down or cave in to a new law forcing all adoption agencies to allow homosexual couples to adopt. There are no exceptions allowed for religious agencies and their beliefs. Here is a quote from CatholicNewsAgency.com:
"The move will undoubtedly be seen as controversial in some quarters. In January 2007, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor wrote to the-then Prime Minister Tony Blair suggesting that Catholic adoption agencies in England and Wales would be forced to close down if they were not allowed to opt out of new gay rights laws, which he said contradicted Catholic teaching. The cardinal said forcing people to act against their consciences would mean discrimination on the grounds of belief, adding that it would be an "unnecessary tragedy" if Catholic agencies were forced to close. In the cardinal's Westminster archdiocese, the Catholic Children's Society has opted to mount a legal challenge to the regulations by amending its constitution. But A&BSP, which prepares between 40-50 potential adoptive parents a year, has instead decided to comply with them. In a letter sent to the society's supporters by Mr. Connor, he suggested that such a course offered the "only transparent, straightforward and guaranteed way of preserving our full range of much needed services for some of the most vulnerable children in the country."
Source: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13362
I'd like to hear my readers thoughts on these topics. Good? Bad? Ridiculous? Does it matter at all? Let's hear your opinions. God bless.
I have more of a question than a thought. I like the revisions to the prayers, but I wonder when we sing the Sanctus if we will change the words or if we will continue to sing it with outdated music and lyrics?
ReplyDeleteHere is what the original article says (link in post):
ReplyDelete"Not much of the people's part is changed, and I think once or twice after they use it, they will hardly notice the change," he said.
While the changes have been approved, Bishop Serratelli said it will be awhile before they become part of regular worship at Mass.
"I'm hoping for two years," he said. "I'm an optimist."
The lead time is needed to allow musicians to work with the text and to prepare music for various liturgical settings and seasons and to allow for the necessary catechesis explaining the reasons for the revisions to parishioners, the bishop explained."
Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner