International Commission on English in the Liturgy
Encyclopedia
The International Commission on English in the Liturgy is a commission set up by a number of episcopal conference
s 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
.
Decisions to adopt these translations are made by the episcopal conference
of the country concerned, and these decisions are reviewed by the Holy See
before being put into effect.
set up the Commission in 1963 in view of their intention to implement the Council's authorization to use more extensively the vernacular language, instead of Latin, in the liturgy. On 15 September 2003, it was formally established as a mixed commission of several bishops conferences in accordance with the Instruction Liturgiam authenticam
As of 2010, eleven bishops conferences are full members of ICEL, each of them represented by a bishop: those of Australia, Canada
, England and Wales
, India
, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines
, Scotland
, South Africa
, and the United States of America
. Another 15 are associate members: those of the Antilles
, Bangladesh, CEPAC (Pacific islands), Gambia - Liberia - Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia - Singapore, Malawi, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The eleven member bishops are assisted by the ICEL secretariat in Washington, which coordinates the work of specialists throughout the world who work on preparing translations.
By 1998, ICEL completed a new version in English of the Roman Missal, departing even further from the Latin not only in text (some parts were original compositions by ICEL) but also in rubrics. The bishops conferences that were members of ICEL approved it and sent it to the Congregation of Divine Worship
for review, as required by canon law
. The Congregation, whose work on a new edition of the Roman Missal in Latin was already well advanced – part of it was published in 2000 and the entire volume in 2002 – refused its consent for adoption of the proposed new English version based on the earlier edition.
On 28 March 2001, the Holy See issued the Instruction Liturgiam authenticam, which included the requirement that, in translations of the liturgical texts from the official Latin originals, "the original text, 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." In the following year, the third typical edition of the revised Roman Missal in Latin was released. These two texts made clear the need for a new official English translation of the Roman Missal, particularly because even the 1973 ICEL version was at some points an adaptation rather than a translation. An example was the rendering of the response "Et cum spiritu tuo" ("And with your spirit") as "And also with you". Accordingly, ICEL prepared a new English translation of the Roman Missal, the completed form of which received the approval of the Holy See in April 2010.
In most English-speaking countries, the national episcopal conference decided to put the new translation into use from the first Sunday of Advent (27 November) 2011. In some, the changes in the people's parts of the Order of Mass
were introduced from the preceding 11 September. The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland) put these changes in the people's parts into effect from 28 November 2008, when some other sections of the Missal had not yet been translated. Protests were voiced on grounds of content and because it meant that Southern Africa was thus out of line with other English-speaking countries. One bishop claimed that the English-speaking conferences should have withstood the Holy See's insistence on a more literal translation. However, when in February 2009 the Holy See declared that the change should have awaited completion of work on the Missal, the bishops conference appealed, with the result that those parishes that had adopted the new translation were directed to continue using it, while those that had not were told to await further instructions before doing so.
Episcopal Conference
In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the bishops of a given territory...
s of English-speaking countries for the purpose of providing English translations of the liturgical
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
books of the Roman Rite
Roman Rite
The Roman Rite is the liturgical rite used in the Diocese of Rome in the Catholic Church. It is by far the most widespread of the Latin liturgical rites used within the Western or Latin autonomous particular Church, the particular Church that itself is also called the Latin Rite, and that is one of...
, the originals of which are in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
.
Decisions to adopt these translations are made by the episcopal conference
Episcopal Conference
In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the bishops of a given territory...
of the country concerned, and these decisions are reviewed by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
before being put into effect.
Constitution
Bishops from English-speaking countries who were in Rome for the Second Vatican CouncilSecond Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
set up the Commission in 1963 in view of their intention to implement the Council's authorization to use more extensively the vernacular language, instead of Latin, in the liturgy. On 15 September 2003, it was formally established as a mixed commission of several bishops conferences in accordance with the Instruction Liturgiam authenticam
As of 2010, eleven bishops conferences are full members of ICEL, each of them represented by a bishop: those of Australia, Canada
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is the national assembly of the Bishops of the Catholic Church in Canada. It was founded in 1943 and was officially recognized by the Holy See in 1948. Since the Second Vatican Council, it became part of a worldwide network of Episcopal Conferences,...
, England and Wales
Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is the episcopal conference of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales.-About:...
, India
Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India is the episcopal conference of the Catholic bishops of India. It was first convened in September 1944, in Madras . Currently the CBCI has 212 members and 38 honorary members, and is headquartered in New Delhi, the capital of India...
, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines is the official organization of the Catholic episcopacy in the Philippines. Archbishop Jose S. Palma of Cebu is the current president while Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan is the current Vice President. The CBCP has 99 active...
, Scotland
Bishops' Conference of Scotland
The Bishops' Conference of Scotland is an episcopal conference for Roman Catholic bishops in Scotland and is based in Airdrie. The conference is primarily made up of the presiding bishops of Scotland's eight dioceses as well as bishops who have retired....
, South Africa
Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference
The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference is an episcopal conference consisting of all the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland, and their equivalents under canon law...
, and the United States of America
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
. Another 15 are associate members: those of the Antilles
Antilles Episcopal Conference
The Antilles Episcopal Conference is a Roman Catholic episcopal conference. Its members are bishops and archbishops from current and former British, Dutch, and French colonies and dependencies in the Caribbean , Central America, and northern South America. The conference's membership includes five...
, Bangladesh, CEPAC (Pacific islands), Gambia - Liberia - Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia - Singapore, Malawi, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The eleven member bishops are assisted by the ICEL secretariat in Washington, which coordinates the work of specialists throughout the world who work on preparing translations.
Work done
Liturgical books that ICEL has translated include:- Liturgy of the Mass: Roman MissalRoman MissalThe Roman Missal is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.-Situation before the Council of Trent:...
as a whole, but also, before work on the whole of the Missal was completed, the Order of MassOrder of MassThe Order of Mass , also called the Ordinary of the Mass, is the set of texts of the Roman Rite Mass that are generally invariable. This contrasts with the proper, which are items of the Mass that change with the feast or following the Liturgical Year...
and the Roman Calendar, the Lectionary for MassLectionaryA Lectionary is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion.-History:...
, and supplementary publications such as the Simple GradualRoman GradualThe Roman Gradual is an official liturgical book of the Roman Rite containing chants, including the Gradual but many more as well, for use at Mass...
, Eucharistic Prayers for Masses of Reconciliation and Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children. - Roman Ritual: the rites for each of the sacraments whose administration is not reserved for bishops, funerals, religious profession, etc.
- Roman Pontifical: the rites of confirmation and ordinationHoly OrdersThe term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
, blessing of a church and altar, consecration to a life of virginity, etc. - Liturgy of the HoursLiturgy of the hoursThe Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings...
(many episcopal conferences have preferred to authorize a different translation). - Ceremonial of Bishops.
- Roman MartyrologyRoman MartyrologyThe Roman Martyrology is the official martyrology of the Roman Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. It provides an extensive but not exhaustive list of the saints recognized by the Church.-History:...
.
Roman Missal
Of all the books that ICEL translated, the Roman Missal is the one that Catholics in general are most familiar with. The first translation that ICEL produced appeared in 1973, less than four years after the Latin original had appeared. It sought less a literal correspondence with the original as a dynamic equivalence and avoided technical terms. The result was criticized as unfaithful to the original and as banal.By 1998, ICEL completed a new version in English of the Roman Missal, departing even further from the Latin not only in text (some parts were original compositions by ICEL) but also in rubrics. The bishops conferences that were members of ICEL approved it and sent it to the Congregation of Divine Worship
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is the congregation of the Roman Curia that handles most affairs relating to liturgical practices of the Latin Catholic Church as distinct from the Eastern Catholic Churches and also some technical matters relating to the...
for review, as required by canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
. The Congregation, whose work on a new edition of the Roman Missal in Latin was already well advanced – part of it was published in 2000 and the entire volume in 2002 – refused its consent for adoption of the proposed new English version based on the earlier edition.
On 28 March 2001, the Holy See issued the Instruction Liturgiam authenticam, which included the requirement that, in translations of the liturgical texts from the official Latin originals, "the original text, 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." In the following year, the third typical edition of the revised Roman Missal in Latin was released. These two texts made clear the need for a new official English translation of the Roman Missal, particularly because even the 1973 ICEL version was at some points an adaptation rather than a translation. An example was the rendering of the response "Et cum spiritu tuo" ("And with your spirit") as "And also with you". Accordingly, ICEL prepared a new English translation of the Roman Missal, the completed form of which received the approval of the Holy See in April 2010.
In most English-speaking countries, the national episcopal conference decided to put the new translation into use from the first Sunday of Advent (27 November) 2011. In some, the changes in the people's parts of the Order of Mass
Order of Mass
The Order of Mass , also called the Ordinary of the Mass, is the set of texts of the Roman Rite Mass that are generally invariable. This contrasts with the proper, which are items of the Mass that change with the feast or following the Liturgical Year...
were introduced from the preceding 11 September. The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland) put these changes in the people's parts into effect from 28 November 2008, when some other sections of the Missal had not yet been translated. Protests were voiced on grounds of content and because it meant that Southern Africa was thus out of line with other English-speaking countries. One bishop claimed that the English-speaking conferences should have withstood the Holy See's insistence on a more literal translation. However, when in February 2009 the Holy See declared that the change should have awaited completion of work on the Missal, the bishops conference appealed, with the result that those parishes that had adopted the new translation were directed to continue using it, while those that had not were told to await further instructions before doing so.
ICEL chairmen
| List of Chairmen of the ICEL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Chairman | Dates | Notes |
| 1 | Francis Joseph Grimshaw Francis Joseph Grimshaw Francis Joseph Grimshaw was a British clergyman who held high office in the Roman Catholic Church.-Life:Born in Bridgwater, Somerset on 6 October 1901, he was ordained to the priesthood on 27 February 1926. He was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Plymouth by on 2 June 1947... |
Archbishop of Birmingham Archbishop of Birmingham The Archbishop of Birmingham heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham in England. As such he is the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of Birmingham.... , UK |
|
| 2 | Paul John Hallinan Paul John Hallinan Paul John Hallinan was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Charleston and Archbishop of Atlanta . He was known as a champion of racial equality and liturgical reform.-Early life and education:Paul Hallinan was born in Painesville, Ohio, to Clarence C. and... |
Archbishop of Atlanta, USA | |
| 3 | Gordon Gray | Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland | |
| 4 | Emmett Carter | Archbishop of Toronto Roman Catholic Archbishops of Toronto This is a list of the Roman Catholic Archbishops of Toronto.The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto was created out of the Diocese of Kingston December 17, 1841.... , Canada |
|
| 5 | Denis Hurley | 1975–1991 | Archbishop of Durban, South Africa |
| 6 | Daniel Edward Pilarczyk Daniel Edward Pilarczyk Daniel Edward Pilarczyk is an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1982 to 2009.-Early life and education:... |
1991–1997 | Archbishop of Cincinnati Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev... , USA |
| 7 | Maurice Taylor Maurice Taylor (Bishop) Maurice Taylor was the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway, Scotland from 1981 until 2004.Born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire he attended St Cuthbert's Primary, Burnbank, before going on to St... |
1997–2002 | Bishop of Galloway Bishop of Galloway The Bishop of Galloway, also called the Bishop of Whithorn, was the eccesiastical head of the Diocese of Galloway, said to have been founded by Saint Ninian in the mid-5th century. The subsequent Anglo-Saxon bishopric was founded in the late 7th century or early 8th century, and the first known... , Scotland |
| 8 | Arthur Roche Arthur Roche Arthur Roche is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the ninth and current Bishop of Leeds.-Early life and ministry:... |
2002–present | Bishop of Leeds Bishop of Leeds The Bishop of Leeds is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds in the Province of Liverpool, England.The Vicariate Apostolic of the Yorkshire District was elevated to diocese status as the Diocese of Beverley on 29 September 1850, which was suppressed on 20 December 1878 and its area... , UK |