2 November 2007 (CWNews.com) — The International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) has completed a draft of its English translation of the Roman Missal. The ICEL draft, which was unveiled on November 1, will now be submitted to the bishops’ conferences of the English-speaking world. Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds, England, explained that ICEL will solicit comments on the draft, make appropriate changes, and hopes to complete the English translation by the end of 2008.

The ICEL draft is a translation of the Latin that appears in the 3rd edition of the Roman Missal. That official Latin version was released in 2002.

The process of translating the Roman Missal into English has been complicated by lively debates about the principles of liturgical language– a debate that prompted the Vatican to set up a new committee to join in the consultations. The Vox Clara committee, chaired by Cardinal George Pell of Sydney Australia. In March 2004, the Vox Clara committee welcomed a new translation, which provided a more accurate rendering of the Latin original.

Among the most notable changes proposed in the new translation are the following:

• The Creed will begin with “I believe,” rather than “We believe” — in a simple and accurate translation of the Latin Credo.
• Pro multis will be translated accurately as “for many” instead of “for all” in the Eucharistic prayer.
• When the priest says to the congregation, “The Lord be with you,” the response is now: “And with your spirit” — again, a faithful translation of the Latin “Et cum spiritu tuo.”
• The use of “inclusive language” is generally avoided, so that masculine pronouns are more broadly used — especially in cases where the pronoun might refer to Jesus or to God.

The latest draft is being submitted by ICEL for comments by the Vatican and by the 11 episcopal conferences represented in ICEL, which includes the bishops of Australia, Canada, England and Wales, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Scotland, South Africa, and the US.

See also: Return of ‘for many.’