The Bishops Pastoral Letter
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Many of you will be aware of two things that will have at least some impact on our Catholic community in this country within the next twelve months, and so I wanted to make sure that you knew enough not to feel anxious or just confused.
The first is that there is to be a new translation of the Missal in use before the end of this year. Mass will sound different. It will affect the priest most of all, simply because he will be saying the prayers of the Mass with new words; they are the same prayers, but in a new translation. Your prayers and responses will also be slightly different – the Our Father will remain the same, but there will be changes in the Gloria and Creed and other prayers and responses you say. Most noticeable, however, is the change to your response to the priest’s greeting, “The Lord be with you.” In the new translation this will be a faithful rendering of the Latin “Et cum spiritu tuo,” and so will be “And with your spirit.” Most other countries in the world retained this use of the word ‘spirit’ but for some reason the English-speaking world chose to lose it. There are other instances you will become aware of, like the ‘Lord I am not worthy’ before communion which might sound strange to begin with, but I am sure will soon become familiar. You will hear more of this nearer the time, which we hope will be the Autumn.
The question that everyone asks is “Why?” and the answer is that the translation that was done in 1970 and 1973 was only meant to be a temporary text, until a better text could be prepared. It has taken a long time, but it is now ready. The new translation is more faithful to the Latin original and I hope you will agree that it sounds more dignified and fitting for worship of God.
There will not be people’s Missals available yet, because there is a plan also to use a new translation of the readings, but this is not ready yet. There will be small cards available when the new texts are to be used, so that you will know what you are supposed to be saying.
Most of the priests of the diocese have already been on days of formation to begin their preparation for using the new translation, and many of them have agreed that this is also an opportunity for the renewal of liturgy in our parishes.
The second thing that is happening is that we are welcoming into our Catholic community groups who have decided to leave the Church of England but wish to remain together as a community themselves. This is in response to a decision taken by Pope Benedict himself and announced in October 2009.
There is undoubtedly some confusion about what all this means, but the first thing to say is that it will affect very few of you. At present only one group in our diocese has announced its intention to take this step, and that group is down in Eastbourne.
What the pope has set up is a body called the ‘Ordinariate’. It’s a word we don’t often (or ever) hear in church, but what it means is a sort of diocese but without a geographical territory. It has its own ‘Ordinary’ (equivalent of a bishop, and eventually possibly a bishop) and its own priests. In some places they may have their own churches, but in our case they will probably use a local church for Mass.
The most important thing to bear in mind is that they are fully part of the Catholic Church in this country. The members of the Ordinariate will be received into the Church at Easter, alongside others who have taken the more traditional way into our community. Their priests will be ordained at Pentecost and will then begin ministering to their communities.
There are still questions to be resolved, finance being one of them. The pope has asked us to be generous, and we will do what we can; some of these communities will probably be very much smaller then our parishes, and it will be difficult for them to support their priest (and family in many cases).
I would ask first of all that you pray for all those who are joining our Catholic community at Easter, because that is what Lent was originally, a time of intense preparation on the part of those people called Catechumens and then a time when the rest of the Church associated itself with them in prayer and fasting.
For many it has been a long journey, and it is a time of profound change; they are leaving a place they have been for a long time – usually another church – and coming to a new home, a place that is less familiar. When the gospel today talks of building a house on rock rather than sand, it speaks to us all. We are all challenged to find a sure foundation for our lives in Jesus Christ and his Church, and then to go on building on that foundation. And like most houses, it’s a building that will never be finished; there will always be something left to do. Lent is a time to do some of that work.
I hope that you have a fruitful Lent and come to Easter refreshed and renewed.
With all good wishes and my prayers for the clergy and people of this diocese.
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