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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Is the 1998 ICEL Missal Translation Worth Another Look?

Fr. David Friel · June 21, 2015

MAKE NO SECRET of my appreciation for the 2011 English translation of the third typical edition of the Roman Missal. I am an unabashed supporter who has publicly sung the praises of this new translation very often (for example, in an article for Homiletic & Pastoral Review and on Views from the Choir Loft HERE, HERE, & HERE).

I would be hard-pressed to think of a parishioner who dislikes the new translation. The occasions when I’ve heard a complaint about it from an ordinary churchgoer are extremely few. This translation received an overwhelmingly positive response from a September 2012 CARA study, which found that 7 in 10 Catholics feel the new translation is “a good thing.”

Yet, when reading certain publications, one gets the sense that every Catholic in the world is up-in-arms about the present translation. Why is there this dichotomy?

One of the most commonly proffered solutions to the “offensive,” “clunky,” and “imposed” new translation is that we should scrap it and simply use the 1998 English translation that was the result of many years of work. In a recent letter to the editor of The Tablet, Father Gerald O’Collins, SJ, made an impassioned plea that permission be given to use the 1998 translation. All such requests have been denied by Archbishop Arthur Roche, Secretary of the CDW.

I will not explore all the issues with the 1998 translation in detail here. Suffice it to say that its creators subscribed to the theory of “dynamic equivalence,” and the result was a very “dynamic” translation. This principle of translation, of course, was supplanted by the method of “formal correspondence” by directive of the 2001 document Liturgiam Authenticam.

The most important reason why the 1998 translation cannot simply be used to replace the 2011 translation, however, is often overlooked. The reason is this: the 1998 text is a translation of the second typical edition of the Roman Missal from 1975. The third typical edition was promulgated in Latin in 2002. How could we reasonably revert to a translation of an outdated Missal, much less such a loose translation that never held any force? The 1998 translation is obsolete in every way.

There is no need to go back to another translation, nor is there a need to craft hastily another translation. The present missal is imperfect, I admit, but it is a monstrous step forward from the previous ICEL translation of 1970. It has many merits of its own accord, independent of comparison to other translations. Its texts & rhythms & beauty have nourished my young priesthood, and it is nourishing the faith of English speakers worldwide. Praise God, from Whom this blessing has flowed!

Editor’s Note : We thank Fr. Friel for another wonderful post. Regarding the “lack of consultation” myth—which Fr. Friel didn’t have time to address in this article—it’s worth pointing out that Msgr. Andrew Wadsworth has utterly repudiated this. He has publicly stated that each bishop remained free to consult whomever they wished throughout the process, and no restrictions whatsoever were placed upon them.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: 1998 Rejected Sacramentary, ICEL New Translation of the Roman Missal, Roman Missal Third Edition, The Old ICEL Translation of the Mass Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“What matters is to prefer God to all else; to be ready to sacrifice all, rather than commit one sin.”

— Cardinal Merry Del Val (shortly before his death)

Recent Posts

  • “Musicam Sacram” (5 March 1967) • Does It Apply?
  • “What Martin Luther Said…”
  • “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Worship the Lord in Holy Attire
  • “How to Conduct 90 Vespers Services Each Year and Live to Tell the Tale.”

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