ARK TWAIN said famously: “The truth is stranger than fiction.” On the one hand, we observe no shortage of scandals in the Catholic Church: high-ranking prelates who apostatize, dioceses shuttering parish after parish, and immorality being taught inside the hitherto secure sanctuary of parochial schools. On the other hand, a veritable renaissance of authentic sacred music is taking place, which I have witnessed with my own eyes. As a homeschooling mother of six children, who also (as a volunteer) runs multiple parish choirs, I certainly never thought I’d be given the privilege of working side-by-side with some of this nation’s foremost church musicians … but the truth is stranger than fiction.
Internet Initiatives • Even a single book—e.g. the NOH—being placed online can change lives. But until I became involved with Corpus Christi Watershed, I had no idea how much effort is required to produce such internet initiatives. Books must be discovered, then sought, then obtained, then scanned, then uploaded. Servers and websites must be maintained, which requires fundraising. To understand the value of such books requires special training and experience in the real world of church music. The MISAL ROMANO (Madrid, 1961) is our most recent gift to the world:
* PDF Download • “Misal Romano” (1961) — PART 1 of 2
—PDF file 141.3MB • 419 pages.
* PDF Download • “Misal Romano” (1961) — PART 2 of 2
—PDF file 122.6MB • 438 pages.
Why It Matters • Below, I describe why this 1961 Spanish Missal is (in my opinion) so important, and why I pushed for it to be scanned and offered free or charge to anyone with internet access. If you find books like this useful, please consider donating to our efforts the price of a cup of coffee.
HAVE RECENTLY been taking a closer look at the Spanish translations of the propers for the Traditional Latin Mass. As a brief background, I was raised in a bilingual household, so I learned English and Spanish simultaneously. As I read carefully through the Spanish propers, I was taken aback at the choices in verbiage and numerous inaccuracies. They seemed a little “off”—and I didn’t quite understand some of their meanings until I read them in English. I figured that as a bilingual person living in the United States with an English-speaking education, I must not be fluent enough to understand these passages. So, I asked some of the native Spanish speakers of my acquaintance to review the sections I found strange, and to tell me whether they understood everything. Their response was surprising: “No, I do not understand everything…but I figure I am just too ignorant to understand. I must not know enough.” Wow.
All Of Them Were Wrong • I commenced an online search for accurate and clear propers in Spanish, including those at SSPX, FSSP, and various websites in Spain and South America. This is not to say correct translations don’t exist online, but I sure couldn’t find any. I even checked the SSPX 1962 missal. They were all the same wrong translations. They contained the same strange word choices.
Some Examples • For example, the Epistle for the First Sunday of Advent is: “Brethren, knowing that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed.” In Latin, this was the word salus. But in Spanish, it was translated as: “Hermanos: Hora es ya de despertar. Ahora está más cerca nuestra salud que cuando empezamos a creer.” The word salud in Spanish is most commonly known as “health.” So, the meaning provided in Spanish is: “…our health is nearer than when we believed.” This does not make sense in the passage in the way that the word “salvation” would. Similarly, the Alleluia for 1st Sunday of Advent says, “…grant us Thy salvation.” In Spanish, this was translated as: “give us your Savior.” (Latin: salutáre tuum da nobis. Spanish: danos tu Salvador)
Spain To The Rescue • Fortunately, the husband of my colleague, Veronica Moreno, had a 1961 missal from Spain in his personal library that he was willing to share. I asked him to send me pictures of the readings I was investigating and was relieved to find that this missal contained accurate readings! I’m not sure who will want to spend their free time crusading online to get everyone to use correct translations, but it would be nice if the Spanish-speaking world could understand the propers clearly. The handmissal’s full title is:
Misal Romano
Edición Manual Para Uso De Los Fieles
Por el R. P. Gregorio Martínez De Antoñana
Misionero Hijo Del Inmaculado Corazón De María
Octava Edicion • Madrid (1961)
Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.
