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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

(Live Interview) Cardinal Burke on the New Translation

Jeff Ostrowski · June 18, 2013

AYMOND LEO CARDINAL BURKE, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, is one of the world’s most respected Catholic bishops. Please click on the upper right corner to watch a 2012 interview wherein he speaks about the new translation of the Roman Missal.

THE INTERVIEW IS STUPENDOUS. Everyone ought to watch it. It’s only three minutes long.

His Eminence makes several noteworthy statements, which I won’t type out here (since you can simply watch the video). However, I will comment briefly on just one remark he made. Comparing the previous translation to the new, more accurate translation, Cardinal Burke said:

[We no longer have] this almost juvenile kind of language where . . . you know . . . we say, “God is good. Let us be good. Amen.” The whole richness of the faith is more fully expressed in these prayers . . .

OK, so Cardinal Burke is overstating the case? Right?

Absolutely not! Take, for example, last Sunday’s Prayer over the Offerings (11th Sunday in Ordinary Time):

Official Latin Version
Deus, qui humáni géneris utrámque substántiam
præséntium múnerum
et aliménto végetas et rénovas sacraménto,
tríbue, quaésumus, ut eórum
et corpóribus nostris subsídium non desit et méntibus.
Per Christum Dóminum nostrum.

Previous Translation
Lord God, in this bread and wine you give us food for body and spirit.
May the eucharist renew our strength and bring us health of mind and body.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

New Translation
O God, who in the offerings presented here
provide for the twofold needs of human nature,
nourishing us with food
and renewing us with your Sacrament,
grant, we pray,
that the sustenance they provide may not fail us in body or in spirit.
Through Christ our Lord.

What more is there to be said?


P.S.

The Campion Missal uses the beautiful translations praised by Cardinal Burke.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Raymond Cardinal Leo Burke Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    “Corn” From Heaven?
    The Westminster Version of the Sacred Scriptures was produced by Roman Catholics in England and bears an IMPRIMATUR dated 15 March 1958 by the Archbishop of Westminster. Its IMPRIMI POTEST was given by the director of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. Sometimes the words chosen by translators can sound funny to American ears. For instance, one of our Responsorial Psalms has as its refrain: “The Lord gave them bread from heaven.” But the British version has “The Lord gave them corn from heaven.” Feel free to examine this with your own eyes. (It comes from Psalm 77.)
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 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 Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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

“Custom preserves many things in liturgy after their first reason has ceased.”

— Father Adrian Fortescue (writing in 1916)

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