Beginning this Sunday,those of the 18 million Catholics in the country who offer confession will not do so to I have sinned through my own fault. Rather they can now state,I have greatly sinned. Holy Mass in Catholic parishes across 164 dioceses in the country is set to see some changes from November 27 as a new English translation of the Roman Missal comes into practice. The clergy feels this will lend more genuineness to the mea culpas,apart from the alterations that will be seen in responses offered by the congregation as well as the new rules for standing and kneeling. The text,to be introduced across the world,has been in the making for many years and is the fruit of diligent efforts,said Father Savio Rodrigues,secretary of the Commission of Liturgy of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India. The aim was to make the English language service more faithful to the original Latin missal,said Father Malcolm Sequeira,parish priest of St Patricks Cathedral in Pune. While the Vatican permitted translation of the Mass into vernacular languages back in 1960 the original Latin text was used in churches till then many felt the English version that followed took too many liberties,often straying from the original meaning. As it worked out a new translation,the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) had to keep in mind three main concerns: fidelity to the Latin original,theological accuracy,and suitability for proclamation in public worship. Workshops and seminars were held across the country later to train the priests on the changes.
