And With Your (Great White Northern) Spirit

Early wishes for a Happy Canada Day to all our friends north of the border.

(Note to Americans: Canada Day, marked annually on 1 July, commemorates the unification of the provinces of British North America into what we now know as Canada. That happened in 1867.)

If the rest of you don't mind my taking a second to say this, there's a special place in my heart for the Canadian crowd who keep me amused, encouraged and well-informed.... This began as a bipolar work, focusing on the US and Rome, but to paraphrase a certain PM, the Canadians wanted in, the Canadians are in, and (hopefully) Whispers will work for all of us. God love you guys, let's all meet up soon, eh?

To business, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has followed suit in granting its approval to the new rendering of the English Order of Mass.

On June 15, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops' liturgical commission was in Ottawa counting the results of a mail-in ballot the same day U.S. bishops voted at their plenary to approve a new translation that is closer to the original Latin than the version that has been in use for more than 30 years.

According to the Episcopal commission's secretary, Fr. Camille Jacques, OSM, a majority of Canadian bishops have approved through their mail-in vote....

"I think people will see that it is a very beautiful translation," said St. George's and Labrador City-Schefferville Bishop Douglas Crosby in a telephone interview from his Corner Brook, Nfld., office June 19.

Crosby has served for the past six years as the Canadian representative on the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), which is charged by the Catholic Church with the task of developing English translations of liturgical texts.

Crosby said the new translation is more accurate and has included the input of linguistic experts, poets and musicians to get the "best and most beautiful words" for the translation.

Every word of the translation has been prayed over, he said.

Apparently, they like their "Christ has died" up there as well....

The American bishops also voted on specific adaptations that are not included in the Latin, but the Canadian bishops are still working on their adaptations in conjunction with the French-sector of the CCCB.

One Canadian adaptation is the acclamation "Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ has come again." This does not appear in the Latin, but may end up being one of the adaptations the Canadian Church will retain, Jacques said.

Australia, for example, has asked to change the word "supper" to "banquet of the Lamb" because for Australians, supper is a snack, Crosby said.

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