The Morning After....

Ann Rodgers interviews Bishop Trautman -- the BCL chair says the translations won't be implemented for "at least two years."

Highlights of the amendments: "Consubstantial" is out, "dew" is out -- replaced not even by "dewfall," but "outpouring." Both originals were previously targeted as problematic by Trautman.

"It will take some adapting, but it is not earth-shattering when you think of the changes we went through 40 years ago," [Trautman] said, referring to the Second Vatican Council, which paved the way to translate the Latin Mass into living languages....

The text that passed was a compromise that amended some Rome-backed translations many bishops had objected to. The bishops rejected a proposal to change a phrase in the Nicene Creed from "one in being with the Father" to "consubstantial with the Father."

"I'm pleased that the text has been significantly amended. That made an important difference for me," said Bishop Trautman, who would have preferred to leave the pre-communion prayer and response to the priest as they are now.

It will take time for the Vatican to evaluate and, presumably, approve the text. Because translations of other prayers are still under way, it will be at least two years before parishioners experience these changes, he said.

In the year leading up to the vote, about half the U.S. bishops objected to many of the changes, especially to 12 lines said by the congregation. But the battle was often less over wording than about whether Vatican officials or a nation's bishops should decide how to translate doctrine into the local language and culture. It divided the bishops into factions and pitted some against the Vatican's liturgy office.

Vox Clara meets again in July to consult the Congregation for Divine Worship on the Proper of Seasons and a course of action on the US texts.

The "Gray Book" the bishops received now becomes the "White Book" of its approved draft.

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