''Liturgiam authenticam'' (titled: ''De usu linguarum popularium in libris liturgiae Romanae edendis'') is an instruction of the
, dated 28 March 2001.
This instruction included the requirement that, in translations of the
liturgical text
A liturgical book, or service book, is a book published by the authority of a church body that contains the text and directions for the liturgy of its official religious services.
Christianity Roman Rite
In the Roman Rite of the Catholic C ...
s or of the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
, "the original text, insofar as possible, must be translated integrally and in the most exact manner, without omissions or additions in terms of their content, and without
paraphrase
A paraphrase () is a restatement of the meaning of a text or passage using other words. The term itself is derived via Latin ', . The act of paraphrasing is also called ''paraphrasis''.
History
Although paraphrases likely abounded in oral tra ...
s or
glosses
A gloss is a brief notation, especially a marginal one or an interlinear one, of the meaning of a word or wording in a text. It may be in the language of the text or in the reader's language if that is different.
A collection of glosses is a ''g ...
. Any adaptation to the characteristics or the nature of the various
vernacular languages
A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...
is to be sober and discreet." (n. 20)
Use of the ''Nova Vulgata''
''Liturgiam authenticam'' established the
Nova Vulgata
The ''Nova Vulgata'' (complete title: ''Nova Vulgata Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio'', ; abr. ''NV''), also called the Neo-Vulgate, is the official Classical Latin translation of the original-language texts of the Bible published by the Holy See. It ...
as "the point of reference as regards the
delineation of the canonical text." Concerning the translation of
liturgical text
A liturgical book, or service book, is a book published by the authority of a church body that contains the text and directions for the liturgy of its official religious services.
Christianity Roman Rite
In the Roman Rite of the Catholic C ...
s, the instruction states:
However, the instruction precises (n. 24) that translations should not be made from the ''Nova Vulgata'', but "must be made directly from the original texts, namely the Latin, as regards the
texts of ecclesiastical composition, or the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, as the case may be, as regards the texts of
Sacred Scripture
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual pra ...
Therefore, the instruction does not recommend a translation of the Bible or of the liturgy based upon the Latin ''Nova Vulgata''; the ''Nova Vulgata'' must simply being used as an "auxiliary tool" (n. 24).
Reactions
The
Catholic Biblical Association
The Catholic Biblical Association of America (CBA) is an American learned society dedicated to the academic study of the Bible. The suggestion to form a permanent association of biblical scholars was made at the beginning of 1936 at a meeting in ...
reacted negatively to the publication of the instruction.
In reaction to this,
Cardinal Medina wrote in ''
Notitiae
''Notitiae'', subtitled ''Commentarii ad nuntia de re liturgica edenda'', is the official bimonthly journal of the Vatican dicastery of the Congregation for Divine Worship
it, Dicastero per il Culto Divino e la Disciplina dei Sacramenti
, typ ...
'' to answer criticisms and misunderstandings concerning the instruction.
Aftermath
In December 2016,
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
authorized a commission to study ''Liturgiam authenticam''.
See also
* ''
Magnum principium
Pope Francis issued the document ''Magnum principium'' ("The Great Principle") dated 3 September 2017 on his own authority. It modified the 1983 Code of Canon Law to shift responsibility and authority for translations of liturgical texts into mod ...
''
*
Mass of Paul VI ยง Revision of the English translation
*''
Nova Vulgata
The ''Nova Vulgata'' (complete title: ''Nova Vulgata Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio'', ; abr. ''NV''), also called the Neo-Vulgate, is the official Classical Latin translation of the original-language texts of the Bible published by the Holy See. It ...
''
References
External links
Text of the instruction(Latin)
(English)
Further reading
*
*
{{Catholicism, state=collapsed
Catholic liturgy
Documents of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Translation
21st-century Catholicism