Religious Awakening

I've had the pleasure of taking a Comparative Religion & Religions class. From time to time I'll be posting some of my papers.

English-Language Catholic Masses to Get New Translation - By Tim Padgett Thursday, Apr. 14, 2011, Time.com

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2064991,00.html

Summary

There have been no significant changes made to Catholic Mass since the 1960s. In an effort to make the Church more appealing and draw in parishioners, Vatican II dictated Mass would be spoken in the local dialect, much to the chagrin of traditionalists. After that time, no other major changes took place again until the mid-1990s when, though unsanctioned by the Vatican, females were allowed to serve at the altar. The Vatican tolerated this but did not promote this newer, more gender equal stance.

In the millennium there is a regression taking place. While Latin is not being re-introduced, a more heavy-handed language is. Vatican scholars have spent the last three decades translating the Catholic Missal from the Latin into literal, word for word English. The finished product was distributed to coincide with Advent 2011. The new Roman Missal is considered to be a response to the “liturgical liberals” (Tim Padgett Thursday, Apr. 14, 2011, CNN.com) of the 1960s, who were looked down upon by the “fire and brimstone brigade” for their gentler, accessible approach to Catholicism.  

The result of this seemingly pointless power struggle is a disjointed, non-user friendly Missal that appeases neither camp due to its complexity.  Latin was difficult for many parishioners to begin with and by relegating that to the past and allowing local dialect to instead be used, allowed believers to grasp the message the priest was attempting to convey. Both the laity and priests are having a difficult time with the language changes. The exact translations do not flow well and some words are not at all common unless read by a theological scholar. The move is being seen by some as a way to undo what was accomplished by Vatican II.

Analysis

Is this return to a stronger use of the more traditional language a move on the part of the Church to reassert itself in people’s lives and remind them of the past? Is this a way to remind Baby Boomers with their donating dollars of their childhood? Is the use of such austere, clumsy language necessary to move forward or is the Church trying to move forward at all? Vatican II’s dictates didn’t sit well with many in the Church and perhaps this is a way of restoring what they feel is the “right” way to worship.

As was pointed out in the piece, some Jewish services involve the use of Hebrew (Tim Padgett Thursday, Apr. 14, 2011, CNN.com), so it would not be such a stretch to add Greek or Latin into the Mass. The author of the piece suggested this addition could in fact be a welcome way to connect to Catholic roots (Tim Padgett Thursday, Apr. 14, 2011, CNN.com). I would agree to an extent but is reverting to the old language necessary to achieve this or is this merely a power grab by a popery that is fed up with touchy-feely Catholicism? Surely the Pope and his hierarchy have access to media coverage as they occasionally comment on current events (sometimes even in a timely manner) if for no other reason than to refute the scandal they’ve been mired in over the years. Certainly these men must know there has been a seismic shift in beliefs. Society still believes in God it’s just that they are more open to various forms of worship. This shift in attitudes cannot sit well with a group that has dedicated their lives to scholastic theology and spreading the word of God from a distance. From the perspective of the Vatican, the world might seem to indeed be in the express lane to Hell. Gay rights, women’s rights, legalized abortion and just last week the President of the United States announced artificial birth control would be required by all employers insurance plans without copay, meaning faith-based hospitals, parochial schools staff, dioceses’ staff, etc., would be effected.

By moving to a literal translation of the Missal, this could serve to reestablish in the minds of believers a simpler time when the Church was the main focus in many lives; rules, structure and a distinct right and wrong dictated by the Church were followed. Gays were closeted, women knew their place in the home and errant priests hid their proclivities towards young boys.

Of course this is speculation on my part, as the Church plays things very close to the vest; they’ve had centuries of practice. These men who have dedicated their lives to God are no doubt some of the most learned and holy of people. They are also grossly out of touch and are so far removed that the things they choose to focus on are almost laughable (e.g. commenting in 2012 a pop star shouldn’t wear rosaries in their 1984 Like a Virgin world tour or that the Beatles were not Jesus-like simply because they had just as large a following as the son of God).

At times the Vatican reminds me of the European Christians from the early years of North America, with the belief that their religion is universal truth (Albanese – 20) for the masses, not just the Masses. It is a shame that for all the education and dedication to their religion, these men are disconnected from the very people they have been called to lead. The world is now more technologically advanced than ever before and this would be a wonderful moment for the Church to reach out to all followers and spread their message on a global scale, promoting peace and tolerance for humanity. Imagine “friending” the Pope on Facebook or following his Tweets that speak of charitable works and encourage goodwill towards all. Instead we have antiquated, old men grasping at straws and taking one giant step backwards. Now that the season of Advent has passed with the newer Missal, will the Pope be making more changes? Will Catholic Mass return to Latin? Should the faithful prepare for more changes? In the words of comedian Dane Cook, “your move, holy man”.