As we mentioned before, a new English translation of the Roman Missal is being prepared. This will be used in English speaking countries throughout the Catholic Church. To help us learn more about this new translation, we’re trying to answer some of the key questions here.
Is what we say at Mass going to change?
Yes. A key characteristic of this new translation is an attempt to make the English version match the original Latin text more closely. As such, we will see changes to prayers such as the Gloria, the Creed, and the Sanctus (Holy, Holy).
Some of the revisions are minor, while others are more extensive. The Gloria, for example, is quite noticeably different, while only the first line of the Sanctus changes to “Holy, holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.” Other prayers, such as the “Our Father” and the “Lamb of God” will not change.
There are other words which we say which will change. These can be found within the responses in which we engage during Mass. One of the most obvious, and most commonly used will be the phrase “And also with you.” In the revised translation of the missal, this phrase will be “And with your spirit”, which is closer to the original Latin text of et cum spiritu tuo (you can see “spiritu” there which translates to “spirit). This phrase has a direct connection with the greetings made by St Paul in his letters to the early Christian communities. Some of you may also remember that when Mass was first celebrated in English in the late 1960’s, the response was “And with your spirit.” So in some ways, this is a return to the first English texts we used. There are other responses which will also change in an effort to bring them into closer harmony with the Latin.
Liturgy 