Catholic Change: 5 Things to Know About the New Roman Missal

Got a few hours? That's what Sister Sharon Stola, director of divine worship in the Diocese of Joliet, says before explaining some of the changes to the new Roman Missal that will be used by Catholics later this month.

The Roman Missal is an assembly of prayers, chants and directions used to celebrate Mass. The missal, which was originally translated from Latin to English in the 1970s, has been updated. Catholic churches will begin using the new text later this month.

Instead of spending a couple hours, here's a brief explanation of some of the changes and why it's all happening. Here are five things you should know:

1. Why change the Roman Missal?

Pope John Paul II initiated the revisions to the Roman Missal in the year 2000. The well-traveled pontiff, who was fluent in many languages, offered Masses around the world and noticed the wording was different from country to country. 

The new translation will use a more formal language and be closer to the orginal Latin version. "Periodically the church looks at their prayer life and they examine it," Stola said.

In a Nov. 6 bulletin at St. Jude, the changes were explained: "By delving more deeply into the scriptural background of the mass, we come to more closely know Jesus."

2. Who came up with the new Roman Missal translation?

The new translation was a worldwide undertaking that took more than 10 years to implement. At the crux of it all was the English translation. 

The English version of the new Roman Missal was prepared by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) with representatives from 11 countries that use English as their principal language.

The translation process was complicated because word choices among English-speaking nations vary.

"It wasn't just one person changing it," Stola said. "It was the English-speaking conferences of all bishops across the world. They had to work through various word changes because of the translation from Latin, just saying different words."

3. What are examples of changes?

Examples of the new translation can be found in the Nicene Creed. Catholics will now say that Jesus is “consubstantial with the Father," vs. “one in being with the Father,” and that he was “incarnate of the Virgin Mary” rather than "born of the Virgin Mary."

"When the priest says, 'The Lord be with you,' we'll say, 'And with your spirit,'" Stola said. "That's probably the biggest one."

Stola said this is a more direct translation of the Latin and matches what many other language groups have been using for years.

The most sensitive of the changes is the translation of pro multis as “for many.” The narrative of the Last Supper, which currently reads, “which will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven,” will be changed to “which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Many see the new wording as some sort of narrowing of Jesus' scope of salvation. On its website, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops provides an FAQ about the wording.

4. When does the translation begin?

The first Sunday in Advent (Nov. 27) is the date Catholics will begin the new wording, but many churches have already begun practicing the new words and music. When Advent starts, most churches will have pew cards to help parishioners with the new text.

5. What are parishes doing to help everyone make the transition?

The Diocese of Joliet offers lots of resources on its website, including videos, podcasts and links to other articles explaining the new translation.

Dating back to the start of 2011, the Joliet diocese has also given separate workshops to the various groups of people affected by the changes, including music directors, youth ministers and Catholic school teachers. In the summer, the diocese offered more workshops for parishoners.

But the training will continue with each parish, Stola said.

"Each parish is doing its own training based off the needs of the parish," she said. "Some have spoken at mass, some have had workshops and continuing (education) programs for adults. Teachers going over it with their students. Each parish is different."

In September, had a series of presentations at which many parishoners attended. A recent bulletin also said a series of articles will be published in upcoming bulletins to help everyone further understand and prepare for the changes. St. Jude's Nov. 6 bulletin specifically outlined some of the changes:

"The Lord be with you." The new response will be, "And with your spirit."

"The new language, though a bit unfamiliar to our ears, more directly reflects the biblical understanding that, through Baptism, the spirit of God dwells in us," the St. Jude bulletin stated.

Welcoming the Lord: "Lord, I am not worthy to welcome you under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." This quotes the words of the centurion who askd Jesus to cure his servant and reflect his humility.

Consecrating the wine as the blood of Christ: The priest will say "be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins."

"The new text does not mean God's love is limited or that only some will be saved. Rather, it reflects the fact that humans may choose to accept the grace of salvation and live their lives in the light of his grace.

—Judy Davids of contributed to this article.