Vatican aims to create 'sacred vernacular language,' official says

Published: 2003-11-05

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican's new rules and structures for translating the prayers and readings used at Mass aim to create a "sacred vernacular language" that is easy to understand but more formal than everyday speech, a Vatican official said. The Vatican "contests the affirmations that do the rounds in certain circles to the effect that the language of the liturgy should slavishly reflect the development of local speech," said Father Anthony Ward. Father Ward, an official at the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, wrote about Vatican rules on liturgical translations in the congregation's bulletin, Notitiae. The 32-page article was published in the March-April edition of the bulletin, which was distributed in early November. Father Ward's article looked specifically at the congregation's 2001 instruction "Liturgiam Authenticam" ("The Authentic Liturgy").

Copyright (c) 2003 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .