One Small Step for Clarity...

The blogger-and-Latin-flogger priest who is NOT Fr. Reggie Foster (Milwaukee native and raging Leftowacky) has managed to shove the nose of the Bark of Peter toward true north. (Or, if you prefer, to the East--ad Orientem.)

Lately here on the blog I wrote about the bad translations official English version of the Holy Father’s post-Synodal Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis. Some of you responded well and in a timely manner. You made a difference.One of the paragraphs I took special aim at was a par. 62, concerning Latin, which had some pretty bad errors, even when compared to the other vernacular versions. Among other things I wrote:

"Moreover, the texts they are working with were those released at the time of the presentation of the document, even though the LATIN is itself revised before publication in is final official form in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis. But no one goes back to revise the vernacular versions in keeping with the changes in the Latin Lot’s of people are misquoting documents because the vernacular docs themselves were never updated."

Now it seems that the official English version has been revised and corrected, at least in respect to par. 62.

The Latin: exceptis lectionibus, homilia et oratione fidelium, aequum est ut huiusmodi celebrationes fiant lingua Latina.

In Latin, the phrase aequum est means "it is reasonable, proper, right". It can be rendered as "it is becoming", to use a somewhat archaic turn of phrase.

The OLD official English: with the exception of the readings, the homily and the prayer of the faithful, such liturgies could be celebrated in Latin.

The NEW official English: with the exception of the readings, the homily and the prayer of the faithful, it is fitting that such liturgies be celebrated in Latin.

This blog led the public charge in this matter of the accuracy of the translation into English, but I can assure you that the problems were not missed here in Rome. I had more than one conversation with "interested parties".

You will be astounded to learn that "it is fitting" was a translation that your humble servant proposed in a combox somewhere along the line.

The frustration, of course, is that the LiturgyWonkBedwetter crowd will cite only the "OLD" version, flounce off in their tutus, and declare the matter closed. (It's the technique of the entire Left--cf the GlobalWarming crowd.)

Regardless, congrats to Fr. Z!!!!