Sunday 27 November 2011

Pro Multis

I was rereading a particular portion of The Canon of the Mass and Liturgical Reform by Dom Vagaggini, published in 1966. Normally, I don't look at the English translation provided unless I need to know a technical word, because I find it a bit loose and I'm a stickler for accuracy in this regard. Anyhow, I was reading the proposal and my eyes drifted to the English, and I got a small shock. This is what the Latin says in Dom Vagaggini's proprosal C for another Eucharistic Prayer

"Hic est enim calix Novi Testamenti in Sanguine Meo qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur..."

And this is translated as

"This is the cup of the new covenant in my blood which shall be poured out for you and for everyone..."

Quite surprised, I flipped to proposal B which had the same thing.

Then I flipped still further back to the critiques of revised versions of the Canon drawn up by other scholars. Amon's Latin reads

"Hic est enim calix sanguinis mei, novi et aeterni testamenti: mysterium fidei: qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum"

but the English reads

"For this is the cup of my blood, of the new, everlasting covenant; for you and for all men it will be poured out for the forgiveness of sins."

And note two things (1) the translation for "pro multis" (2) the omission of Mysterium Fidei. Brings to mind, actually, the warning of the Holy Office on how these were being left out of vernacular translations.

Kung's version has the same English mistranslation except his Latin does not include "mysterium fidei"

Amazing what can escape one's attention!

The funny thing is that all the Eastern anaphorae in the book are translated correctly in this regard. Or maybe not so funny.......

First published in February, 2008

5 comments:

VCrowe said...

Just goes to show that these problems had a long history. Somebody must have been asleep at the wheel to give these guys their chance.

Shandon Belle said...

I'm getting very tired of the trickiness with translations. The Latin remains the same. They should revert to that.

Cousin Vinnie said...

Ritualist, you always get to the nub of the thing. I guess it's settled history now that the modernists were in hiding for about half a century before the Council. Clear that there was still modernis activity bubbling away.

True Knight of Our Lady said...

How long has this terrible plot been germinating, perhaps not in the heart of the Church but in its bloodstream? How long will it take to drive this virus out?

Ollie said...

Fascinating. There is a lot more to all this than we hear about. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!