Deutschlandrundfunk (“German Radio”) reports on the “battle over the words of Jesus.” Matthias Gierth argues that the pope’s order is, from a Protestant standpoint, ecumenical progress. Here is a quick translation of the last paragraph of the piece:
How much the Roman directive continues to displease some German bishops is seen in the unenthusiastic reaction of the president of the German bishops’ conference, Archbishop Zollitsch. Priests in the parishes will have to take the rap. They will have to fight against misunderstanding and incomprehension – as if there were no other problems in the German church. But to see in the letter from Rome one step further in the rapprochement with the Society of St. Pius X, as some theologians presume, misses the mark by far. For the SSPX doesn’t want any vernacular language at all in the liturgy. And the fight between the Vatican and the German bishops about the correct form of the words over the cup has been raging much longer than the current rapprochement of Rome with the SSPX. In the sense of ecumenical convergence, however – which the SSPX would not at all like to see – the translation “for many” is progress. For some time now, most of the Protestant churches have been saying “for you and for many.”
What do you think?
awr
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