My friend Jerry Galipeau speaks very honestly and from the heart in today’s post at Gotta Sing Gotta Pray, “New Translation Tuesday: A Sense of Demoralization.” Folks, this whole thing has been really really really hard on publishers who are doing their best to serve the Church, struggling with timelines, trying to make a just profit, and trying to make planning and business decisions while not having any idea what on earth is going on. Say a pray for them in their demoralization.
Here’s a powerful excerpt which refers to what happened in the 1990s:
One particular professor of mine was part of the translation process and had spent a good deal of his life dedicated to producing a new English translation. I remember the days when the bishops were voting on the new translation and the joy and sparkle that I saw in his eyes as the process moved to its conclusion. When the Vatican rejected the ICEL translation, I saw that joy and sparkle dim, not only in his eyes, but in the eyes of so many others who had spent so much of their time and energy on a good translation.
I (this is awr again) was among those who had reservations about the ICEL sacramentary and welcomed the prospect of a new translation following Liturgiam Authenticam. But even then I felt horrible about all those whose hard work was being pitched out. Reading the anecdote above, I admit that a tear welled up.
Folks, let’s let this discussion happen in only one place, over at GSGP. I’m happy to refer you to that great blog.
awr