I had the opportunity recently to talk at length with one of the members of the committee that has been given the task of drawing up the Catechetical Program that will proceed the implementation of the new Missal translation. Although I had heard several times before from different sources that such a program was being prepared, this was the first time that I have spoken someone who is actually working on this project. In the course of our discussions , I learned several things about this whole project that were news to me.
To begin with, the Catechetical Program is being planned as an "active" rather than passive program, meaning that it will be in the form of seminars or training sessions, both for Bishops and for Priests, much like the "Protecting God's Children" sessions, or the "Safe Environment" training that was mandated several years back. This program would proceed the implementation date of the new translation by as much as a year.
The committee has asked that the draft and outline for this program be completed by October of 2009 for review. The program is tentatively scheduled to be completed and ready-to-go by October of 2010 to begin Advent of 2010.
To begin with, the Catechetical Program is being planned as an "active" rather than passive program, meaning that it will be in the form of seminars or training sessions, both for Bishops and for Priests, much like the "Protecting God's Children" sessions, or the "Safe Environment" training that was mandated several years back. This program would proceed the implementation date of the new translation by as much as a year.
The committee has asked that the draft and outline for this program be completed by October of 2009 for review. The program is tentatively scheduled to be completed and ready-to-go by October of 2010 to begin Advent of 2010.
If this is correct, and it seems to be a reasonable timeline for the scale of program they're considering, then it would seem that the new Missal translation is foreseen as being implemented Advent of 2011. While that seems like a long time from now, the other news concerning this project (at this point, it is more like rumor... well informed but still rumor) would make it seem as though we might need more time!
There is talk that this Catechetical Program could address liturgical issues in addition to the new translation, such as music at Mass (remember that the new music document stresses the role of the Priest and the central importance of the Priests texts being sung), the homily (recall the scathing criticism in Sacramentum Caritatis and the call for improving the quality of homilies), and the incorporation of Latin in the liturgy (yet another issue from Sacramentum Caritatis). Addressing these issues in such a program would require input from a number of different sources, particularly if music is going to be addressed. Such issues could also be affected considerably by developments between now and 2011.
Also in the course of this discussion, I learned that there is growing anxiety about the status of the "Directory for Music and the Liturgy".... that almost forgotten document that was mandated by Liturgiam Authenticam and sent to Rome for recognitio in November of 2006. That document is something of a cornerstone for Sing To The Lord: Music In Divine Worship, the guidelines for liturgical music approved by the Bishops in November of 2007 that replaced Music In Catholic Worship. There has been a lot of talk coming from Rome about liturgical music, and none of it bodes well for the proposals in the Directory for Music and the Liturgy. If that document should be eventually rejected by Rome, it would be back to square one for the guidelines in SttL, which now appears to have been a last-ditch effort to head off more restrictive regulation of music from Rome.
There is talk that this Catechetical Program could address liturgical issues in addition to the new translation, such as music at Mass (remember that the new music document stresses the role of the Priest and the central importance of the Priests texts being sung), the homily (recall the scathing criticism in Sacramentum Caritatis and the call for improving the quality of homilies), and the incorporation of Latin in the liturgy (yet another issue from Sacramentum Caritatis). Addressing these issues in such a program would require input from a number of different sources, particularly if music is going to be addressed. Such issues could also be affected considerably by developments between now and 2011.
Also in the course of this discussion, I learned that there is growing anxiety about the status of the "Directory for Music and the Liturgy".... that almost forgotten document that was mandated by Liturgiam Authenticam and sent to Rome for recognitio in November of 2006. That document is something of a cornerstone for Sing To The Lord: Music In Divine Worship, the guidelines for liturgical music approved by the Bishops in November of 2007 that replaced Music In Catholic Worship. There has been a lot of talk coming from Rome about liturgical music, and none of it bodes well for the proposals in the Directory for Music and the Liturgy. If that document should be eventually rejected by Rome, it would be back to square one for the guidelines in SttL, which now appears to have been a last-ditch effort to head off more restrictive regulation of music from Rome.
2 comments:
You want over/under?
How about 2011?
2011 seems to be the target date now...a lot of things converging on Advent of 2011. I will try to get some info on the "catechetical program" as it gets under way and keep up to date on it.
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