New Roman missal leaves city Catholics confused

On Sunday morning, Judith Monteiro entered the Our Lady of Salvation Church in Dadar with a pamphlet in hand, confused about the responses to the priest's prayers during the Holy Mass. When the priest said, "The Lord be with you", she had to read out, "And with your spirit" instead of the regular response, "And also with you".

On Sunday morning, Judith Monteiro entered the Our Lady of Salvation Church in Dadar with a pamphlet in hand, confused about the responses to the priest's prayers during the Holy Mass. When the priest said, "The Lord be with you", she had to read out, "And with your spirit" instead of the regular response, "And also with you".

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Monteiro was one of the five lakh Catholics in the city, who celebrated the new English translation of the Roman Missal on Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent. The Roman Missal, originally promulgated in 1570 by St Pius V, was last altered in 1975.

"It was quite a sight to see regular parishioners refer to pamphlets to read out their prayers during the service. We were provided details in advance, but a few fumbled in between," Monteiro said.

The new changes in the English language service were made to remain faithful to the original Latin missal. The main changes include modifications in The Gloria, responses to the priest's prayers and changes in all the Eucharistic prayers.

At the Immaculate Conception Church in Borivli, parishioners felt the addition of the new prayers made the service seem longer. "There are perceptible changes in the overall prayer service, making it seem longer. It will take time for me to get accustomed to the new format," said Borivli resident Jyotsna Pinto, 21.

This year, the Archdiocese of Bombay is celebrating the Year of the Living Liturgy, wherein a special mass will be soon introduced in the name of revered Catholic saints of the world including Saint Gonsalo Garcia, who was the first Indian to attain sainthood. "The new translation is an attempt to capture in English the theological clarity and depth of the meanings found in the Latin text. The salient features of the New Revised Roman Missal will help us launch a living liturgy, which Cardinal Oswald Gracias has declared the goal of the liturgical year," said Father Anthony Fernandes, director of the Diocesan Youth Centre.