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Translating the Rites

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Order of Christian Initiation of Adults: Handing on of the Creed

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We continue (as Kent coined it) our “nerdy” series comparing the Roman Catholic Church’s new OCIA translation with the earlier RCIA translation. Following the practice of the early church, the period of the Enlightenment (third stage of the catechumenate) includes “the handing on” of the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer (OCIA translation; the RCIA text says the “presentation of …”). The OCIA’s translation, although more clunky in English, follows the goal “of rendering the original texts faithfully and accurately” (Liturgiam Authenticam, 49). From the Latin word, traditio, comes tradition—the handing down of values and beliefs from one generation to the next. This “handing on” is the beginning of a process for the Elect to learn by heart these core Christian texts. The Creed, of course, is a core part of the baptismal rite, at which the elect will publicly assent to this summary of the work of the Triune God for human salvation.

Both sources call for the ritual to take place during a weekday mass, following the homily, which “explains the meaning and importance of the Creed” (RCIA, #159). Following the homily, the elect are invited forward, and the celebrant speaks the first line of the creed (either the Apostles’ or Nicene, although the Apostles’ is the “A” option), “And then he continues alone or with the community of the faithful” (OCIA). The RCIA is more explicit: “As the elect listen, he continues with the assembly of the faithful.” There is an exhortation to pray, time for silent prayer, and then a prayer for the elect. Here are the texts of both, with major differences highlighted in italicized bold; the numbers correspond to the analysis of section that follows.

RCIA
(1) Let us pray for these elect,
that God in his mercy may make them responsive to his love,
 
(2) so that through the waters of rebirth they may receive pardon for their sins and have life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

All pray in silence. Then the celebrant, with hands outstretched over the elect, says:
 
(3) Lord, eternal source of light, justice, and truth, take under your tender care your servants N. and N.
 
(4) Purify them and make them holy; give them true knowledge, sure hope, and sound understanding, and make them worthy to receive the grace of baptism.
Amen.		OCIA
(1) Let us pray for our elect,
that our God and Lord will open the ears of their innermost hearts and the gate of mercy,

(2) so that, receiving remission of all sins through the cleansing waters of rebirth, they too may be found in Christ Jesus our Lord.

All pray in silence. Then the celebrant, with hands extended over the elect says:
 
(3) O Lord, fount of light and truth, we invoke your eternal and supremely just compassion upon these your servants, N. and N.:

(4) cleanse and sanctify them, bestow on them true knowledge, firm hope, and holy doctrine, that they may be made worthy of attaining the grace of Baptism.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

  1. In both translations, God is the acting subject, but the OCIA translation has stronger concrete, albeit odd, imagery: “open the ears of their innermost hearts.” Perhaps the crafters of this language felt that if Paul could use the phrase “eyes of the heart” (Eph 1:18), an image of the heart with ears is equally evocative. If only this nerd had time to look at the Latin! The evocative image wins this round, beating out (pun intended) the terse RCIA version, even with the lovely way in which the RCIA phrasing puts the focus on the attributes of God’s love and mercy.
  2. Comparing first the verbs at the end: The RCIA “have life in” wins a point for more evocative language than the passive “be found” of OCIA. Note the addition in the OCIA of “cleansing” to modify the “waters of rebirth.” Here, I appeal to Luther, who was not a big fan of “cleansing” as an image for baptism, as it implies that the problem of sin is mild and external, remedied with soap and water. Not only that, but to pair “cleansing” with “rebirth” seems to muddy the waters (pun intended) of the birth language—the life-giving event that commences when the woman’s “water breaks” and the birthing process begins. RCIA scores another point.
  3. Oh, to have the Latin text before me! What is the verb form of the Latin? An imperative addressed to God (RCIA “take”) or the first-person plural indicative (OCIA “we invoke”)? Is the Latin the noun justitia (“justice,” paired with “light” and “truth” in the RCIA) or the superlative form of the adjective justus (“supremely just,” modifying “compassion” in the OCIA)? Lacking the time to answer these questions, the simplicity of the RCIA form wins the day. The OCIA may meet the translation goal “of rendering the original texts faithfully and accurately,” but it fails the pastoral, aural test; reading both versions aloud ought to convince the skeptic. Keep the language clear and plain for the sake of the elect and assembly.
  4. Working from bottom to top, there are three issues. First, to be “made worthy to receive (OR of attaining) grace” is an oxymoron in Lutheran theology, even when God is doing the “making.” Grace, by definition, excludes one’s worthiness; it is an undeserved gift. Period. For Lutherans (or others not governed by canon law) who want to include the “handing on” of the Creed as a ritual in their catechumenal process, a suggested wording is “so that they may enter the water of rebirth with rejoicing.” Second, while I suspect that “holy doctrine” may be a more faithful, accurate translation, let’s play a modified form of the Sesame Street game “One of These Things.” Which noun better completes this trio: “… knowledge … hope” …”? To choose “understanding” over “doctrine” seems self-evident. Point for RCIA. Finally: To cleanse or to purify, that is the question. As noted earlier, “cleanse” is quite tame, signifying a simple remedy. To “purify” indicates a problem deep within; in a literal sense, it requires serious chemical reactions from a catalyst like fire that separates the dross from a precious metal (Malachi 3:3). From a Lutheran perspective, the metaphor of purifying wins, and the RCIA translation is worthy (as defined above) of another point.

Readers, did you keep score? We hope not; rather, our goal is to set forth some principles for making sound theological and pastoral decisions when borrowing rites and prayers from a variety of sources. Our nerdiness is earnest and with good purpose.

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Image: The Apostles’ Creed; European Tapestry, circa 1550-1600
Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Apostles_Creed_MET_SC105541.jpg

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Order of Christian Initiation of Adults: Prayers of the First Scrutiny

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Last week we discussed the approaches to translating the texts of the Roman Catholic Latin rites of the catechumenate reflected in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and in the new Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. This week we begin teasing out how those changes are reflected in the actual translations. Our first case study are the prayers of the First Scrutiny Rite on the 3rd Sunday in Lent. As I (Kent) noted in this blog several moons ago the orientation and purpose of the scrutinies in the modern RCIA is to allow the elect to renounce sin and evil and to make their profession of faith in the Triune God at their baptism. The scrutinies ritually express the turn from the lordship of sin, evil, and the devil and submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ. The scrutiny rites are structured according to this pattern:

  • Readings from Series A (woman at the well, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus, seeking to illuminate the lives of the elect)
  • Homily (which includes exploration of the meaning of the scrutiny)
  • Silent prayer by the presider, sponsors, elect, and the assembly
  • Intercessions for the elect
  • Exorcism Prayer
  • [Psalm/Hymn/Song]
  • Dismissal of the elect

We will focus on the Exorcism Prayers. The Exorcism Prayers contain three parts: An initial prayer over all of the elect; individual silent prayer by the presider over each of the elect; a concluding prayer over all of the elect. I am going to focus this week on the first prayer of the exorcism prayers. In terms of the assessment of the prayers we should keep in mind two things. First, this Sunday through the Gospel reading focuses on Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well and her conversion to faith in the Messiah. Second, the primary orientations in terms of translation under the guidance of Comme le prévoit for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and Liturgiam Authenticam for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. The former is “hearer-oriented” while being textually faithful. It wants the text to make sense for the hearer in that given linguistic context. The latter focuses on formal correspondence, translating the Latin as faithfully and literally as possible while creating a text that flows in the vernacular language in the rhythm of popular prayer.

Here are the two initial prayer texts from the Exorcism Prayer (RCIA first, OCIA second):

God of power, you sent your Son to be our Savior. Grant that these catechumens, who, like the woman of Samaria, thirst for living water, may turn to the Lord as they hear his word and acknowledge the sins and weaknesses that weigh them down. Protect them from vain reliance on self and defend them from the power of Satan. Free them from the spirit of deceit, so that, admitting the wrong they have done, they may attain purity of heart and advance on the way to salvation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, Liturgy Training Publications, 1988, 84).

O God, who sent your Son to us as Savior, grant that these elect, who desire to draw living water like the Samaritan woman and have been converted by the Word of the Lord, may acknowledge the hindrance of their own sins and weaknesses. Do not permit them, we pray, to rely on a vain confidence in themselves, and to be deceived by the power of the devil, but free them from the spirit of untruth, so that, recognizing their sinfulness, they may be cleansed inwardly and advance on the way of salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, The Liturgical Press, 2018, 116-117).

Note that both texts pray for the elect in light of the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus. Thus, the prayer is intended to allow the elect to understand their own conversion to trust in Christ and his lordship from within the story of the Samaritan woman, to read their life in light of that story. How well does either prayer accomplish that? I’ll return to that at the end. In addition, note that the OCIA prayer is written in traditional collect fashion. It is one continuous prayer. The RCIA translation is written according to modern English syntax and oral patterns with shorter sentences and phrases, but still following the ancient collect structure.

Now let’s examine five different phrases in the two translations:

  • “thirst for living water” versus “desire to draw living water.” The RCIA text expresses faith in more active vocabulary that reflects the Gospel narrative. The OCIA is more abstract.
  • “turn to the Lord as they hear his word” versus “converted by the word of the Lord.” The RCIA text reflects the effective power of the Word through hearing it in the catechumenate as the means by which the Lord converts people. The active engagement with the oral word is lost in the OCIA version.
  • “sins and weaknesses that weigh them down” versus “may acknowledge the hindrance of their own sins and weaknesses.” Weigh is much more evocative language than hindrance in conveying the effect of sin.
  • “spirit of deceit” versus “the spirit of untruth.” Both of these phrases are effective but communicate differently. The RCIA focuses on how Satan’s lordship deceives the human. The OCIA focuses on how Satan’s lordship leads away from the truth in Christ.
  • “attain purity of heart” versus “cleansed inwardly.” For a Lutheran, neither of these are possible in this life so the prayer would need to be adapted to reflect the striving for this in sanctification while acknowledging it is only realized in the eschaton. However, the RCIA language is yet more evocative. Envisioning what being cleansed inwardly looks like is challenging.

So, how well does either prayer facilitate the elect reading their lives in light of the Gospel reading? The evocative vocabulary and language reflective of modern English thought patterns and usage of the RCIA translation, allows the hearer to hear their life in light of the reading in deeper and more profound ways.

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Order of Christian Initiation of Adults: Translating the Rites

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We embark on a series during Lent that might seem the height of all nerdiness to some (and Rhoda and I might rightly be accused of being liturgical nerds). With the appearance of the new 2018 translation of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults last November from the Roman Catholic Church, it seemed appropriate to us to begin exploring this new translation. It is the form of catechumenate that the Roman Catholics will be using in English into the foreseeable future. So, we will compare prayer texts over the next five weeks from the stage of enlightenment and final preparation for baptism from the former process, The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, and the new translation, with each other. Nerdy as it may seem, important issues such as clear understanding and participation in the process by which God through the church is making new Christians is at stake in the translations and in any Lutheran adaptation of them. Failure to understand and participate hinders the vary process of making Christians through the catechumenate itself.

What got this whole process of providing new translations for all the Roman liturgical books and rites started was the 2001 document Liturgiam Authenticam: Fifth Instruction on Vernacular Translation in the Roman Liturgy. Since in many ways some of the translations immediately after Vatican II were considered provisional, it was expected that new translations would appear in the future. All the original translations were guided by the first instruction Comme le prévoit of 1969, which was supplanted essentially by Liturgiam Authenticam. The catechumenate was one of the last documents to be translated anew. Comme le prévoit operated under the translation principle of dynamic equivalence. As John Baldovin observes, “It is as concerned with the receiver as it is with the original text. In other words, how is this text going to make sense (in an oral/aural fashion) for the listeners? This approach gave translators great leeway in fashioning texts and inspired avoiding a wooden literalism when translating” (Baldovin, 117). Liturgiam Authenticam on the other hand operated under the principle of formal correspondence, a literal, word-for-word approach. As Liturgiam Authenticam itself says,

“The translation of the liturgical texts of the Roman Liturgy is not so much a work of creative innovation as it is of rendering the original texts faithfully and accurately into the vernacular language. While it is permissible to arrange the wording, the syntax and the style in such a way as to prepare a flowing vernacular text suitable to the rhythm of popular prayer, the original text, insofar as possible, must be translated integrally and in the most exact manner, without omissions or additions in terms of their content, and without paraphrases or glosses. Any adaptation to the characteristics or the nature of the various vernacular language is to be sober and discreet” (Liturgiam Authenticam, 49; italics mine).

In previous translations, such as the Missal, some of the prayer texts are cumbersome and lack clarity in meaning. Is that the case for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults under the principle of formal correspondence? Or do they achieve their own goal according to Liturgiam Authenticam of providing “language which is easily understandable, yet at the same time preserves these texts’ dignity, beauty, and doctrinal precision?” (Liturgiam Authenticam, 25). Only an examination of the texts from the RCIA versus The Order can determine that.  One that was helpful and positive was the change of title. The RCIA was always a series of rites, a process including significant ritual action that birthed new Christians. It is an order, a process that identifies and creates a vocation, in this case catechumens, within the church’s life. And, as Stephen Wilbricht notes, “We have long been accustomed to abbreviating the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults as the RCIA. It is time that we cease this unfortunate habit” [Wilbricht, “Synodality, Baptismal Ecclesiology, and Welcoming a Newly Translated Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, Worship 98 (October 2024), 305].

So, nerd away on prayer texts we shall over the next five weeks as we make the journey to the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. May these prayer texts invite us into that mystery. And may we keep in mind the words of Pope Paul VI when he said of the sacrifice of the priceless treasure of the Latin for the vernacular languages, “What is worth more than these sublime values of the church. The answer may seem trite and prosaic, but it is sound because it is both human and apostolic. Our understanding of prayer is worth more than the previous, ancient garments in which it has been regally clad. Of more value, too, is the participation of the people” (quoted in John Baldovin, Reforming the Liturgy, 117). Undoubtedly a truly catholic sentiment.