… without the news media complicating things for us!
The Catholic Church featured in news media a few times again this week. And with the usual mixture of fact and fiction.
Some media reported that a new version of the prayers of the Mass is to be launched this year. And this is true. But it only affects the English speaking parts of the world.
When the prayers of the Mass were translated from Latin to the language of the people for the first time in the 1960s, people were able to participate in the Mass more fully. Church authorities in the English speaking countries agreed a translation to use. Of course, as in any translation, people will debate the accuracy of the new texts – and indeed they have.
The late Pope John Paul II (now Blessed) began a process of reviewing the English translation of the prayers of the Mass. The fruit of this process has now been agreed by the whole Church and it will be introduced in Ireland later this year. It will mean changes to some of the phrases we have been used to using at Mass.
News media also ran away with glee this week at “news” that the Church had sanctioned a piece of software (an App) to replace the Sacrament of Confession. Of course, this is false but the lie looked too good to not publish! (What was welcomed by an American Bishop was an app that people can use to prepare themselves for the Sacrament.)
(In fact, the app has ended up being the reason why so many who spread the lie might need the grace of the Sacrament themselves!)