Monday, April 29, Fifth Week in Easter
MEMORIAL OF ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA
Third from left: The Mystical Marriage of Catherine, Giovanni da Paolo, 1470; third from right, the head of St. Catherine in Siena's Basilica di San Domenico.
ST. CATERINA DA SIENA (Italy, 1347-1380), Virgin, Dominican lay sister, Mystic, Doctor of the Church
Caterina Benincasa was born the 23rd child of a Tuscan wool merchant, with a twin sister who died in infancy. At age 6, she told about seeing Jesus in a vision, the first of her lifelong mystical experiences, and at age 7, she vowed herself to chastity. Despite pressure from her family to marry, she joined the Dominican Third Order and lived the next three years of her life in seclusion but through her letters encouraging others in their spiritual life, she gathered an active apostolate around her. Her self-mortification to the extreme was well-known, and towards the end of her life, lived only on Communion. Early on, she started to wear a steel chain around her waist, with which she would beat herself three times a day, once for Christ, once for the living, and once for the dead. In 1366, she told her confessor she had entered into a 'mystical marriage' with Christ, who urged her to leave her private life and work in public. With her sister Dominicans, she travelled through the region advocating clergy reform and spiritual renewal, where she also gained renown for performing miracles of healing. She became interested in public affairs and started to exchange letters with public figures, including, famously, two Popes. (Her expression 'dolce Cristo in terra' for the Pope has become immortal, and was particularly dear to San Jose Maria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei). When the Great Western Schism began in 1378 that led to two and sometimes even three rival Popes at a time, she travelled to Avignon and convinced Gregory VI to return to Rome. When he died, she supported the cause of his successor Urban VI and went to Rome at his invitation to serve at the Vatican. She died at the age of 33, ostensibly from failure to eat. More than 300 of her letters survive, along with her main work, The Dialogues of Divine Providence in which she recreates her own conversations with God. In 1375, she is believed to have received the stigmata in Pisa, but these only became visible on her death. Her remains are venerated in the Church of Santa Minerva in Rome, but about ten years after she died, her native city of Siena was able to take possession of her incorrupt head, and when it came home to Siena, her own mother was still alive to take part in the procession that installed the relic in the Basilica of San Domenico. The Benincasa house in Siena was kept intact and is now a shrine to the saint. In 1939, Pius XII declared her and St. Francis of Assisi as co-patrons of Italy; in 1970, Paul VI proclaimed her and St. Teresa of Avila as the first woman Doctors of the Church, and in 1999, John Paul II made her one of the Patrons of Europe. Notably, the Bishop of London made reference to the feast day of St. Caterina at the 2012 wedding ceremony of the UK's Prince William to Catherine Middleton. Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis on 1/26/11 to the saint: www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20110126...
Readings from today's Mass: www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042913.cfm
AT THE VATICAN TODAY
Pope Francis met with
- Cardinal Zenon Grocholeswki, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education (Institutes of Studies)
- Archbishop Nikola Eterović, Secretary-General of the Bishops' Synod
- Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, named by Benedict XVI Apostolic Nuncio to Colombia last October,
with his family.
= Archbishop Michael W. Banach, Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea, with his family.
- Archbishop Brian Udaigwe, Apostolic Nuncio to Benin, with his family.
One year ago ...
Benedict XVI ordained nine new Roman priests on Good Shepherd Sunday, which is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. At the Regina caeli prayers afterwards, he called attention to the beatification that day at the Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls of
Giuseppe Toniolo, father of 7, Italian economist and sociologist, whose life straddled the 19th and 20th centuries, and who put
into practice the principles of Leo XIII's social encyclical Rerum Novarum. Also beatified that day was
Pierre-Adrien Toulorge, an exemplary 18th century priest who was martyred during the Reign of Terror, in his hometown of Coutances, France.
- In Nairobi, Kenya, new attacks against Christians in Africa where one person was killed and ten wounded, four seriously, when a grenade was thrown at a Catholic church, even as police sources in Lagos have reported that twenty people died in an attack in Nigeria.
The Vatican condemned the attacks. In Kenya, they were blamed on the Al-Qaeda affiliate Al=Shabaab based in Somalia, and in Kenya, on an indigenous Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram, which wants to introduce strict Sharia law in the country.
Inasmuch as I already used Benedict XVI's homily and Regina caeli reflection on Good Shepherd Sunday 2012 when we observed it earlier this month, I am using a not insignificant omnibus post on the 'pro multis' controversy that continues over the words used by Jesus at the Last Supper. Recently, the Austrian bishops announced they would continue to translate 'pro multis' as 'for all; and not 'for many' in their German translation of the words of the Consecration.
“For you and for many”
April 28, 2012
What did the Pope do while he was in Castel Gandolfo during the week after Easter? He put pen to paper and, writing in his native language, composed a very important letter which he addressed to the German bishops.
The letter, which was released a few days later, refers to the way in which the words of the Consecration of the chalice of the Lord’s sacred Blood are translated during the Mass. He favours the translation “for many” – which is more faithful to the Biblical text – to the translation “for all,” a [post-Vatican II] modification of the Biblical translation which was intended to underscore the universality of the salvation which was brought about by Christ.
Some will say that this distinction can only be appreciated by specialists. However, understanding this distinction helps to clarify what the Pope considers to be truly important, and the spiritual point of view from which he approaches it.
The words which are used for the institution of the Eucharist are fundamentally important for Pope Benedict, because these words lie at the heart of the Church.
By saying “for many,” Jesus is saying that he is the Servant of Yahweh who was foretold by the prophet Isaiah. When we say “for many,” therefore, we both express our fidelity to the word of Jesus, and recognize Jesus’s fidelity to the words of the Scripture.
There is no doubt that Jesus died so that everyone might be saved. This, along with the profound significance of the words that are used for the institution of the Eucharist, should be explained to the faithful through the use of solid catechesis.
When the Lord offers himself “for you and for many,” we become directly involved and, in gratitude, we take on the responsibility for the salvation which is promised to everyone.
The Holy Father – who has already touched upon this in his book about Jesus – is providing here profound and insightful catechesis about some of the most important words in the Christian Faith.
The Pope concludes by saying that, in this Year of Faith, we must proceed with love and respect for the Word of God, reflecting on its profound theological and spiritual significance so that we might experience the Eucharist with greater depth. We hope to do so indeed.
The new English translation of the Roman Missal which has been in use since fall of 2011 already uses the translation 'for many' for 'pro multis'. However, it must be noted that as early as 2006, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship, then under Cardinal Arinze, already informed all the bishops of the world that 'pro multis' must be translated in their respective languages as 'for many', not 'for all' (which would be 'pro omnibus' in Latin, a formulation the Church has never used in the words of the Consecration). Here is a news item on that 2006 notification:
'Pro multis' means 'for many',
Vatican tells bishops preparing
new Missal translations
VATICAN CITY, Nov, 18, 2006 (cwn) - The Vatican has ruled that the phrase translationspro multis should be rendered as "for many" in all new translations of the Eucharistic Prayer.
Although "for many" is the literal translation of the Latin phrase, the translations currently in use render the phrase as "for all." Equivalent translations (für alle; por todos; per tutti) are in use in several other languages.
Cardinal Francis Arinze, the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, has written to the heads of world's episcopal conferences, informing them of the Vatican decision. For the countries where a change in translation will be required, the cardinal's letter directs the bishops to prepare for the introduction of a new translation of the phrase in approved liturgical texts "in the next one or two years."
The translation of
pro multis has been the subject of considerable debate because of the serious theological issues involved. The phrase occurs when the priest consecrates the wine, saying (in the current translation): "...It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven".
The Latin version of the Missal, which sets the norm for the Roman liturgy, says: "...qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum".
Critics of the current translation have argued, since it first appeared, that rendering pro multis as "for all" not only distorts the meaning of the Latin original, but also
conveys the impression that all men are saved, regardless of their relationship with Christ and his Church. The more natural translation, "for many," more accurately suggests that
while Christ's redemptive suffering makes salvation available to all, it does not follow that all men are saved.
Cardinal Arinze, in his letter to the presidents of episcopal conferences, explains the reasons for the Vatican's decision:
- The Synoptic Gospels (Mt 26,28; Mk 14,24) make specific reference to “many” for whom the Lord is offering the Sacrifice, and this wording has been emphasized by some biblical scholars in connection with the words of the prophet Isaiah (53, 11-12).
It would have been entirely possible in the Gospel texts to have said “for all” (for example, cf. Luke 12,41); instead, the formula given in the institution narrative is “for many”, and the words have been faithfully translated thus in most modern biblical versions.
- The Roman Rite in Latin has always said
pro multis and never
pro omnibus in the consecration of the wine.
- The anaphoras [Eucharistic Prayer] of the various Oriental Rites, whether in Greek, Syriac, Armenian, the Slavic languages, etc., contain the verbal equivalent of the Latin
pro multis in their respective languages.
- “For many” is a faithful translation of
pro multis, whereas “for all” attempts a wider context that belongs more properly to catechesis, not to the liturgy.
- The expression “for many”, while remaining open to the inclusion of each human person, is reflective also of the fact that this salvation is not brought about in some mechanistic, authomatic way, without one’s willing or participation.
Rather, the believer is invited to accept in faith the gift that is being offered and to receive the supernatural life that is given to those who participate in this mystery, living it out in their lives as well so as to be numbered among the “many” to whom the text refers.
- In line with the instruction
Liturgiam Authenticam, efforts should be made to be more faithful to the Latin texts found in the so-called typical editions of the Roman Missal, on which all translations are based.
I have not had the time to translate the Holy Father's letter to the German bishops as it is only available in German... However, here is a translation of the brief statement by Mons. Roberto Zollitsch, Archbishop of Freiburg and president of the German bishops' conference (DBK) at the time that the DBK published the Holy Father's letter:
Statement on the Holy Father's
letter to German bishops
Archbishop Zoillitsch issued this statement regarding the Holy Father's letter dated April 14, 2012, on the subject of the proper translation of the words said at the Consdecration of the wine at Holy Mass:
The new translation of the Missal that is under preparation follows the bases laid down by the Vatican document Liturgiam authenticamin 2001. It provided, among other things, for the proper translation of the words said at the consecration of the wine, about which there had been much discussion in the past.
The Holy Father now has expressed himself on this issue in a letter to German-speaking bishops. The letter offers an explanation and puts an end to the discussion.
The letter presents with careful argumentations why the Pope desires the words to be translated as previously directed by him [through the 2006 instruction from Cardinal Arinze cited earlier in the post].
The letter is a sort of catechesis on the correct understanding of the words said at the Consecration. It also fully clarifies the theological premises and the content of the translation that we must prepare.
The letter is an important impetus for the German bishops to proceed rapidly with our translation [of the Missal]. The detailed propositions of the Holy Father are also a valuable contribution to understanding the redemptive action of Jesus Christ "in order that the universality of the salvation he brings may be expressed unmistakably in the sense that Jesus meant" (Benedict XVI).
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 29/04/2013 20:05]