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BALTIMORE — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has approved a plan to draft an amended edition of the English-language Liturgy of the Hours for use in the United States.
The conference’s Committee on Divine Worship, headed by Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, had recommended the action in light of new liturgical texts, including the third edition of the Roman Missal, the revised Grail Psalms and biblical canticles and revision work begun by the International Committee on English in the Liturgy.
The vote at the general assembly of bishops’ Nov. 13 morning session in Baltimore involved only the Latin-rite bishops, who passed the proposal by 189 to 41, with one abstention.
The preliminary vote means the Committee on Divine Worship will begin translation and editing. It will present a full draft to the conference when its work is completed. If approved, the draft would be submitted to the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for approval.
The Liturgy of the Hours is a set of daily prayers that priests and religious are obliged to pray. Many lay Catholics also pray this liturgy, which incorporates Psalms, hymns and readings from Scripture and the Church Fathers. The day’s prayers are set according to the Church calendar.
The U.S. bishops’ conference will decide which elements of the new Liturgy of the Hours edition to replace or retranslate, except for the non-biblical readings of the Office of Readings that will remain in their current form.
The new edition will include changes in light of the new edition of the Roman Missal. Hymns will use English translations of Latin hymns provided by the International Committee on English in the Liturgy, which will also be consulted on translations of several regularly used prayers.
The new edition’s Psalms will come from the revised Grail Psalter, translated by the Benedictines at Conception Abbey in Missouri. Canticles from the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Gospel may use the current translation, an updated translation from the New American Bible, or new translations from Conception Abbey.
Biblical readings will be adjusted according to approved texts.
The current edition of the Liturgy of the Hours was published in 1975 and 1976 by Catholic Book Publishing Co., with a 1992 supplement.
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If the codependent and heterodox bishops would just stick to the facts and truth and quit playing politics and mind games, we wouldn’t be in this position; but no, these fools keep playing with the truth and we suffer. The US bishops are why Obama was elected the first time, the US bishops are why the health care bill passed, the US bishops support illegal entrance to the States and the US bishops are why the Catholic Church has most of its problems. Seems like these fools wearing long dresses all model their episcopacy on the apostle Judas the traitor and not the other eleven. They keep spending our money on abortions and supporting the very things the Gospels reject. They don’t even have the internal fortitude to acknowledge their failures/mistakes/sins that are public; but rather rationalize and make excuses and wax politic. Fools! “But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you yourselves do not enter in; and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.” Matthew 23:13
Mr Howard Walowitz the article was about changing the church’s prayer. Have you vented all your childish anger against authority? The Bishops do thier job well, do you do yours as well. God is Love, hate is evil, which do you prefer? I’ll pray for you.
Mr. Howard Walowitz this article is about changing the Church prayer. You seem like avery angry man. The Bishops are doing their job, they deal with Church and secular life that interacts with the Church members. God is love, evil is hate and anger. Turn your hate to love. I will pray for you and please pray for me.
What is the problem with the Liturgy of the Hours as written now? What will the new one consist of? Non-sexist language? I mean, how many times can one repeat ‘God’ in place of Father, Him, or His?
Howard Walowitz is a character from the TV show The Nig Bang Theory. The person posting may be a priest, but I am very skeptical. If so he is going against his pledge of obedience to his his Bishop.
....Mr Walowitz forgot to mention Sandy too. I’m sure the bishops had something to do with it hitting the USA….
I too will pray for you, Mr Walowitz, because your anger puts your immortal soul in danger. Reflect on the passage about the “splinter” in the other’s eye.
As for me, “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell. Take all souls to heaven, and help especially those most in need of your mercy.”
I say this prayer often to myself. I will pray it with you in mind today.
Peace,
Right on Walowitz or whoever. For about 50 years I’ve figured Jesus would address many of the present church leaders as he did those in His day. I see that ab Dolan is recently calling the bishops to repentance. For the stewardship over the past 50 years, it would be a wise idea to do public penance to give a perception of sincerity to apologies; and this to convince both laity and God. Bishops and other clergy need to steer clear of those who praise them. They need only examine the statistics and the huge schism pending to see they have no time for vacations and days off. The laity need much better fundamental guidance than has been given.
There is great room for improvement in the current Novus Ordo Liturgy of the Hours, or Divine Office. I prayed it for a couple of years and was not impressed. Numerous of the prayers in the current Liturgy of the Hours were written by protestant “observers” to the Committee on the Liturgy after Vatican II. This is historical fact. This article talks about updating the Psalms and other Scritpure readings - I would be concened, the most recent New American Bible has many problems, but, if the language is modeled more on the new liturgy, things may improve. It’s very hard to say. This could easily result in something better, or something much worse.
But the really bad, frequently childish and banal prayers were what drove me from the Novus Ordo Office to the 1962 version.
For those who love the Hours as I do, please strongly consider investing in Baronius Press’ Roman Breviary from the 1962 Missal. These are in Latin and English. The Latin is, of course, glorious, the English is OK. It’s stilted and hard to sing, but exceedingly accurate to the intent of the Latin. Ooops, just checked, the 1962 Roman Breviary is out of print. Too bad.
@Greg - I suspect, like the recent translation of the Roman Missal, the new translation of the Liturgy of the Hours will be much closer to the meaning in the Latin. In fact most of what they’re putting in it has already been translated - like the Revised Grail Psalms and the collects from the Missal. It will also be nice to have easy access to modern English translations of the hymns in the Latin edition of the Liturgy of the Hours. The hymns in the Liturgia Horarum were almost entirely replaced in the current English edition of the Liturgy of the Hours with English hymns that are hit-and-miss in terms of being even thematically the same as the Latin hymns. The age of new translations departing further from the original meaning in favor of gender-inclusive language is, I sense, slowly passing. And the next time the Lectionary is revised it will also include the Grail Psalms - which will mean that for the most part the entire U.S. will be praying liturgically from the same translation of the Psalms - a blessing indeed.
I agree with Father Howard’s comment entirely. Between this news and Pope Benedict call to bring back the Latin language for priests, it’s like playing the fiddle, while Rome burns. These men are incapable of prioritizing, and to the detriment of the faithful. If they were married men with children, the life itself would compel them to prioritize well, and to look to God for His Sovereign help, as did King David. It would be prayer from the heart, not prescripted readings (soon to be in Latin?!)
I hope Father Howard preaches and teaches The Gospel to his congregation, in its fullness, that includes a verse by verse exposition of the letters written by Paul.
Then at least in his parish, his congregation will be taught God’s word, and not the musings of bishops that only admit they’re wrong, and only human, when they are exposed by the press or by frustrated people in the pews.
I will simply ignore “Fr. Howard’s” diatribe. As for me, I love the new translation found in the 3rd edition of the Roman Missal and look forward to praying the Liturgy of the Hours if the prayers, Canticles and Psalms are congruent with it. I hope that the planned revision will equally apply to the Franciscan (and, of course, the Dominican, Carmelite, etc.) supplements to the LOH. These supplements, at least the Franciscan one I use, don’t always fall into lock-step with the translation used in the present version of the LOH. Pax et Bonum!
Nice! I’m glad to hear this news. It may be a little too early for this question, but are there any estimates as to when the finished product would be available/implemented? Also, in the article there was no mention of changing the intercessions at all - it seems to me that the texts of some of these could use some revising (though I admit, I’m not familiar with the Latin for them). Perhaps that’s one of the things the bishops will decide on. At any rate, like Deacon Dennis, I am excited to pray the revised Office when it comes out!
I am very happy with the job of the Bishops. God bless them so they can guide us to Jesus. Holy mother of God Pray for us.. Paz ...
It seems as if many of you responding expect tens of millions of your fellow members of the Mystical Body to see things precisely as you see them! If Our Lord with his infinite power “failed” to keep 12 Apostles firmly in line, how is it that you demand all the world’s bishops (and, I presume, priests, deacons, brothers, sisters, monks . . . etc.)attain perfection? And, oh yes—perfection as you define it. So, will I “enjoy” the new translations? Will I buy a new set of breviaries? Probably no to both; I’m still having problems forgetting the last translations as I pray the Office . . . but I’ll continue and I believe Our Father will hear me.
And just when will this change take place? Perhaps you could have the old Diviine Office books gifted to those who would like them and still understand the meaning of the texts.
I find it funny how the bishops here in this country find some of the most pointless things to talk about. I do feel they need to revise the liturgy of the hours but last time I check most people don’t even know what they are. How about the need to stop talking about social justice items and start talking about the things that will get people to heaven instead of what gets them in the news.
I spent sometime reading some of these ridiculous responses to Fr. Walowitz’s comment. He is right! Oh and he has Fr. Before his name and not Mr. , so next time you talk about being obedient towards bishops try being that way to a priest. WWJD is something too that I would like to talk about since some people like to say God is love. Well when I think of what Jesus would do I remember the time when he flipped tables over and fashioned a whip and ran the people out of His Father’s house. If he was here now he would be doing that to some of His Bishops cause they turn His Father’s house into a den of thieves.
I am NOT giving up my LOH which I’ve had since my seminary days.
However if the bishops are inclined to spring for a new set of 4 books (no I won’t insist on leather) then feel free to change away. Otherwise, just like everything else that has stood the test of time in our Church… leave it alone.
Please.
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