What effect will the new English translation have on people whose first language is not English?I would say yes.
Some of you would respond that there is an easy answer: sing and pray in Latin.
This might be helpful in large multicultural gatherings of people who do not share any common language.
Does replacing one "second " language with another "second" language really address the issue?
In my experience, yes, even MORE so in a smallish parish setting, where there is an imbalance in numbers between two language groups.
This is because the major problem in parishes that minister to communities who speak different languages is NOT comprehension, per se, (printed translations, or minimal prep work by the participants could take care of that.)
The problem is ownership, and structures that reflect an us-and-them mentality.
How often in a committee or council meeting I hear, "We have to be sensitive to/do such and such for, the XXX community," from a member of the English-speaking community.
Oh really?
The very words betray that the speaker thinks "we," the parish are the Anglophones, and everyone else is a guest to whom we should be welcoming, and for whom we should perhaps make concessions.
The Mass basically belongs to us, but sometimes we'll do some things so that you guys don't feel completely left out.
When the ordinary, and even (the prescribed,) propers are in a liturgical language, that belonged to no one group, and therefore is equally the property of all, and accessible to all who have a hand missal in one "Comfortable Language," (there's an awkward phrase I would like to retire from the liturgy....,) it goes a long way towards equalizing the components parts of what should be ONE community, ONE parish.
One Church.
Another point in favor of using the proper antiphons: hymns and songs that are less an integral part of the liturgy, more a matter of personal taste, and subject to a decision made by the more-or less qualified or unqualified, and drawn from an impossibly large pool, are exponentially more difficult for the Mass goers to prepare for, (not to speak of translating.)
The proper texts are of a finite number.
Misereris omnium, Domine.../Lord, you are merciful..../Señor, usted es compasivo.... (I don't pretend that Spanish is right, by the way, correction welcomed)
No rising again from ashes, or perdona a tu pueblo, or forty days and forty nights, or breaking the chains of oppression so my light breaks forth, or walkin' that lonesome valley, to wonder and worry about.
Nope, that "predictable worship" that some are so het up about.
Misereris omnium, this Ash Wednesday, and next. Hey, and the one after that!
In this church, and the one in the town I move to next year.Hey, and the one in Zanzibar!
Himself, after decades of resisting it, has discovered that between libretti and super-titles, he really loves opera.
He finds it worth preparing for.
Imagine if, instead of being told, it'll be Carmen, here's the libretto, it were, gee, not sure what we're gonna see, but there are only 2 dozen in the company's repertoire, so it'll probably be one of this stack...
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