Mass translation

John Allen reports on your Web site that at the recent meeting of the Catholic Academy of Liturgy in Toronto, Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie, Pa., said that changing pro multis in the Mass to "for many" may confuse the church's teaching that Christ died for all. He argued that this and other proposed changes of the people's parts during the Mass will not only confuse the faithful but will contribute to a greater number of departures from the Catholic church.

Our good people will not be leaving the church in great numbers over these changes and will not confuse the church's teaching that Christ died for all just because pro multis will henceforth be translated "for many" instead of "for all." The words "for many" have been in the New Testament for 2,000 years: in Matthew 26:28 and Mark 14:24. The New Revised Standard Version, the Revised English Bible, the New American Bible and the New Jerusalem Bible, all translate pro multis as "for many." I don't know of any Bible in English (or any other language) that does not translate the incriminated words as "for many." And yet, down through the centuries, people did not confuse the church's teaching that Christ died for all and did not leave the church in droves over those words in the Bible.

Finally, the vitriolic reactions in the NCR Cafe, prompted by Bishop Trautman's statements, over Rome's "intransigence" on these matters demonstrate how much arrogance, contempt, sarcasm and smugness there still is among so many of our Catholic literati and intelligentsia.

(Fr.) GINO DALPIAZ

Chicago

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