What does the Prayer Really Say? — Francis Praises ICEL Translations

Reading ICEL through Francis…

What Does the Prayer Really Say?
“Pope” Francis Praises ICEL Translations

Bad news for “Fr.” John Zuhlsdorf, the internet’s most famous biretta-wearing, Latin-loving Modernist: For years this defender of the Novus Ordo Antipopes has been answering the question “What Does the Prayer Really Say?” (WDTPRS) on his blog as a popular antidote to the deliberate junk translations provided by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) of the already-watered-down prayers of the “New Mass.” These asinine ICEL translations are what Novus Ordo adherents have been subjected to since the early 1970s in terms of the liturgical books used in the United States (things changed somewhat in 2011, when major improvements to the translations were finally implemented). In other words, it is this dreadful ICEL collection of prayers that virtually all church-going Novus Ordos in the United States know and are familiar with as the “prayers used in the Catholic Mass.”

Over the years, a number of Semi-Traditionalists and conservative-leaning Neo-Catholics have blasted ICEL for their dimwitted and deliberate mistranslations (such as rendering the Latin pro multis as “for all” when it clearly means “for many”). This includes some of those who have nevertheless been defending Francis’ soup kitchen theology at every step and tried to force a “conservative” spin on it — Mr. Zuhlsdorf being one of the most notorious offenders in this regard.

The presbyter known as “Father Z” satirizes the ICEL nightmare translations quite aptly in a recent post:

Indeed, commenting on the 1973 ICEL translation of the Novus Ordo “opening prayer” for the so-called “28th Sunday in Ordinary Time”, Mr. Z calls it “appallingly bad as a translation for Mass” and instead fit as a “wonderful little prayer for use on a Catholic grade school playground” (source).

Now, this is the same “Father Z” who has been telling us that Francis is just as much of a “conservative Catholic” as Benedict XVI was (not that he was one, either: Reality Check) and has been doing everything in his power to convince people that despite his obvious 1960s hippie Modernism, “Pope” Francis is a staunch defender of Catholic orthodoxy. But now Francis has come out swinging in favor of the “translation” work done by ICEL, the very junk Zuhlsdorf has rightly criticized as “appallingly bad.” You see, ICEL is celebrating its 50th anniversary these days, and on that occasion “Pope” Francis received some of its members in an audience on October 18, 2013.

Of course, Francis being Francis, he heaped nothing but praise on them for their work of destroying Catholicism in the minds and souls of the faithful, going even so far as to thank them for “contribut[ing] to the understanding of the faith [!!!], the exercise of the common priesthood and the renewal of the Church’s missionary outreach, all themes central to the teaching of the Council.”

Here is an excerpt of the more juicy parts of Francis’ address:

You can see here that Francis is as far detached from a proper understanding of Catholicism and the Sacred Liturgy as the devil is from holy water. Shame on all those who are still trying to spin Francis into a “conservative Catholic.” He is neither!

In any case, it seems pretty evident that Francis has no room for people like Mr. Zuhlsdorf, who try to upstage the enormously “fruitful” (wink, wink) work of ICEL. It remains to be seen whether “Father Z” will simply ignore this latest Bergoglian salvo against Catholicism and sanity, or whether he will try to minimize, spin, or re-interpret “Francis through Benedict”, as his mantra goes. Then again, he’s probably too busy drinking Mystic Monk Coffee, informing you of his latest reading list, asking for you to send him money (so he can go on trips) or purchase items for him from his Amazon wish list, or uploading fancy dinner photos through his iPhone. So few assignments, so little time.

However, Mr. Z is right on one thing (though not the way he means it): It’s the silly season. Make popcorn.