The translations of scripture readings used in the Mass are changing, as the Church continues to revise liturgical translations in order to present the most faithful translation of the original languages, Greek and Hebrew. Soon, the UK will have a new English standard version of the Catholic Lectionary, to be published by the Catholic Truth Society.
The Catholic Truth Society (CTS) is a charitable publishing company that has been printing religious books continuously since 1868. On its website, CTS explains the process of revising liturgical translations began in 2011, with the Roman Missal, and has continued with all the other liturgical texts.
The new Lectionary, which is expected to release in autumn 2024, will use the English Standard Version - Catholic Edition of the Bible and the Abbey Psalter.
Changes made to the Lectionary also include an updated, specially modified Stone font with rubrics in red; text set in sense line for ease of proclamation; in-line verse numbers to simplify cross-referencing; a complete Proper of Saints, with new saints and updated calendars for England, Scotland, and Wales; an updated index with numbers for all biblical references; and new music settings for the Gospel sequences.
The CTS wrote of the changes to the Lectionary:
“The changes are intended to make the biblical translations more faithful to the original languages, biblical scholarship, and to provide a text for use in liturgical setting that is more proclaimable and, where appropriate, more inclusive.”
The new Lectionary will be released in several different editions, with different sizes and bindings. The Ambo Edition is the largest and most appropriate for parishes and Mass centers. Bound in padded leather and presented in four volumes, CTS promises a sturdy book that is suitable for ceremonies and “worthy for the proclamation of the Word of God.”
The Chapel Edition is a bit smaller and more suited to chapels or smaller Mass centers. About 23% smaller than the Ambo Edition, this compact set is also bound in leather, although not padded, and is perfect for worship spaces that cannot store large volumes comfortably. Finally, the Study Edition of the Lectionary is 37% the size of the Ambo Edition, most appropriate for reference, personal study, or liturgy and homily preparation.
Learn more, and about the US process:
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