Observant Massgoers in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and around the country will soon detect “one” change in a prayer used at Mass.
Beginning Ash Wednesday, priests will begin omitting the word “one” in the concluding doxology of the Collect prayers currently translated as “…in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.”
The change is a result of an observation by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments noting that the current translation is incorrect. The congregation pointed out that there is no mention of “one” in the original Latin (the universal language of the Catholic Church), and that “Deus” in the Latin text refers to Christ. The correct translation should therefore omit the word “one,” with the congregation noting that translations of the concluding doxology in other languages already exclude the word.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said that English translations of the Roman Missal for use by the faithful prior to the Second Vatican Council reflected the correct translation, without the word “one.” After the council, however, when texts were published in English, “one” was added. The USCCB noted that the International Commission on English in the Liturgy pointed out the discrepancy to the congregation in Rome at the time it was implemented, but was told to retain the use of “one God” in the new translation.
The United States is the last of the English-speaking countries to make the change. Canada, England, Ireland and Wales having already done so.
Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org
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