When the newest edition of the Roman Missal finally hits parishes sometime next year, Catholics can expect to read and hear new words but not to see a new Mass, according to Todd Williamson, director of the archdiocese’s Office for Divine Worship. The revised missal is the third edition of the current Mass texts. The first edition came out after the Second Vatican Council when the Mass texts were converted from Latin to the vernacular. The second revision, which we presently use, came in 1985. Why a new edition? “Among other things, the third edition contains prayers for the celebration of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces for the eucharistic prayers, additional Masses and prayers for various needs and intentions, and some updated and revised rubrics (instructions) for the celebration of the Mass,” according to the U.S. bishops’ website on the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, www.usccb.org/romanmissal. At the same time, we can expect to hear different words throughout the Mass because it’s a new translation. After Pope John Paul II promulgated this new edition in 2000, the Holy See issued new guidelines for translations of the text into vernacular.Williamson stressed that this is just an updated edition of the Roman Missal. It’s like when a publisher comes out with a new edition of a previously published book. The majority of the text stays the same but parts are added or updated. The current translation of the Roman Missal focuses more on the meaning behind the Latin text. This translation of the third edition focuses more on a literal translation of the Latin, except where there are new prayers, Williamson said. These are new translations of the original Latin text, not new Latin text, he added. The English translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal received approval from the Vatican last month. Since it is expected to take publishers a while to get the complete text ready for Mass use the change over isn’t anticipated until Advent 2011. In the meantime, Williamson said he strongly encourages people to visit the USCCB’s website to gain a better understanding of what is happening (www.usccb.org/romanmissal/). This fall, the Office for Divine Worship will begin workshops to help people prepare for the new translation. Williamson has heard comments from some that this new translation is a step backward for the liturgy, but he disagrees. They are the same Latin prayers that came from the Vatican II, it’s just “a deeper level of uncovering the images and phrases and poetry of the Latin text,” he said. He acknowledged that change is always difficult, but in this case we are delving deeper into the Mass. “We’re rediscovering things that were always there from the Second Vatican Council,” he said.