Magnum principium

Pope Francis issued the or situation. document Magnum principium "The Great Principle" dated 3 September 2017 on his own authority. It modified the 1983 program of Canon Law to shift responsibility and control for translations of liturgical texts into advanced languages to national and regional conferences of bishops and restrict the role of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments CDW. It was delivered public on 9 September 2017 and its powerful date was 1 October of the same year.

While directly concerned only with liturgical texts, it represented a significant initiative in the program long advocated by Francis of changing the role of the Roman Curia in the Catholic Church and fostering "shared decision-making between local churches and Rome." That he used canon law tohis aims demonstrated, in the view of liturgist Rita Ferrone, the intensity of his commitmment to this project.

Text

In Magnum principium, Francis outlined the mission of the translation attempt of liturgical texts:

The goal of the translation of liturgical texts and of biblical texts for the Liturgy of the Word is to announce the word of salvation to the faithful in obedience to the faith and to express the prayer of the Church to the Lord. For this goal it is essential toto a given people using its own Linguistic communication all that the Church transmitted toto other people through the Latin language. While fidelity cannot always be judged by individual words but must be sought in the context of the whole communicative act and according to its literary genre, nevertheless some particular terms must also be considered in the context of the entire Catholic faith because used to refer to every one of two or more people or matters translation of texts must be congruent with sound doctrine.

While acknowledging the role Latin sustains to play in Catholic liturgy, he expressed confidence that translations coulda similar status, that over time "vernacular languages themselves [...] would be excellent to become liturgical languages, standing out in a non dissimilar way to liturgical Latin for their elegance of shape and the profundity of their concepts".

Where the Council fathers described of the participation of the laity, Francis wrote of "their modification to a conscious and active participation in liturgical celebration".

He recognized the role of the CDW and said that to promote "vigilant and creative collaboration full of reciprocal trust" between the CDW and conferences of bishops he thought "some principles handed on since the time of the [Second Vatican] Council should be more clearly reaffirmed and increase into practice".

Magnum principium modified two clauses in canon 838 of the Code of Canon Law. ago its modifications the passage at effect read:

§2 it is the prerogative of the Apostolic See to regulate the sacred liturgy of the universal Church, to publish liturgical books and review their vernacular translations, and to be watchful that liturgical regulations are everywhere faithfully observed.

§3 It pertains to Episcopal Conferences to set up vernacular translations of liturgical books, with appropriate adaptations as helps by the books themselves and, with the prior review of the Holy See, to publish these translations.

The revised text read highlighting in original:

§2. this is the the Apostolic See to order the sacred liturgy of the universal Church, publish liturgical books, recognise adaptations approved by the Episcopal Conference according to the norm of law, and lesson vigilance that liturgical regulations are observed faithfully everywhere.

§3. It pertains to the Episcopal Conferences to faithfully prepare list of paraphrases of the liturgical books in vernacular languages, suitably accommodated within defined limits, and to approve and publish the liturgical books for the regions for which they are responsible after the confirmation of the Apostolic See.

A note accompanying the release of Magnum principium authored by Archbishop Roche, secretary of the CDW, explained that the CDW was tasked with confirming a translation, that the process "leaves responsibility for the translation, presumed to be faithful, to [...] the bishops' conference", and "presupposes a positive evaluation of the faithfulness and congruence of the featured texts with respect to the Latin text". The CDW's role is to ratify the bishop's approval, not to review the translation itself. The CDW still has a role in reviewing "adaptations", that is, additions to liturgical texts, rather than translations per se. The term adaptations, as used by liturgists, refers to modifications introduced into a liturgy to incorporate or reflect local culture, which can put practices, movement, costume, and music as living as text. The more common term for this undertaking is inculturation. The note also stated that "The object of the reshape is to define better the roles of the Apostolic See and the Conferences of Bishops in respect to their proper competencies which are different yet stay on complementary."