Magnum Principium: Changing the Practice of the Liturgy

 

Francis Returns Authority Over Liturgical Translations To Local Bishops contains an English translation of the APOSTOLIC LETTER ISSUED MOTU PROPRIO OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF FRANCIS MAGNUM PRINCIPIUM.

NYTIMES :

“It’s hugely important,” said Rita Ferrone, a specialist in Catholic liturgy who writes for Commonweal, a liberal Catholic magazine. She said that by loosening Rome’s grip on the language of prayers, Francis had restored the intention of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and erased some of the rollbacks of his predecessor, Benedict XVI. “It was especially astute that he put it into canon law because it makes it official.”

I think this is more about the relationship between the Vatican and Bishops Conferences than about the "liturgy wars."

UPDATE!!!    Fr. Thomas Reese's Software Model and Specific Proposals.
What do think of his model and some his specific proposals, e.g. new prefaces specific to each Sunday, and more Eucharist Prayers that include many responses from the people.

Is Changing Practice More Important Than Changing Theory?

Francis from his experience as a Latin American bishop values the role of bishops conferences, and as an archbishop found much to dislike about Rome's interference in matters that are best settled at the local level. He not only spent as little time as possible in Rome, he did not like sending priests to study in Rome.

This change may become the model for a deep reform of the Roman Curia, limiting its powers far more than possible through restructuring or appointments, or even new theoretical documents, e.g. a new theory of liturgical translations.

Basically the Muto Proprio limits the Vatican role to "confirming" translations of Latin texts. The bishops are to decide which English words make the best translation; the Vatican is simply to confirm not second guess the process by doing their own translation.

However Francis retains a stronger role for the Vatican in "recognizing" next liturgical texts which do not have a Latin original. This reaffirms both the ability of Bishops conference to write new prayers, but allows the Vatican some authority to maintain the coherence and integrity of the Roman Rite. Some of the new Eucharist Prayers that we rarely use were actually first written in Dutch if I remember correctly.

Francis has given the Congregations much less work to do, perhaps in anticipation of their lesser roles in the future. The CDF as a doctrinal watchdog has been notably silent. The opinions of Muller at CDF and Sarah at Worship have been their own; no one mistakes them as speaking for Francis.

Will Francis limit the powers of the Congregation of Bishops to confirming choice of bishops made mostly by the bishop's conferences?

We he allow bishops conferences to decide whether or not they have married priests? women deacons?

Francis has great devotion to Pius X, who while extremely conservative in his views about the world was also extremely progressive in lowering the age of First Communion and promoting frequent Communion. One could argue that Pius X changed the Liturgy even more the Vatican II.  Putting the liturgy into English might have mattered little if we only went to Communion at Christmas and Easter, and waited until late adolescent to begin Communion.

Perhaps Pius X taught Francis that changing practice is more important than changing theory.