New Translation of the Mass: 4: The

Creed
In September 2011 the English translation that we use in the Roman Missal will be replaced by a new
more accurate translation of the Latin. The translation we use at present in the Mass was issued in the
1970s in something of a rush after Vatican II and has long been acknowledged as being in need of
improvement.
Each of these newsletter handouts will focus on a different part of the Mass.
The Latin Old Translation New Translation
Credo in unum Deum, We believe in one God, I believe in one God,
Patrem omnipotèntem, the Father, the Almighty, the Father almighty,
factòrem caeli et terrae, maker of heaven and maker of heaven and earth,
visibìlium òmnium et earth, of all things visible and
invisibìlium. of all that is seen and invisible.
unseen.
(1)“I” believe rather than “we” believe. The new translation’s use of “I”
emphasises that the recitation of the creed is a personal act of faith affirming that
we individually assent to what we receive in faith. Nonetheless, because the
creed is something that we say together as a group the “we” aspect of our faith is
still something that should be evident to us. Like many other parts of the new
translation of the Mass this particular word change is simply a more accurate
translation of the Latin: the Latin “Credo” says “I believe” and so does our new
translation.
(2)“invisible” not merely “unseen”. The use of the word “invisible” helps clarify
what it is that we are referring to: we are referring to the entire spiritual order, i.e.
of angels and of the human soul. Angels and souls are things that are not only
“unseen” but are not capable of being seen because they belong to an order that
is different from the order our physical eyes can behold.
Et in unum Dòminum We believe in one Lord, I believe in one Lord Jesus
Jesum Christum, Fìlium Dei Jesus Christ, the only Son Christ,
unigènitum, et ex Patre of God, the Only Begotten Son of
natum eternally begotten of God,
ante òmnia sàecula the Father, born of the Father
Deum de Deo, lumen de before all ages.
lùmine, God from God, Light from God from God, Light from
Deum verum de Deo vero, Light, Light,
gènitum, non factum, true God from true God, true God from true God,
consubstantiàlem Patri: begotten, not made, begotten, not made,
per quem omnia facta sunt. one in Being with the consubstantial with the
Qui propter nos hòmines et Father. Father;
propter nostram salùtem Through him all things through him all things were
descèndit de caelis. were made. made.
For us men and for our For us men and for our
salvation salvation
he came down from he came down from
heaven: heaven,
(3)Latin experts will note that at this stage in the Creed the translators have not
been slavishly accurate: they have added several “I believe” clauses in the course
of the creed even though the Latin only says “credo” once, at the beginning. It
would seem that this has been done to help the verbal flow of words in English.
(This change was a 2010 revision of the 2008 text.)
(4)Why does the Creed focus so much on Christ? In part, because of the centrality of
Christ to our faith. But also, because the “Nicene” Creed we recite in the Mass
was developed as a response to certain heresies that denied various truths about
 Christ. Thus, the Creed emphatically asserts Jesus’s Godhead, “true God from
true God”, while being equally emphatic about his becoming man and truly
suffering and dying.
(5)“Consubstantial” is not a word we use in normal conversation. The different parts
of the Mass use terminology and styles (e.g. poetry, praise, repetition) that are
appropriate for those different parts of the Mass. The Creed is a precise and
formal articulation of our faith and so uses the words of theology, including the
word “consubstantial”. While “consubstantial” may sound technical and obscure
the philosophy and significance of the word “being” used in the old translation
was equally in need of clarification if it was to be correctly understood. One
advantage of the word “consubstantial” is that it reminds us that there is
something about the inner life of God that is beyond our normal terminology.
Literally translated “consubstantial” means that the Son is of the same substance
as the Father: He is not of a different substance; He is not of a lesser substance;
He has always existed; as St Athanasius summed it up, “there was never a time
when he was not”.
(All bow during these three (All bow during these three (All bow during these three
lines) lines) lines)
Et incarnàtus est de Spìritu by the power of the and by the Holy Spirit
Sancto ex Marìa Vìrgine, Holy Spirit was incarnate of the
et homo factus est. he was born of the Virgin Mary,
Virgin Mary, and became man.
and became man.
(6)“Incarnate” not only “born”. The word “incarnate” helps remind us that Jesus
took flesh even before his birth, i.e. when he was in the womb of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. This is an important point to remember today because our culture
under-values life in the womb.
(7)Bowing at the lines “and was made man”. What is the most unique and
distinctive part of our Christian faith? What is the part of the creed we should
most emphasise? The timing of the gesture of bowing during the creed reminds
us that it is not the crucifixion but the incarnation that is the centre of our faith:
God became flesh. It is only because the Eternal Son took human flesh that he
was able to die for us, rise for us, and remain with us in his sacraments. The
centrality of this aspect of our faith is emphasised by the fact that this is the only
point in the creed when we bow. In many places this gesture has dropped out of
fashion, along with some other gestures. The new translation provides us with a
reminder that this is something that we should all be doing.
Crucifìxus etiam For our sake For our sake
pro nobis sub Pòntio Pilàto; he was crucified under he was crucified under
passus et sepùltus est, Pontius Pilate; he Pontius Pilate, he suffered
et resurrèxit tèrtia die, suffered, died, and was death and was buried,
secundum Scriptùras, buried. On the third and rose again on the
et ascèndit in caelum, day he rose again in third day in accordance
sedet ad dèxteram Patris. accordance with the with the Scriptures. He
Scriptures; he ascended ascended into heaven and
Et ìterum ventùras est cum into heaven and is seated is seated at the right hand
glòria, at the right hand of the of the Father.
iudicàre vivos et mòrtuos, Father. He will come again in glory
cuius regni non erit finis. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the
Et in Spìritum Sanctum, to judge the living and the dead
Dòminum et vivificàntem: dead, and his kingdom will have
qui ex Patre Filiòque and his kingdom will have no end.
procèdit. no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
We believe in the Holy the Lord, the giver of life,
Qui cum Patre et Fìlio Spirit, who proceeds
simul adoràtur et the Lord, the giver of life, from the Father and the
conglorifcàtur: who proceeds Son,
qui locùtus est per from the Father and the who with the Father and
prophètas. Son. the Son
With the Father and the is adored and glorified,
Et unam, sanctam, Son who has spoken through
cathòlicam, et apostòlicum he is worshipped and the prophets.
Ecclèsiam. glorified. I believe in one, holy,
He has spoken through the catholic
Prophets. and apostolic Church.
We believe in one holy
catholic
and apostolic Church.
(8)I believe “in” the Church. In what sense can we say we believe “in” the
Church? We believe “in” the Church in the sense that what affirm about her are
things that we hold as revealed by God, that we hold as “an article of faith”,
rather than as things we have deduced by our own thinking. It is because the
Lord established the Church that we believe her to be more than just a human
society founded by human beings. This said, we do not believe “in” the Church in
the same sense in which we believe and trust “in” God her founder and the source
of the blessings he promises her (c.f. Catechism n.750).
Confiteor unum baptìsma We acknowledge one I confess one baptism
in remissiònem baptism for the forgiveness of sins
peccatòrum. for the forgiveness of sins. and I look forward to the
Et exspècto resurrectiònem We look for the resurrection of the dead
mortuòrum, et vitam resurrection and the life of the world to
ventùri sàeculi. Amen. of the dead,and the life of come. Amen.
the world to come. Amen.
(9) “I confess”. To ‘confess’ something is another way of referring to how
someone proclaims something, i.e. it does not just refer to confessing our sins.
Thus we refer to “St Edward the Confessor” –not because he continually
confessed his sins but because the holiness of his life proclaimed his faith, i.e.
‘confessed’ his faith.
Fr Dylan James, Shaftesbury, 8th March 2011