I am glad to see an article about this because, just yesterday, a friend of mine called me to tell me that he had thought to but was hesitant to take a New Testament course at his local parish because they were not going to use the Douay. I admitted to him that I am not informed enough on these new “translations” to give a critique, except to say “do not use them.” Of course we use the Douay here at Saint Benedict Center in our scripture studies and classes. I do remember, in the early 70s, being appalled by the approved, vulgarized texts of the Jerusalem Bible. I have no copy before me. But, for one thing, what a crime it was to replace “Blessed” with “Happy” in the Beatitudes! Who did this? Some committee with a liberal group of “experts” instructing them? How, for instance, did one man, Father Frederick McManus, take over the English translation of the Latin Novus Ordo? I wish I had time to do a study on these bogus translations that the faithful have to endure in their local parishes. But, I do not.
William Oddie, Catholic Herald. co.uk: On Sunday, I understood for the first time one contributory factor (not the most important, but significant) to my growing preference on Sunday morning for the early celebration of Mass at the Oxford Oratory, which follows the Usus Antiquior — a preference even over the splendours of the Latin High Mass at 11am. It is that in the early mass the bible readings are read in Latin, then repeated in the acceptable translation to be found in the 1962 Missal; whereas at the High Mass, we follow perforce the new Novus Ordo missal, which though it now has a hugely improved English translation of the common of the Mass, also embodies our bishops’ depressing decision to stick with the Jerusalem Bible for the readings (in America I understand, the Bible translation used is the greatly more acceptable RSV). Read more here.
