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Change to Translation of Collect Prayers from the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship

February 4, 2021

Excerpts from the Committee on Divine Worship, United States Catholic Conference of Bishops

In May of 2020 the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments wrote to the English-speaking Conferences of Bishops regarding the concluding doxology of the Collects in the Roman Missal (which also appear in other liturgical books).

Specifically, the Congregation pointed out that the current translation – which concludes “[...] in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever” – is incorrect. There is no mention of “one” in the Latin, and “Deus” in the Latin text refers to Christ. Therefore, the correct translation, which is already reflected in the Missal in other languages (including our own USCCB Misal Romano) is simply: “[...] in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.” The Cardinal Prefect has pointed out the importance of affirming this Christological truth amid the religious pluralism of today’s world.

In light of the Congregation’s most recent direction in this matter, the Latin Rite Bishops of the USCCB have voted to amend no. 54 of the U.S. text of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal to reflect the change, and the Congregation has confirmed this decision, as it already has for the Episcopal Conferences of England and Wales, Ireland, and Canada.

This change to the concluding doxology of orations is to be implemented on Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021. The words “one God, for ever and ever” are simply replaced with “God, for ever and ever.”

See the full memo from the Committee on Divine Worship HERE.