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Print release for French liturgies coming in January
Episcopal News Service
Issue:
Section:
2002-259-9
Posted: Tuesday, November 12, 2002
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Seven years after getting the green light from the Anglican Church of Canada's General Synod to develop indigenous French-language liturgies, the committee which created the translations has toasted its efforts: the liturgies will be released in printed form in January 2003 by the Anglican Book Center.
Until recently, francophone Anglicans had to make do with a U.S. translation of the Book of Common Prayer, le Livre de la Prière Commune. The Episcopal Church in the United States has long had a French prayer book for its French-speaking members in Europe and francophone countries like Haiti. The language, however, is continental, European French--not Canadian or Québecois French. An earlier attempt at a Canadian translation did not make the grade.
A diverse group was then drawn from francophone and bilingual clergy and laity to come up with a true, Canadian translation. A liturgical consultant also worked with the committee, dubbed CLEF (Comité liturgique épiscopal francophone). The committee finished the liturgies more than a year ago, but their release in print will make them more widely available to Anglicans in dioceses with francophone representation.
Approved for use by the 2001 General Synod, the liturgies have so far only been available on the Web, at the diocese of Montreal web site, or via www.anglican.ca/francais, where they will remain until March 31, 2003.
CLEF translated four liturgies from the Book of Alternative Services: services for the Eucharist, baptism, wedding and funeral. The liturgies chosen are those which might have a mix of francophone and anglophone people worshipping together. The Anglican Book Center will likely publish each of the four liturgies separately, with both the French and English together, on mirror pages.
The language of the new liturgies is not only in the vernacular, it is more inclusive and it intentionally 'captures the spirit of the BAS language, its poetry' said Eileen Scully, the national church's consultant for worship and ministry. She cites the Gloria as an example:
Livre de la Prière Commune: Gloire à Dieu au plus haut des cieux/ Et paix sur la terre aux hommes qu'il aime ['men whom He loves']. New translation: Gloire à Dieu au plus haut des cieux,/ Et paix sur la terre aux personnes de bonne volonté ['people of good will'].
Official translations of four liturgies from the Book of Alternative Services (as approved by General Synod) are available at http://montreal.anglican.org/francais/index-01-en.html.
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