VOX CLARA COMMITTEE
PRESS RELEASE
October 1-3, 2014
The Vox Clara Committee met from October 1-3, 2014 at the Domus Australia in Rome. This Committee of senior Bishops from Episcopal Conferences throughout the English-speaking world was formed by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on July 19, 2001 in order to provide advice to the Holy See concerning English-language liturgical books and to strengthen effective cooperation with the Conferences of Bishops in this regard.
The Vox Clara Committee is chaired by Cardinal George Pell (Secretary for the Economy). The participants in the meeting were Bishop Thomas Olmsted, First Vice-Chairman (Phoenix), Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Second Vice-Chairman (Bombay), Cardinal Justin Rigali, Treasurer (Philadelphia, Emeritus), Archbishop Alfred Hughes (New Orleans, Emeritus), Archbishop Michael Neary (Tuam), Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J. (Ottawa), and Bishop David McGough (Birmingham, Auxiliary). Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I. (Chicago), Cardinal John Tong Hon (Hong Kong) and Bishop Arthur Serratelli, Secretary (Paterson) were unable to be present for this meeting.
Also assisting the meeting were Monsignor James P. Moroney (Executive Secretary), Reverend Dennis McManus (expert), Monsignor Gerard McKay (advisor), Reverend Joseph Briody (special assistant) and Reverend Gerard Byrne (special assistant). Reverend Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B (expert) and Abbot Cuthbert Johnson, O.S.B. (advisor) were unable to be present.
The representatives of the Holy See included the Delegate to the Vox Clara Committee, Reverend Anthony Ward, S.M., Undersecretary of the Congregation, accompanied by officials of the Congregation.
The Committee heard reports on the pace of the revision of the Latin typical editions of the Roman Rite by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy and a variety of practical matters.
The greatest part of the Committee’s work was devoted to a review of the ICEL Gray Book translations of Exorcisms and Certain Supplications, the Order of the Dedication of a Church and an Altar and a supplement to the Liturgy of the Hours. The Committee was once again delighted with the quality of the translations and developed a limited list of recommendations for their refinement which it submitted to the Congregation.
Archbishop Arthur Roche, Secretary to the Congregation, joined the Committee for the first morning and expressed his gratitude for “the very distinct contribution which Vox Clara makes” in providing “a model of how to achieve an English text.” The members thanked the Secretary for his presence and encouragement.
On the occasion of the completion of his service as Prefect of the Congregation, the Committee sent a letter to Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera expressing its gratitude for his strong and generous support and wished him well in his new ministry as Archbishop of Valencia.
This was the twenty-fourth meeting of the Vox Clara Committee which will continue its work in early 2015.
