POLISH AND UKRAINIAN TRANSLATIONS OF THE ROMAN MISSAL

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze the translation of the Roman Canon of the Missal of St. Paul VI into Polish and Ukrainian. This analysis aims to show to what extent both of these translations faithfully reflect the Latin text of the Missal of St. Paul VI, and to what extent they introduce some original innovations. The author provides the assessment of these innovations or free translation and elucidates to what extent it is justified or accurate. In this analysis, only the content of the Roman Canon itself is examined, and not the rubrics of the Mass, i.e. didascalia.

Based on this analysis, it can be clearly seen that the Ukrainian translation is at the same time much more faithful to the Latin text of the Roman Canon than the Polish one. On the other hand, it is also more conservative. Even if it is not always literal, it is still very close to the original text. The minor differences between the Ukrainian translation and the Latin text do not go beyond replacing the original words with synonyms. The Polish translation, on the other hand, is more free, creative and imaginative. Synonyms are often used or the content of the prayers themselves has been modified.

This may indicate that in Poland, the Roman Catholic Church, as a major religious institution, uses the scientific and creative resources of Polish theologians and liturgists. For example, the prayer Quam oblationem has been very radically modified. Even the mention of the Holy Spirit was added to it, which is not confirmed by research on the Roman Canon. This addition was justified in the Polish translation on ecumenical grounds and was treated as a nod to the tradition of the Eastern Churches, especially the Orthodox Church. Such interference in the content of Quam oblationem may raise justified doubts among Roman Catholic theologians and liturgists.

This testifies to the fact that in Poland the Roman Catholic Church, as the majority, benefits from the scientific and creative resources of indigenous theologians and liturgists. In perspective, such a comparison of Ukrainian and Polish translations of liturgical texts should be carried out during the juxtaposition not only linguistically. but also stylistically.