Now here's question for you: Why can't we have a period of experiment with the new translations before we settle on a final text?
Unheard of? Hardly. That's exactly what happened with the texts for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and the Order of Christian Funerals, which, incidentally, are some of the finest, most successful, and most beautiful liturgical texts in English. They were given approval for experimental use for a period (five years I think) before the final translations were settled. People produced study texts and sent feedback, as if their opinions really mattered.
Why not with the texts for Mass? What could be wrong with testing these translations, seeing how they "pray," sending feedback to the diocesan liturgy offices, all before we spend gazillions of dollars on new books and hymnals.
I'm sure this will go over like a lead balloon, and it won't happen–too many people have too much riding on these texts, from Vox Clara to the bishops to publishers. But it makes no sense to me whatsoever that to just plunk these translations down and tell people to go at it.
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Read "Getting to know the new Mass" parts 1 , 2, and 3.
