The Liturgical Commissions of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) have resolved to work together to translate from Latin to Kiswahili Language ‘The New Edition of the Roman Altar Missal’ which will be used by Swahili speaking people in the region and beyond.
In their first meeting which was coordinated by -Fr. Febian Pikiti from AMECEA Pastoral Department and held at Paulines Publications headquarter in Nairobi on Tuesday 11th, November, 2014, the liturgical commissions of the two conferences have decided to assign experts conversant with both Latin and Kiswahili Languages who have been doing the translation.
The purpose of the meeting which was attended by the bishop chairmen from the two Conferences; Bishop Salutaris Melchior Libena (TEC) and Bishop Dominic Kimengich (KCCB) was to deliberate on the translated versions by the two conferences and also to forge way forward. AMECEA Secretariat through its Pastoral Department would be incorporated in the process and they are working closely with Paulines Publications.
Bishop Libena, who is also the Local Ordinary of Ifakara Diocese, told AMECEA Online News that they are translating the present Missal, which was promulgated in March 2002 as part of the 3rd typical edition of the Roman Altar Missal. “The previous two editions were published in 1969 and 1975 respectively and the publication of a new edition is always prompted by various liturgical changes that need to be incorporated in the Missal, for instance new Saints introduced in the Church and others,” he explained.
Bishop Libena explained that the Congregation for Divine Worship prepares the typical edition in Latin and send copies to every conference so that they can do translation to their local languages.
Bishop Kimengich said that the need for two conferences to collaborate and come up with a common Swahili translated Altar Missal was inevitable. “Kenya and Tanzania have Kiswahili as their official language, it wouldn’t make sense if we have two different Swahili translated Missal for Kenya and Tanzania; it was therefore resolved during the 18th AMECEA Plenary Assembly in Malawi that the two conferences come together and do a common translation,” he explained.
“We are aware that there is very technical Kiswahili in Tanzania and the spoken Kiswahili in Kenya, which is characterized by slang; we are trying to see how we are going to harmonize that by having our experts agreeing on words that are common for the both countries,” he said.
Bishop Kimengich said that during their Tuesday meeting, they came up with a work plan in which they will meet again in December in Dar-es-salaam especially the translation experts from both conferences.
“Hopefully in May and June 2015, the respective conferences will approve what the experts will have come out with, and hopefully again in September, 2015, we should be able to have a complete draft to be sent to Rome for approval by the Congregation of Divine Worship and the discipline of the Sacraments,” said Bishop Kimengich who is also the Local Ordinary of Lodwar Diocese.
At the same meeting, a commission of three people from each conference was formed to oversee the work of translation of various Liturgical Books to Kiswahili Language to ensure harmony among Swahili Speaking people.
Source: Pamela Adinda AMECEA Social Communications
