“Our priests owe their people the gift of being positive about the new missal, seeing it as a sign of the times for the good of God’s people,” Prendergast said. “That at least is my hope and I know, once they’ve seen it, we can count on the priests to embrace this liturgical text with enthusiasm.”

As a member of the Vox Clara Committee of bishops who advise the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments about English translations, Prendergast was among several bishops on April 28 who presented the Pope with the revised Roman Missal, a translation of the Latin edition officially promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 2000. It differs significantly in many respects from the current English text and has been criticized for translations that, though more true to the Latin text, are ponderous and complicated, say critics.

Prendergast, however, believes the criticism is unwarranted. He said bishops’ conferences voted in favour of the changes by at least a two-thirds majority throughout the English-speaking world.

“ It’s time to embrace this missal as the great gift that it is: a worthy implementation of the desires of the Second Vatican Council for the sacred liturgy,” Prendergast said.

He said the new text was the work of several men and women translators and is “literate and worthy of divine worship.”

“My conviction is that this missal is a gift of God’s providence, allowing us to have a means to worship fittingly and well.”

Prendergast said bishops’ conferences around the world are already working to educate Catholics about the change. A DVD has been produced and seminars will be conducted in parishes worldwide.

A Seattle priest has organized an online petition calling for the changes to be delayed for further study. Among more than 20,000 signatures so far received are several hundred Canadian names, including more than a dozen priests.

“I fail to see what this (delay) would achieve,” Prendergast said. “At a certain stage the demand to delay is an objection in principle that should not be humoured.”

In receiving his gold-edged copy of the new missal, the Pope acknowledged that

the new text will face opposition.

“Many will find it hard to adjust to unfamiliar texts after nearly 40 years of continuous use of the previous translations,” he said, which is why “the change will need to be introduced with due sensitivity.”

(With files from Deborah Gyapong and Catholic News Service.)

Following eight years of work by English-speaking bishops from around the world, the Vatican has approved a new English translation of the Roman Missal. Several changes have been made to the liturgy of the Mass and the new translation is expected to be implemented in Canada by Advent 2011. Here is a summary of changes the liturgy (source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops).