Bishop offers insight on issues at recent conference

By Linda M. Linonis

YOUNGSTOWN — Bishop George V. Murry of the Diocese of Youngstown commented on the two major issues, embryonic stem-cell research and the translation of the Roman Missal, that occupied the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The bishops gathered in mid-June in Orlando, Fla., for the spring general meeting.

Bishop Murry is secretary of the conference that includes more than 400 active and retired bishops and nearly 270 active bishops with voting privileges.

The bishops did not accept the Latin-to-English translation of the Roman Missal.

“The Roman Missal is the official text of the prayers for the Mass,” Bishop Murry said. “These prayer vary with the event and season as a way to convey the theme of Mass.”

For example, there are certain prayers for Christmas and Easter and for the season of Advent. Other prayers of Mass, the Creed, Gloria and Eucharistic prayer, remain constant. “Thematic prayers, such as those for the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel [observed July 16] will mention the Blessed Virgin and Our Lady of Mount Carmel,” Bishop Murry said.

“We want the best possible translation of prayers,” Bishop Murry said.

He said the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) is the group of scholars who are translating the Latin to English. “They presented a workbook on the prayers that change during the year and used the latest techniques in scholarship,” Bishop Murry said.

“The translation was not accepted by U.S. bishops,” Bishop Murry said. “The translations were difficult to pray and sing because of the way they were worded.”

Bishop Murry said the ICEL was asked to rework the translations “to make them more fluid.” “We want them to be accurate as translated from Latin but want a more poetic translation,” he said.

“Each conference accepts or rejects the translation,” he said. Other English-speaking conferences include England, Ireland, Australia, along with the United States. The Vatican must approve the final translation.

There is no set time frame on the translation project. “We want the best translation possible,” he said.

In another matter, the bishops approved a statement concerning embryonic stem-cell research and it may be found at the Web site www.usccb.org. A sentence from the statement reads: “Harvesting these ‘embryonic stem cells’ involves the deliberate killing of innocent human beings, a gravely immoral act.”

Bishop Murry said the bishops didn’t approve of destroying the embryo to retrieve embryonic stem cells. “The embryo is human life and that is destroying life,” he said. “It is the same as abortion.” The Catholic church does not condone abortion.

He said scientists have found that adult stem cells can be extracted and used in experiments. The bishops’ statement also read that “There is no moral objection to research and therapy of this kind, when it involves no harm to human beings at any stage of development and is conducted with appropriate informed consent.”

The bishops’ statement also noted that adult stem cells have been found to be more versatile than previously thought.

“We’re not opposed to research,” Bishop Murry said. “Our concern is embryonic cells. We have a moral obligation to defend human life.”