Mass translation approved.

Roman Catholic bishops in the United States voted yesterday to change the wording of many of the prayers and blessings that Catholics have recited at daily Mass for more than 35 years, yielding to Vatican pressure for an English translation that is closer to the original Latin.

The bishops, meeting in Los Angeles, voted 173 to 29 to accept many of the changes to the Mass, a pivotal point in a 10-year struggle that many English-speaking Catholics had dubbed "the liturgy wars."

But the bishops made substantial changes to the text that the Vatican wanted, and those changes could still be rejected by Vatican officials.

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The bishops rejected about 60 of the changes proposed by the International Committee on English in the Liturgy, the panel of bishops from 11 English-speaking countries that prepared the translation. For instance, the committee wanted to change the phrase in the Nicene Creed "one in being with the Father" to "consubstantial with the Father."

But the bishops kept the current version, noting, " ‘Consubstantial’ is a theological expression requiring explanation for many."

Decision about abortion, Communion and Catholic politicians:

U.S. Catholic bishops on Thursday ended years of soul searching over whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should be denied communion, leaving the decision with local bishops.

Wrapping up a task force on Catholics in political life, chairman and Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick reiterated a policy approved by the bishops in 2004, adding that he was concerned about partisan politics seeping into Catholic life.

(the question on the Mass translation is – what are those adaptations for the US? I’ll be looking. You too.)

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