‘Lead us not into temptation’ will become the equivalent of ‘Do not abandon us to temptation’

The Italian bishops approved an updated translation of Mass prayers, including a change in the translation of the Our Father, and they passed a proposal to create a national office dedicated to serving dioceses in safeguarding minors and vulnerable adults.

During the general assembly of the Italian bishops’ conference, which met Nov. 12-15 at the Vatican, the bishops approved the translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal, the book of prayers used at Mass, and included changes to the text of the Our Father and the Gloria.

Instead of ending, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” the new version is the Italian equivalent of “Do not abandon us to temptation but deliver us from evil.” The bishops had approved the same translation in 2002 when they approved a new translation of the Bible for use in the liturgy.

With the Gloria, instead of beginning with “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will,” the new version is the Italian equivalent of “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people, beloved by the Lord.” The text of the new edition of the missal must still be approved by the Vatican.

The bishops also approved two proposals made by their safeguarding commission concerning the protection of minors and vulnerable adults.

One proposal is to create at the bishops’ conference a “national service” office dedicated to safeguarding. The office would have its own statutes, norms and permanent secretariat staffed by lay, ordained and religious experts available to help bishops nationwide.

The service would support the task of launching diocesan, inter-diocesan or regional projects for formation and prevention as well as offer advice and support with canonical and civil cases and proceedings.
The second proposal would be to choose one or more representatives from every diocese to take part in a regional or inter-regional course on safeguarding with the help of the Pontifical Gregorian University’s Center for Child Protection.

The bishops’ safeguarding commission was still in the process of finalizing new child protection guidelines, which will ask for greater transparency and “careful communication in responding to legitimate questions for information.”

When the revised guidelines are completed, the commission will send them for review to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which, in a 2011 letter, encouraged the world’s bishops to draft clear and coordinated procedures for protecting children, assisting victims of abuse, dealing with accused priests, training clergy and cooperating with civil authorities.