- Feb 5, 2002
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Question: My wife and I have been watching Mass from various locations on the internet, including Canada, and this is where my question arises. The Canadians seem to be using a different translation of the Bible, and it is confusing when we are trying to follow along in our missal. Can you explain?
— Deacon George Mais, via email
Answer: The dioceses of Canada use the New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) for their Lectionary. In the United States we use the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE). In both cases, certain minor changes were made for the liturgical texts from both sources, but essentially these are the root texts for the lectionaries in both countries. Local bishops’ conferences are free to make use of different translations, and the Canadians chose the NRSVCE, which explains why the English text is different from what you are used to hearing here in the United States.
There was pressure for the U.S. bishops to adopt the NRSVCE by those who preferred “inclusive language,” which replaces words like “man” or references to God as “he,” “him” and so forth with gender-neutral words such as “they” or “all” and references to God by simply repeating “God” and not using the pronouns. But, in the end, they opted for the NABRE because it was less beset with inclusive language substitutions. The Canadian bishops, however, opted for the more inclusive but, I would argue, less accurate NRSVCE.
Continued below.
Why do the U.S. and Canadian Bibles have different translations? - Our Sunday Visitor
— Deacon George Mais, via email
Answer: The dioceses of Canada use the New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) for their Lectionary. In the United States we use the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE). In both cases, certain minor changes were made for the liturgical texts from both sources, but essentially these are the root texts for the lectionaries in both countries. Local bishops’ conferences are free to make use of different translations, and the Canadians chose the NRSVCE, which explains why the English text is different from what you are used to hearing here in the United States.
There was pressure for the U.S. bishops to adopt the NRSVCE by those who preferred “inclusive language,” which replaces words like “man” or references to God as “he,” “him” and so forth with gender-neutral words such as “they” or “all” and references to God by simply repeating “God” and not using the pronouns. But, in the end, they opted for the NABRE because it was less beset with inclusive language substitutions. The Canadian bishops, however, opted for the more inclusive but, I would argue, less accurate NRSVCE.
Continued below.
Why do the U.S. and Canadian Bibles have different translations? - Our Sunday Visitor
