`New' version of creed set for approval

By Luke Coppen
ENGLISH-SPEAKING Catholics may soon have to learn a new version of the Creed, if the Vatican approves a new translation faithful to the original Greek text.
If approval is given. Catholics in English-speaking countries will say that Jesus "was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary", rather than tie present formula "by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary".
The new translation, prepared by an ecumenical team of liturgical scholars, has been accepted by all Englishspeaking bishops' conferences and forms part of a new Sacramentary, which is currently awaiting Vatican approval.
Liturgical scholars believe that the present translation "suggests too slight a role for Mary" and lope that the new wording will "make it clear that Jesus... IS completely God and completely human and that the operation of both the Virgin and the Spirit were equally essential".
The new text will also be adopted by the Orthodox Church, the knglican Church and the Methodist Church.
Last Sunday, the General Synod of he Church of England "took note" of a report recanrnending the change, presented by the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Revd Michael Nazir-Ali.
Bishop Nazir–Ali said: "It's a question cdhaving the most reliable verson of the Creed which we allacknowledge as authoritative'