Pontiff tells German bishops that pro multis must be translated literally

The new translation of the Roman Missal into German will include a literal translation of the words pro multis during the consecration of the Precious Blood, Pope Benedict said in a letter to the bishops of Germany.

In opting for a literal translation (“for many”), the Church shows “respect for the word of Jesus” (Mk. 14:14; cf. Mt. 26:28), the Pontiff said in his letter, dated April 14 and released by the the German Episcopal Conference on April 24. On the other hand, rendering pro multis as “for all” is “not a pure translation, but an interpretation, which was and remains very reasonable.”

In 2006, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments announced Pope Benedict had decided that the phrase pro multis would henceforth be rendered literally in new translations of the Roman Missal.

Pope Benedict explained to the president of the German bishops’ conference that some bishops in the German-speaking world objected to his decision, leading to the possibility of a divisive difference in translation:

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, president of the Austrian bishops’ conference, welcomed the letter. Stating that he was “very impressed” by its “argumentative clarity and depth,” the prelate said that the new translation of the Roman Missal marks a return to a “greater proximity to the traditional words of Jesus Christ in the Bible.”

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