how does the saying go? it's easier to ask for forgiveness than to get permission . . .

Realistically, we all know it would be "wrong". But objectively, it's the right thing to do. If my next job is a Catholic church, I'll be GREATLY tempted to introduce one of the new English chant sancti from the CMAA. If we can sing "God of power, God of might", surely we can sing "God of hosts"!

The only REAL problem I have with it is that IF the bishop or ICEL gets word of it, the whole CMAA project (or whomever is authoring the setting) would have its reputation tarnished by being associated with the disobedient. Remember, to the "mainstream" Church, disobedience is OK... unless you're being obedient to Tradition! So I think it's a bit iffy... but whomever would do such a thing is instantly my hero.

Right, when the bishops ask for new settings, AT the deadline the publishers will say "but we didn't know! And we already have 2 more years on the presses!" and they'll push back the translations two or three more years. What Noel describes MAY likely be the only way we will have what Rome wants.

Precedent. I love it!

Well, with Benedict 16 there, he had every right to put his hand up and stop the singing of the Mass in the new translation, like the old days when the Pope signelled when to begin the Kyrie...and when to end it and so on.

You are all wandering in dangerous territory. Don't lend your skill to questionable translations. Stick to latin and be remembered for standing firm once the waves of confusion have passed by.

I get the strong feeling that 95% of why we aren't using that is because the protestants already were. So I blame the conservatives - "if the prots are using good language and music, we'll have none of that! Call the worst composer you can find, and hire some English dropouts to translate the Mass!"

I've never been to an Anglican Missal service, the closest I've come is a 1928 service with the Gloria switched to the beginning; I found it quite tiresome, since the placement of the Gloria in the BCP allows one to stand riiight before your knees give out from kneeling so much. There is no such luxury if you don't do the Gloria after communion. That was a very painful day.

Yes, American anti-Anglicanism! My Father had a double-cousin named Walter Edwin. My parents wanted to name my youngest brother after him. They check out family Bible - "Catholic", of course. They felt like they had to name him Walter Edward - because they did find a St. Edward in the child-naming section of the Bible. Never mind that there is a St. Walter - Abbott of a French Monastery, but born in England; or St. Edwin - the first Christian king of Northumbria. Those were considered "Anglican" Saints - NOT Catholic, and were expunged from all "good" Catholic Bibles!

Of course, we're all taught that America is a "melting pot", i.e. we're all from somewhere else - and none of those 'somewhere elses' matter any longer. The further implication is that we're NOT from English tradition. Nor are most people aware that about 50% of all US Presidents are from Episcopalian upbringing! And, although we have had a Catholic President, and a number candidates, there has never been anyone come even close to the White House of Lutheran background!

Sorry for the political tangent. But it really is a melting-pot, least-common-denominator value system that we Americans have so successfully built up!

As a convert from Anglicanism, I can testify to the reality behind Jeffrey's last 'intervention'. I've lost track of the times that I've been told in venomous tones that I promote the music I do because 'you're an Episcopal'. This phenomenon is far from absent in Great Britain. On both sides of the Atlantic one of the underlying issues is the strong English/Irish animosity, which lives on in stereotypes of penal-laws Catholicism and established-church Anglicanism. This malign spirit keeps many Anglicans from converting.