It has recently come to my attention that the English (as well, I am told, the Spanish and Italian) translations of paragraph 299 in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) is a mistranslation intended to indicate that the priest facing the congregation (versus populum) is the favored position at Mass instead the priest leading the congregation in worship of God (ad orientem) . As it turns out, a correct translation indicates that "versus populum" is not necessarily preferred but only permitted.
GIRM 299 in English translation from USCCB is provided below:
The altar should be built separate from the wall, in such a way that it is possible to walk around it easily and that Mass can be celebrated at it facing the people, which is desirable wherever possible. Moreover, the altar should occupy a place where it is truly the center toward which the attention of the whole congregation of the faithful naturally turns. The altar should usually be fixed and dedicated.
GIRM 299 in the original Latin is provided below:
Altare maius exstruatur a pariete seiunctum, ut facile circumiri et in eo celebratio versus populum peragi possit, quod expedit ubicumque possibile sit. Altare eum autem occupet locum, ut revera centrum sit ad quod totius congregationis fidelium attentio sponte convertatur. De more sit fixum et dedicatum.
GIRM 299 literally translated into English is provided below:
The larger altar may be built separated from the wall, to easily walk around and in it the celebration is able to be finished toward the people, which is expedient wherever it may be possible. However, the altar may occupy this place, that it may actually be the center to which the attention of the whole congregation of the faithful may be turned voluntarily. From this custom it may be fixed and dedicated.
ANALYSIS
The relative pronoun “quod" in the phrase “quod expedit ubicumque possibile sit” is neuter singular like the noun to which it refers, “altare,” in the phrase “altare maius exstruatur” whereas the noun “celebratio” in the phrase “celebratio versus populum” is feminine singular. Therefore, the phrase “which is expedient wherever it may be possible” refers to “the larger altar may be built separated from the wall” and NOT the phrase, “the celebration is able to be finished toward the people.” Otherwise, instead of the relative pronoun "quod" (neuter singular) being used, the relative pronoun "quae" (feminine singular) would have been used. A better way to explain this is the following tutorial which the translators at the Vatican would do well to avail themselves of:
KNOW LATIN – Scite lingam Latinam
LIVE LATIN – Vivete linguam Latinam
LOVE LATIN – Amate linguam Latinam
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