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Episcopal Church releases new prayer book translations into Spanish and French, solicits feedback

June 16, 2021
Office of Public Affairs

The Episcopal Church announces the release of draft translations of the Book of Common Prayer in Spanish and French, with Haitian Creole to follow. Feedback is sought from native speakers of those languages by Oct. 15.

The new translations of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, directed by the church’s General Convention in 2018 through resolution A070, are online for review in Spanish and French, with accompanying survey questionnaires in each language, according to the Rev. Dr. Juan M.C. Oliver, custodian of the Book of Common Prayer.

“We are very excited about disseminating the translations and questionnaire as far and wide as possible, to include the voices of native speakers in congregations, seminaries and retreat centers worshipping regularly in these languages,” said Bishop Pierre Whalon, chair of the French editorial team. “We ask that the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies encourage all its members to disseminate information about the translations and encourage feedback.”

The translations have been developed by professional literary translators—all native speakers of those languages—and edited by teams of three native speakers of each language.

Translations and survey questionnaires can be accessed at https://www.generalconvention.org/bcp-translation.

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