The New Translation of the Missal from Latin
The new translation of the Missal is due out in 2011. There will be numerous changes and information about them is starting to come out. This page is designed to let you know in advance of some of the changes that are on the way... In early 2011 the English translation we currently use in the Roman Missal will be replaced by a new, more accurate, translation of the Latin. The translation we use at present in the Mass was issued in the 1970s in something of a rush after Vatican II and has long been acknowledged as being in need of improvement. This page is designed to let you know in advance of some of the changes that are on the way. The articles are also being issued as inserts in the weekly newsletter although not every week!
To get to a particular article, click on the title below
The Confiteor
The Gloria
The Creed
et cum spiritu tuo
Why we need a new translation
Some Lenten Collects
| The Latin | Old Translation | New Translation |
| Confiteor Deo omnipotenti et vobis, fratres, quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, opere, et omissióne: [All strike their breast] mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Vírginem, omnes Angelos et Sanctos, et vos, fratres, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum. |
I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, [All strike their breast] in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done,and in what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord, our God. |
I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done
and in what I have failed to do, [All strike their breast] through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God. |
The practice of confessing our guilt at the start of the liturgy is something that is very alien to the modern mentality, and yet, it is a practice that is very deeply rooted in our Christian thought and practice.
(1) Modernity’s loss of the “sense of sin”
It is often remarked that many people today have little “sense of sin” and this is because they often have little explicit faith in God. As Pope Benedict recently noted, when there is no longer a clear faith in God then "the sense of offense against God - the true sense of sin – dissipates”. This is a trend that was noted by popes throughout the 20th century and still today. By starting the Mass with this prayer we are seeking to re-connect with the Christian awareness that sin is not just a failing and not just a sin against our neighbour but is fundamentally an offence against God.
(2) Confessing our guilt frees us from guilt
One of the tragic consequences of modernity’s loss of the sense of sin is that although “the 'sense of sin' has been lost ... 'guilt complexes' have increased”, as Pope Benedict has noted. Facing our guilt and seeking forgiveness frees us from guilt, a freedom that is both spiritual and psychological.
(3) Striking the chest
One of the ancient practices that is a part of this prayer is the striking of the chest. While this gesture is to be done by both the people and the priest in many places this seems to have dropped out of fashion: the new translation provides us with a reminder that this is something that everyone should be doing.
(4) The new translation: “greatly” sinned “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault”
| The Latin | Old Translation | New Translation |
| Glória in excélsis Deo et in terra pax homínibus bonae voluntátis. Laudámus te, benedícimus te, adorámus te, glorificámus te, grátias ágimus tibi propter magnam glóriam tuam, Dómine Deus, Rex cæléstis, Deus Pater omnípotens. Dómine Fili Unigénite, Iesu Christe, Dómine Deus, Agnus Dei, Fílius Patris, qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserére nobis; qui tollis peccáta mundi, súscipe deprecatiónem nostram. Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris, miserére nobis. Quóniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dóminus, tu solus Altíssimus, Iesu Christe, cum Sancto Spíritu: in glória Dei Patris. Amen |
Glory to God in the highest,
you are seated at the right hand of the Father: |
Glory to God in the highest, Lord God, Lamb of God, |
The Gloria has its origin in the hymn of praise sung by the angels at Jesus’ birth when they appeared to the shepherds in the field at night. The angels sang, “Glory to God on the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will” (Lk 2:14).
The angels’ hymn was elaborated by early Christians and its present Latin form, as above, is first recorded in the 4th Century though most of it can be traced to the 3rd, 2nd, or even 1st Century (for details, click here). As such, this is one of the oldest prayers of the Mass and by saying it we are uniting ourselves with almost the entire history of Christianity. It is therefore hardly surprising that the new translation should seek to have us return to the rhythm and structure of this ancient prayer.
The words in bold print indicate the parts of the text that are changed in the new translation. As can be seen above, while the changes are slight they are nonetheless continual through almost the entire text. The overall change, however, is in the structure and rhythm of the text which will enable us to re-connect with the format that has been used by the Church for almost our entire history.
| The Latin | Old Translation | New Translation |
| Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotèntem, factòrem caeli et terrae, visibìlium òmnium et invisibìlium. |
We believe in one God, |
I believe in one God, |
- “I” believe rather than “we” believe. The new translation’s use of “I” emphasises that the recitation of the creed is a personal act of faith affirming that we individually assent to what we receive in faith. Nonetheless, because the creed is something that we say together as a group the “we” aspect of our faith is still something that should be evident to us. Like many other parts of the new translation of the Mass this particular word change is simply a more accurate translation of the Latin: the Latin “Credo” says “I believe” and so does our new translation.
- “invisible” not merely “unseen”. The use of the word “invisible” helps clarify what it is that we are referring to: we are referring to the entire spiritual order, i.e. of angels and of the human soul. Angels and souls are things that are not only “unseen” but are not capable of being seen because they belong to an order that is different from the order our physical eyes can behold.
| The Latin | Old Translation | New Translation |
| Et in unum Dòminum Jesum Christum, Fìlium Dei unigènitum, et ex Patre natum ante òmnia sàecula Deum de Deo, lumen de lùmine, Deum verum de Deo vero, gènitum, non factum, consubstantiàlem Patri: per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos hòmines et propter nostram salùtem descèndit de caelis. |
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, God from God, Light from Light, |
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, |
- Latin experts will note that at this stage in the Creed the translators have not been slavishly accurate: they have added several “I believe” clauses in the course of the creed even though the Latin only says “credo” once, at the beginning. It would seem that this has been done to help the verbal flow of words in English. (This change was a 2010 revision of the 2008 text.)
- Why does the Creed focus so much on Christ? In part, because of the centrality of Christ to our faith. But also, because the “Nicene” Creed we recite in the Mass was developed as a response to certain heresies that denied various truths about Christ. Thus, the Creed emphatically asserts Jesus’s Godhead, “true God from true God”, while being equally emphatic about his becoming man and truly suffering and dying.
- “Consubstantial” is not a word we use in normal conversation. The different parts of the Mass use terminology and styles (e.g. poetry, praise, repetition) that are appropriate for those different parts of the Mass. The Creed is a precise and formal articulation of our faith and so uses the words of theology, including the word “consubstantial”. While “consubstantial” may sound technical and obscure the philosophy and significance of the word “being” used in the old translation was equally in need of clarification if it was to be correctly understood. One advantage of the word “consubstantial” is that it reminds us that there is something about the inner life of God that is beyond our normal terminology. Literally translated “consubstantial” means that the Son is of the same substance as the Father: He is not of a different substance; He is not of a lesser substance; He has always existed; as St Athanasius summed it up, “there was never a time when he was not”.
| The Latin | Old Translation | New Translation |
| (All bow during these three lines) Et incarnàtus est de Spìritu Sancto ex Marìa Vìrgine, et homo factus est. |
(All bow during these three lines) |
(All bow during these three lines) |
- “Incarnate” not only “born”. The word “incarnate” helps remind us that Jesus took flesh even before his birth, i.e. when he was in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is an important point to remember today because our culture under-values life in the womb.
- Bowing at the lines “and was made man”. What is the most unique and distinctive part of our Christian faith? What is the part of the creed we should most emphasise? The timing of the gesture of bowing during the creed reminds us that it is not the crucifixion but the incarnation that is the centre of our faith: God became flesh. It is only because the Eternal Son took human flesh that he was able to die for us, rise for us, and remain with us in his sacraments. The centrality of this aspect of our faith is emphasised by the fact that this is the only point in the creed when we bow. In many places this gesture has dropped out of fashion, along with some other gestures. The new translation provides us with a reminder that this is something that we should all be doing.
| The Latin | Old Translation | New Translation |
| Crucifìxus etiam pro nobis sub Pòntio Pilàto; passus et sepùltus est, et resurrèxit tèrtia die, secundum Scriptùras, et ascèndit in caelum, sedet ad dèxteram Patris. Et ìterum ventùras est cum glòria, iudicàre vivos et mòrtuos, cuius regni non erit finis. Et in Spìritum Sanctum, Dòminum et vivificàntem: qui ex Patre Filiòque procèdit. Qui cum Patre et Fìlio simul adoràtur et conglorifcàtur: qui locùtus est per prophètas. Et unam, sanctam, cathòlicam, et apostòlicum Ecclèsiam. |
For our sake and apostolic Church. |
For our sake and apostolic Church. |
- I believe “in” the Church. In what sense can we say we believe “in” the Church? We believe “in” the Church in the sense that what affirm about her are things that we hold as revealed by God, that we hold as “an article of faith”, rather than as things we have deduced by our own thinking. It is because the Lord established the Church that we believe her to be more than just a human society founded by human beings. This said, we do not believe “in” the Church in the same sense in which we believe and trust “in” God her founder and the source of the blessings he promises her (c.f. Catechism n.750).
| The Latin | Old Translation | New Translation |
| Confiteor unum baptìsma in remissiònem peccatòrum. Et exspècto resurrectiònem mortuòrum, et vitam ventùri sàeculi. Amen. |
We acknowledge one baptism |
I confess one baptism |
- “I confess”. To ‘confess’ something is another way of referring to how someone proclaims something, i.e. it does not just refer to confessing our sins. Thus we refer to “St Edward the Confessor” –not because he continually confessed his sins but because the holiness of his life proclaimed his faith, i.e. ‘confessed’ his faith.
| The Latin | Old Translation | New Translation |
| et cum spiritu tuo | And also with you | And with your spirit |
Possibly the most startling of the changes in the new translation will be at the very beginning of the Mass: when the priest says, “The Lord be with you”. The new translation of the response is: “And with your spirit”. For many of us (priests included) the new translation may point out to us that the meaning of this response is much deeper than we thought: it is not just a friendly greeting. We say these words a number of times in the Mass and so it’s important that we understand what it’s supposed to mean. A few observations:
(1) “And with your spirit” is more accurate.
English is the only major language of the Roman Rite which did not translate the Latin word spiritu as 'spirit'. The Italian (spirito), French (esprit), Spanish (espíritu) and German (Geiste) renderings of 1970 all translated the Latin spiritu precisely. Click here for details.
(2) Our reply to the priest’s “the Lord be with you” is not just a “hello”
As Cardinal George of Chicago recently said about this: “Our current translation might seem more personal and friendly, but that’s the problem. The spirit referred to in the Latin is the spirit of Christ that comes to a priest when he is ordained, as St. Paul explained to St. Timothy. In other words, the people are saying in their response that Christ as head of the Church is the head of the liturgical assembly, no matter who the particular priest celebrant might be. That is a statement of faith, a statement distorted by transforming it into an exchange of personal greetings.” Click here for more.
(3) The words call down the presence of God
The priest says to the people, “The Lord be with you”, and this is a prayer that God will be with them.[1] In reply, the congregation also pray, “And with your spirit” to call down the Holy Spirit on the priest that he may perform the liturgy worthily for our benefit.
(4) The ‘spirit’ referred to is the priestly spirit, acting liturgically for us
Our response prays that the Lord will be with the ‘spirit’ of the priest. In praying this we are not merely asking that God will be with the priest in a general way, rather, we are praying that the Lord will fill the priestly spirit and attitude of the priest so that he will act as priest for us. In this sense we are praying that the Lord will be with the priest in a way different to the way he is in the congregation and that is why the response is more than just ‘and also with you’. We are not praying that the priest will be God-filled as an individual for his own sake but that the liturgical spirit that animates his liturgical activity will have the Lord fill it. This is why this response ‘and with your spirit’ is only ever used as a response to an ordained minister, i.e. a priest, bishop, or deacon, and it is used when we are referring to his acting for us in persona Christi capitis [2], i.e. in the person of Christ the head of the Church. "The people are addressing the 'spirit' of the priest; that is, that deepest interior part of his being where he has been ordained precisely to lead the people in this sacred action.”
(5) “Spirit” reminds us that the liturgy is a work of God, not just what we humans do
As St John Chrysostom said in the 4th century referring to this phrase that was already used in the liturgy: “And with your spirit, reminding yourselves by this reply that He who is here does nothing of His own power, nor are the offered gifts the work of human nature, but is it the grace of the Spirit present and hovering over all things which prepared that mystic sacrifice.”[3]
[1] Jeffrey Pinyan, Praying the Mass (2009), pp.29-30.
[3] Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, What happens at Mass (Gracewing Publishing, Leominster 2005), p.25.
For another perspective, please click here.
The following is available as a word document here.
In September 2011, the prayers that we currently use in the Mass are going to be replaced by a new translation. This change is going to be the biggest change that we have experienced in the Mass in 38 years.
Why is this happening?
The prayers that we use the Mass are the same prayers said by Catholics all across the world. The official version of these prayers is written in Latin and was revised after the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. In 1973 we started using the current English translation of these prayers, however, this translation was produced in something of a hurry and it was always planned that it would be revised. The revision has taken a long time and gone through many different drafts, many of which have been rejected or approved by our bishops and by the Vatican. A new improved text is now finally ready.
Why is this important?
The prayers we say in the Mass reflect what we believe, however, by the very fact that we say these prayers they also form our belief and potentially change what we believe. As the ancient saying goes, lex orandi, lex credendi, “the rule of prayer is the rule of faith”. It is therefore important that the prayers we say are truly a worthy and accurate expression of our Catholic faith. Making sure that the new English translation is a better reflection of the original Latin will help make sure that the prayers form us into better Catholics.
What principles have the translators used?
The 1973 translation drew on principles of translation that were fashionable at the time. In particular, they avoided “formal equivalence” methodologies that aimed at a word for word rendering of the words of one language into another language. Instead, they drew on the “dynamic equivalence” methodology of Eugene Nida. This theory avoided focussing on exact word translations and instead tried to produce the same effect in the new language that a text in the original language had produced. In practice, however, it can often be difficult to faithfully produce the same effect unless you also faithfully translate the particular words. As one of the new translators has put it, “sometimes formal equivalence can be the way to achieve dynamic equivalence”.
What was wrong with the old translation?
The translators of the new text have been keen to say that it is not so much that the old translation was "wrong" but that the new translation will be better. This said, there are certain weaknesses that have been consistently noted in the old translation. One of the problems in the 1973 translation is that it often failed to convey the Scriptural imagery that was in the Latin text. In contrast, the new translation includes many words and phrases that we will recognise as being from the Bible, and this should help us appreciate the significance of the prayers better. Another problem with the 1973 text is that many specific Latin words were given no English equivalent in the translation, with the consequence that the 1973 translation often had a very reduced meaning. In particular, priests have often noted that the Opening Prayers of the Mass can often feel rather vague and as if they lack content. In addition, the general style of the English used in the 1973 translation lacked the “sacred” feel that was present in the style of the Latin phraseology of the original text. This is one way in which the "dynamic equivalence" methodology of the 1973 translation actually defeated itself and failed to produce the same “effect” that was present in the original Latin prayer. Many of the original Latin prayers were composed at a time when Latin was a living language, but they were nonetheless written in a specific sacred style. The new English translation aims to have something of this sacred feel to it, while avoiding words like “thee” and “thou” that might simply feel old-fashioned.
What about some examples?
Different examples can be given to indicate different strengths in the new translation.
One of the strengths, as noted, is the renewed Scriptural imagery in the new translation. For example, before the congregation get ready to receive Holy Communion the priest raises the host and in the old 1973 translation we have been saying, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you”. Instead, the new translation says, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof”, clearly quoting the words of the Centurion to our Lord (Mt 8:8). Similarly, we might note how the 1973 translation of the “Holy Holy Holy” continues, “Lord God of power and might”. The new 2010 translation of this line is more faithful to the Latin and by doing this takes us back to another phrase we should hopefully recognise from the Bible: the new text says “Lord God of hosts”, a common Scriptural title for God as the Lord of armies (e.g. Isa 6:3; Rev 4:9).
There are also many cases of words that were lost in the 1973 translation but are now restored in the 2010 translation. The “I confess” or Confiteor in the introductory rite gives two examples of this: Whereas the 1973 translation had the phrase, "I have sinned”, the new 2010 translation says, “I have greatly sinned”. In addition, whereas the 1973 text said, "through my own fault", the new 2010 text restores the threefold repetition that is in the Latin text, “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault”.
Finally, an example of the changes in the Opening Prayers can be seen in one of the recent weekday Masses, Thursday of the 2nd week of Lent. The Latin of the first line of this prayer reads, “Deus, innocentiae restitutor et amator”. The out-going 1973 translation rendered this as “God of love”, a ‘translation’ that bears no resemblance to the original Latin! In contrast, the new 2010 translation translates the text as “O God, who delight in innocence and restore it”.
While each of these are small changes they will add up to a give a new “effect” that will be closer to the Latin, better express our Catholic faith, and better help raise our hearts and minds to the Lord.
Previous items have focussed on parts of the Mass that we all say in common. This item gives examples of some others prayers that will change: the Opening Prayers and Post-Communion Prayers said by the priest. In each example it can be seen that the old 1973 translation was shorter and over-simplified. The new translation aims to include nuances and meanings that are in the Latin text but that were lost in the 1973 translation.
The following gives the 4 examples of new English translation.
| The Latin | Old Translation (1973) | New Translation (2010) | |
Ash Wednesday |
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| Concede nobis, Domine, praesidia militiae christianae sanctis inchoare ieiuniis, ut, contra spiritales nequitias pugnaturi, continentiae muniamur auxiliis. |
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Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint. |
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1st Sunday of Lent |
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| Concede nobis, omnipotens Deus, ut, per annua quadragesimalis exercitia sacramenti, et ad intellegendum Christi proficiamus arcanum, et effectus eius digna conversatione sectemur. |
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Grant, almighty God, through the yearly observances of holy Lent, that we may grow in understanding of the riches hidden in Christ and by worthy conduct pursue their effects. |
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Thursday of 1st Week of Lent |
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| Largire nobis, quaesumus, Domine, semper spiritum cogitandi quae recta sunt, promptius et agendi, ut, qui sine te esse non possumus, secundum te vivere valeamus. |
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Bestow on us, we pray, O Lord, a spirit of always pondering on what is right and of hastening to carry it out, and, since without you we cannot exist, may we be enabled to live according to your will. |
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Friday of 1st Week of Lent |
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| Da, quaesumus, Domine, fidelibus tuis observationi paschali convenienter aptari, ut suscepta sollemniter castigatio corporalis cunctis ad fructum proficiat animarum. |
Lord, may our observance of Lent help to renew us and prepare us to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. |
Grant that your faithful, O Lord, we pray, may be so conformed to the paschal observances, that the bodily discipline now solemnly begun may bear fruit in the souls of all. |
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2nd Sunday of Lent |
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| Deus, qui nobis dilectum Filium tuum audire praecepisti, verbo tuo interius nos pascere digneris, ut, spiritali purificato intuitu, gloriae tuae laetemur aspectu. |
God our Father, help us to hear your Son. Enlighten us with your word, that we may find the way to your glory. |
O God, who have commanded us to listen to your beloved Son, be pleased, we pray, to nourish us inwardly by your word, that, with spiritual sight made pure, we may rejoice to behold your glory. |
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Monday of 2nd Week of Lent |
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| Deus, qui ob animarum medelam castigare corpora praecepisti, concede, ut ab omnibus possimus abstinere peccatis, et corda nostra pietatis tuae valeant exercere mandata. |
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O God, who have taught us to chasten our bodies for the healing of our souls, enable us, we pray, to abstain from all sins, and strengthen our hearts to carry out your loving commands. |
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Tuesday of 2nd Week of Lent |
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| Custodi, Domine, quaesumus, Ecclesiam tuam propitiatione perpetua, et quia sine te labitur humana mortalitas, tuis semper auxiliis et abstrahatur a noxis, et ad salutaria dirigatur. |
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Guard your Church, we pray, O Lord, in your unceasing mercy, and, since without you mortal humanity is sure to fall, may we be kept by your constant helps from all harm and directed to all that brings salvation. |
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Thursday of 2nd Week of Lent |
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| Deus, innocentiae restitutor et amator, dirige ad te tuorum corda servorum, ut, Spiritus tui fervore concepto, et in fide inveniantur stabiles, et in opere efficaces. |
God of love, bring us back to you.Send your Spirit to make us strong in faith, and active in good works. |
O God, who delight in innocence and restore it, direct the hearts of your servants to yourself, that, caught up in the fire of your Spirit, we may be found steadfast in faith and effective in works. |
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The Annunciation, 25th March |
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| Deus, qui Verbum tuum in utero Virginis Mariae veritatem carnis humanae suscipere voluisti, concede, quaesumus, ut, qui Redemptorem nostrum Deum et hominem confitemur, ipsius etiam divinae naturae mereamur esse consortes. |
God Our Father, |
O God, who willed that your Word should take on the reality of human flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, that we, who confess our Redeemer to be God and man, may merit to become partakers even in his divine nature. |
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3rd Sunday of Lent (Post-Communion Prayer) |
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| Sumentes pignus caelestis arcani, et in terra positi iam superno pane satiati, te, Domine, supplices deprecamur, ut, quod in nobis mysterio geritur, opere impleatur. |
Lord, in sharing this sacrament |
As we receive the pledge of things yet hidden in heaven and are nourished while still on earth with the Bread that comes from on high, we humbly entreat you, O Lord, that what is being brought about in us in mystery may come to true completion. |
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