|
Published: November 23, 2009
"I feel as if we're doing guerilla warfare here"
Bishop Trautman’s last stand: Pennsylvania prelate fails to persuade fellow bishops to block Vatican-approved liturgical changes
Baltimore, Md. (CNA) -- On Nov. 17, a motion from Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie, PA, to reject the new liturgical translations failed to garner sufficient votes from the U.S. bishops. The prelates went on to approve the new liturgical texts, which will be implemented in the U.S. beginning in 2010.
 Bishop Trautman, who had headed the bishops' liturgy committee in the past and is a strong supporter of gender-neutral translations, tried to stop the vote on the new liturgical texts by arguing that handing the translation of antiphons for the Psalms to the Congregation for Divine Worship at the Vatican was in violation of Church laws.
In front of his colleagues gathered in Baltimore for the Fall USCCB general assembly, the Bishop of Erie argued that "no matter how well intended," a Vatican dicastery "cannot trump the magisterial authority of the constitution of an ecumenical council."
Bishop Trautman was referring to the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, which establishes that, in general, translations must be approved by the bishops of the territories where they will be used.
He then suggested that Cardinal George was breaking Church laws by giving authorization to the Vatican to handle the antiphons, with only a small portion of the liturgical translations being reviewed. He then proposed that the bishops insist on being given a final draft from the international translation committee in order that they be able to review it, suggest improvements, and vote on it.
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the USCCB, explained that permission was given to Vatican officials after other English-speaking nations had complained that the U.S. bishops were taking too long to approve the translation.
As Bishop Trautman continued to insist, Cardinal George responded, "I feel as if we're doing guerilla warfare here."
"Maybe the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops could sue the Congregation [for Divine Worship] in the Apostolic Signatura," said Cardinal George, drawing laughter from the audience.
It is highly unlikely for an episcopate to sue a dicastery over such an issue, though it is technically possible.
Bishop Trautman's proposal was submitted to vote, with the majority of bishops supporting Cardinal George's decision to accept the Vatican translation, 194-20.
The final five groups of prayers passed each with support from at least 88 percent of the bishops.
Bishop Arthur Serratelli, chairman of the bishops' Committee on Divine Worship, thanked the bishops after approving the last group of texts, calling it "a historic moment."
"I know the text isn't perfect, but perfection will come when the liturgy on earth gives way to that of heaven, as all the saints praise God with one voice,” Serratelli said.
The new liturgical translations approved by the bishops will include minor changes, mostly aimed at making the English liturgy more faithful to the original in Latin.
Some of the changes are minor. For example, after the changes are implemented, the faithful will respond to the priestly invocation of "The Lord be with you" by saying, "And with your spirit," which is a more faithful translation of the original Latin Et cum spiritu tuo, than the phrase currently in use, "And also with you."
Other changes are more significant and theologically sound, such as those made to the Gloria and Apostles' Creed. Most of the changes apply to the parts of the Mass that are recited by the priest.
The translation will be sent to the Vatican for approval, which is expected sometime in 2010.
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 12:07 AM By Central Valley
Having watched the Trautman show live via internet, it was clear that he feels superior to Rome. As readers of this blog know this is a major problem in the United States today. This was Trautmans last stand and he lost badly almost embarassingly so. Pray for more orthodox appointments of bishops in the Benedictine mold. Trautman et al are due to retire, soon. Keep the faith.
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 1:39 AM By Charles O'Connell
Each of these so-called "minor" changes are in fact substantial. Becoming faithful to the true language in the response to "Dominus vobiscum" (The Lord be with you) - "Et cum spiritu tuo" (And with your spirit) brings us into accord with ancient Catholic practice centuries old, and gives lie to the claim - made on the part of those who never cracked a Council document - that "the Vatican Council did away with all that".
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 5:19 AM By St. Christopher
It is not up to the bishops to accept, or not, the Vatican translation. Much too much is made of "collegiality" which has probably done more than any other Vatican II "innovation" to give scandal to the Church and to impede salvation. Now, Catholics have a bunch of self-important local lords, trying to reinterpret the world, and the Word, to all Catholic "serfs." This must soon end. Certainly these same local lords, lead by local lord Trautman, will do everything that they can to derail the Vatican's approval. Unfortunately, a good number of such liberals are in the Curia and could bend an ear toward the local lords, perhaps putting back their awful political translations of "pro multis" and the like. This is not over, but it would be if the Church dropped the charade of a dual mass system, and returned to the Traditional Latin Mass.
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 6:42 AM By David
The hoopla over the translations has been going on now for years. This translation will last for awhile, and then there will be another one. I suppose the Missal publishers gain something here. What's wrong with keeping the Latin responses for the Novus Ordo Mass? When I converted in the early 1970s, that was the practice at many parishes. Then slowly the Latin all but disappeared. Now we've come full circle, and there are many parishes where the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei, and sometimes the Gloria are recited in Latin. The Gloria, Credo, and Pater Noter could be added slowly, and within a few years that would be the last of the translation game. I know this just makes too much sense in our culture today that wants to disregard any whiff of traditional liturgy.
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 7:40 AM By The Truth Hurts
There is an excellent Catholic Blog that is definitely "worth driving to" titled St. John's Valdosta Blog that explains the "real" Translations of Bishop Trautman's last stand.
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 8:05 AM By Tim
I think the Bishops just got sick and tired of going back and forth and just wanted it through no matter what the language is. Thanks should go to Bishop Trautman for pointing some of these bad grammarical items out. The wording of some of the prayers surely doesn't make any sense and could have been cleaned up but in the spirit of how we do things in the US lets just get it over with and move to the next thing. And I think you ought to think that one through when you say pray for more orthodox appointments of bishops in the Benedictine mold. Just look at what Milwaukee had - would you like to have something like that again? The new appointments of this Holy Father seem to be just fine.
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 8:10 AM By VirgoPotens
Bishop Trautman, how do you think the faithful felt when the Mass of the Ages was suddenly yanked away from them - in many places, virtually overnight - and replaced with a more Protestant-friendly, man-centered Mass? Don't you think that was a bit more jarring for them than the changes you're currently protesting? Just a little perspective. Oh, and in case I don't talk to you before June 24, 2011, happy 75th birthday and a blessed retirement!
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 8:20 AM By Annie
Whoo Hoo! The bishops loyal to the magisterium and our dear Holy Father are taking the lead. It's about time. With the way our nation and world is going, THEY will be the ones to be martyred in the future. God help all those who helped to promote the "spirit" of Vatican II instead of following ALL the directives of the documents. Pray for all the dissident clergy, and lay people who follow them.
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 9:58 AM By Tim
You people are cruel! Get a life and stop throwing the daggers! You are suppose to be Christian! Bishop Trautman had nothing to do with the changes of the Council. He only implemented them as he was told long after the Council was over. He has been a good bishop and I too wish him a happy retirement when that day comes. We will live by the new Sacramentary no matter what the comments were.
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 10:37 AM By JLS
Well, Tim, thanks for reminding us all that what you call "the spirit of how we do things" is just another boring go along to get along religion masquerading as peace.
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 2:50 PM By Credo
Funny how rules suddenly matter to Liberals when rules are convenient to keep something good from happening. How about denying communion to the heretic-politicians? How about affirming the faith? How narrow and "legalistic" of me... I know.
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 4:40 PM By Tony de New York
It took me years to get use to the mass in english, the reason the bad translation, the mass in spanish is more faithfull to latin than the english.
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 5:13 PM By EAR
"Bishop Trautman,.....is a strong supporter of gender-neutral translations....."? I don't remember Almighty God in His Holy Word sounding "gender-neutral"--. This is simply more political correctness. God is not politically correct.
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 5:38 PM By Dan
As an educator, I would welcome word changes in the Mass that raise the intellectual level of the language above the mundane and present banalities. What we have here is a "teachable moment," and I can't understand what objection Bishop Trautman has with that. By the way, did he sign the Manhatten Declaration?
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 8:56 PM By cjo
Here we go again!!! If the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy hadn't been hi jacked we would n't have this problem...Better yet let's return to the mass that was offered for over 1600 years. Of course they weren't as smart as we are now !!!
|
Posted Monday, November 23, 2009 10:34 PM By Amy S
The Church is not a democracy. It was instituted by Christ and the pope was meant to be Christ's Vicar on earth! Christ doesn't need us or His apostles to vote on anything. There is a chain of command and He has authority over his apostles (i.e. bishops). Any member of the Church has the right and duty to point it out to him if he errs but the approval of bishops is not needed.
|
Posted Tuesday, November 24, 2009 6:16 AM By Bob
And do you remember the deck hands rearranging the chairs on the Titantic as it was sinking? This rewrite is much ado about nothing, except to make the Mass more distant from the people who attend. They spent millions traveling around the world to meetings on the changes, and took years to do it. Now we will have a Mass that is not even in the language of the people's every-day vocabulary. Should we not be worried about feeding the hundry and clothing those with no coats this winter. This whole thing has the chance of making the church even more irrelevant to more people, don't you think?
|
Posted Tuesday, November 24, 2009 6:53 AM By Jon
Bishop Trautperson is Exhibit A in why the USCCB should be disbanded.
|
Posted Tuesday, November 24, 2009 8:57 AM By Kimiko Yamadori
Thank God that the new translations of the Holy Mass will at least sound more Catholic....and not almost the same as Episcopalian in the USA. As it is now.
I had the unconfortable experience of having to attend a friends wedding in an Episcopal Church, and was appaled that the prayers were a good 85% the same as the Catholic Novus Ordo as practiced in the USA. Terrible.
I am a young, traditional Catholic. I don't want to be a Protestant, and am very thankful that the new Mass translations will make us sound (at least) less like Protestants and more like Roman Catholics. Now if only something could be done to get rid of all the Protestant music that is usually used every Sunday in Catholic parishes at Mass...that would be a big help!!
|
Posted Tuesday, November 24, 2009 10:19 AM By Diane
It's good to know that most US bishops chose to be faithful to the Vicar of Christ on this matter; of course, that is the only way for the liturgical translation to be approved, thus to be legal. I can't wait for this arrogant generation of clergy who are disobedient to the Pope to retire, so that the we, the faithful and obedient religious, can have unlimited access to the graces God provides for us in the sacraments properly celebrated, especically for proper reverence and adoration to the Eucharist. We have had enough of those who "shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for [they] neither enter [them]selves, nor allow those who would enter to go in." Mt 23:13
|
Posted Tuesday, November 24, 2009 1:59 PM By JLS
Amy S, the Apostles voted by drawing straws. Jesus teaches us that if we be silenced then "the very stones on the ground will cry out to His glory". Which St Paul pointed out in Romans, in that the pagan world was in effect silenced until it heard the Gospel, nevertheless the "very stones" in the form of the stars in the sky proved that God exists in glory. God has never taught His creation to shut up. The military has a "chain of command", but the church is different, and accomodates various social orders. God says in Scripture that He prefers (wills) each one to engage Him directly: In practice this has not worked so well so far in history. Hence He gave us a line of kings beginning with Saul, then David, eventually Jesus. We unite with Jesus and thus unite in His kingship. But we have a pope to feed us. St Paul rattles off an order of hierarchy from apostles, prophets, teachers etc. Miltary commands are different. But you bring up a great question: Maybe somebody can supply some reference that explains these matters more instructively and articulately -- not Maguire, please, as this is actually an important thing to understand and not be confused about.
|
Posted Tuesday, November 24, 2009 2:53 PM By Dr. Mugridge
Alleluia and Phew! What a relief. Let's get on with it... and enjoy the blessings of this update.
|
Posted Tuesday, November 24, 2009 5:20 PM By Jim
The transparent bias of your publication, the snide malice of reader comments, and the malicious disrespect shown to any bishop who falls outside your pharisaical tunnel vision is a sad, sad commentary on the malevolent hubris which infects so many restorationists. Miserere eis, Domine! Nesciunt quod contra Te pugnant.
|
Posted Tuesday, November 24, 2009 7:02 PM By Mark from PA
Dominus vobiscum. Et cum spiritu tuo. They can say it in Latin at Mass and that will be fine with me. Pacem in terris.
|
Posted Tuesday, November 24, 2009 10:34 PM By Anne T.
I am thankful we will finally get rid of some of the kindergarten language also. It is time we grew up. The Traditional Mass uses adult language for adult people, so should the post-vatican II Mass.
|
Posted Tuesday, November 24, 2009 10:39 PM By Anne T.
It would have been better that I wrote "elementary school English" instead of "kindergarten".
|
Posted Wednesday, November 25, 2009 9:32 AM By JLS
Jim, You can quote all the Latin you know, and still be informed that the devil knows all the languages ... except the tongues of good angels. The devil actually does not know the goodness to be found in any language. Evidently you do not see the goodness of outing a bad bishop.
|
Posted Wednesday, November 25, 2009 10:29 AM By Anne T.
I must have been tired when I last posted since MY English was not good either. A correction to last post: "It would have been better if I had written "elementary school English" instead of "kindergarten" English.
|
Posted Wednesday, November 25, 2009 10:50 AM By JLS
Jim, what you might regard as "transparent bias" is based on your delusional belief that there is a neutrality, an unbiased condition, but this Englightenment idea is false in two ways. One, God is the judge, and not some idea of neutrality: God established a "judgment seat", which used to be managed by the high priest until the advent of Jesus, and now is Jesus, visible in the pope. Two, there is no attempt to be "transparent" here; the attempt is to convey the truth which anti-Church forces persistantly try to block from view. For example, the EU is attempting to prevent the symbol of truth, namely the Crucifix, from being displayed in schools. Jim, how many ways can you name that seek to prevent the truth from being proclaimed by the Church?
|
Posted Wednesday, November 25, 2009 11:04 AM By Diane
Dear Jim,
Catholics, including bishops, know that they are supposed to be faithful to the Magisterium and obedient to the Pope. So as Catholics, we should not support bishops who do not respect the Pope, thus leading us astray. Pax vobis.
|
Posted Friday, November 27, 2009 10:40 AM By Mitch
The Second Vatican Council also demanded in the Constitution on Sacred Liturgy that Latin be retained and the responses that pertain to the people be taught to them, as in the Ordinary. How is Bishop Trautman implementing that? Maybe he can be countersued. With the docs now available on Internet lay people can now see how they have been lied to. Latin was and is to be retained as well as Gregorian Chant. Vernacular is "permitted" for parts of Mass constantly in flux to help foster our understanding. We should learn the Ordinary in Latin, even wothout our Bishops and Priests help. SC demands it.
|
© California Catholic Daily 2009. All Rights Reserved.
|