New translation of Missal is a welcome break from the liturgists' monopoly, says Father Rutler
August 30, 2010
Writing for First Things on the new English translation of the Roman Missal, Father George Rutler observes that professional liturgists have held the Church hostage for too long:
Publicly owned corporations are more accountable to their shareholders than tenured bureaucracies, which may explain why it took the Ford Motor Company only two years to cancel its Edsel, and not much longer for Coca Cola to restore its “classic” brand, while the Catholic Church has taken more than a generation of unstopped attrition to try to correct the mistakes of overheated liturgists.While it is admittedly imperfect, Father Rutler finds the new translation preferable to existing prayers “whose poesie sounds like Teilhard on steroids.”
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Posted by: -
Sep. 01, 2010 12:38 AM ET USA
Um, just for fun, I reviewed the USCCB web site and downloaded a copy of what we'll be using late next year. I must say, unless they manage to send the readings caddywampus somehow, I think many will have trouble seeing a big difference. Yes, "consubstantial" and "with your spirit" are in there. Outside a few like that though, it's essentially the same as what you've heard if you've paid attention at Mass. I think we can handle it.
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Posted by: -
Aug. 31, 2010 11:58 PM ET USA
ebierer1724: Sounds to me like you're displeased that we'll have to learn some new things for Mass. Well, name a change that ever happened that didn't require a learning curve? You speak alienating normal people. Well, most of us graduated high school and learned some algebra and read some Shakespeare along the way. I think we can handle it.
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Posted by: Bernadette -
Aug. 31, 2010 3:58 PM ET USA
Three cheers for Fr. Rutler! I don't know about you, ebierer1724, but I prefer to be "lifted up" and not "talked down to." Instead of being upset about the use of unfamiliar terms, people, et al, why not look them up and learn something new? Broaden one's horizons. I'm tired of being referred to as "Joe Six-Pack in the Pew." Hear that, Bishop Trautman?
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Posted by: AgnesDay -
Aug. 31, 2010 10:12 AM ET USA
ebierer1724, if you know Father Rutler, you would be aware that he is a very learned man, and he is unashamed to speak as one. The mistake of the ICEL of old is the supposition that "normal" people are idiots who need their theology dumbed-down into two-syllable heresies. I long to hear the word "consubstantial" again, and for people in my parish to learn what it means.
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Posted by: ebierer1724 -
Aug. 30, 2010 10:09 PM ET USA
“whose poesie sounds like Teilhard on steroids.” - Good grief! Comments like that scream of an intellectual elitism which can isolate normal people who long for a simple, heart-felt connection to liturgy that doesn't require a theology degree...
