Statement from Bishop Trautman on “Summorum Pontificum”!

Diocese of Erie PA ^ | 7/9/07 | Most Reverend Donald W. Trautman, S.T.D, S.S.L.

[indult]

Statement from Bishop Trautman on Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic letter “Summorum Pontificum”

http://www.eriercd.org/pdf/Infob/tridentine.pdf

Most Reverend Donald W. Trautman, S.T.D, S.S.L., Bishop of Erie, issued the following statement on July 9, 2007 regarding Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic letter “Summorum Pontificum”:

The recent apostolic letter of Pope Benedict XVI on widening the use of the liturgical books of 1962 is prompted by his desire to reach out to those Catholics in schism because of their non-acceptance of the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

The Second Vatican Council, an ecumenical council of the Church, restored and adapted the liturgy recommending vernacular languages for the worship life of the Church. Pope Benedict, sensitive to those still clinging to the Tridentine Latin Mass (the 1962 missal) and liturgical rites prior to Vatican II, now grants a more generous application of that former liturgy.

Since the Diocese of Erie already permits the celebration of the Tridentine Mass in two locations, St. Ann Parish in Erie and St. Bernadette Parish in Saegertown, I do not foresee a pressing pastoral need on the part of our people. In the future, I will be issuing diocesan norms to help apply and order the specifics of the pope’s letter. Priests who might want to celebrate the Tridentine Mass will be given a rubrical and Latin exam to comply with the pope’s own statement, “The use of the old missal presupposes a certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the Latin language.”

Further, there will be need to ascertain that the common good of the parish prevails and to ascertain what constitutes a stable community of those requesting the 1962 missal. We must keep in proper perspective the pope’s more generous use of the liturgical rites prior to 1962. The pope himself has said: “It is clearly seen that the new missal will certainly remain the ordinary form of the Roman rite.”

[B Knotts]

I’d like to see an “rubrical and Latin exam” of all priests who celebrate the ordinary form of the Mass in the Latin Rite. After all, all Masses in the Latin Rite are supposed to have some Latin in them, aren’t they, Your Excellency?

[Deo volente]

Priests who might want to celebrate the Tridentine Mass will be given a rubrical and Latin exam to comply with the pope’s own statement, “The use of the old missal presupposes a certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the Latin language.”

I can't wait to see the exam.

I can just imagine the poor priest who wishes to say this Mass being required to translate advanced Latin poetry, say a few chapters of the Aeneid, to demonstrate his working knowledge of Latin.

These bishops have one thing on their minds: advancing the cause of the liturgical and doctrinal revolution begun shortly after Vatican II. They will do everything within their power to sidetrack the Holy Father's intentions and frustrate his desire to make the Tridentine Mass more widely available. You can bet on it.

[jtal]

Clever, Clever Bishop!

I wonder how long he had to think before coming up with this scheme.

Does he have any idea how silly and transparent this appears? It’s not good for the office of the Bishop to make oneself look so ridiculous.

[scrabblehack]

I suppose the Bishop imagines himself qualified to grade the exam???

[veritas2002]

If I were a faithful priest in Traumann’s diocese, I’d be looking to incardinate in another diocese under a bishop who is actually Catholic

[maryz]

I can just imagine the poor priest who wishes to say this Mass being required to translate advanced Latin poetry, say a few chapters of the Aeneid, to demonstrate his working knowledge of Latin.

Yeah, kind of reminds you of the old abuses of the literacy test for voting -- a black might be asked to write out the entire Mississippi constitution from memory!

Though, even at that, he's responding more than O'Malley of Boston has!

[ardara]

We must remember it has been the LAITY that so often has led the way in defending the faith and fighting blights such as abortion in the U.S. in recent years. This issue may serve to show which Bishops we can count on.I am sure that those who have raised barriers also did so in the past.

[GCC Catholic]

Actually, a lot of the priests that I've met from Erie Diocese are very good and faithful. I think some take issue with the way Bishop Trautman has been running everything, and others don't, and that the ones that take issue are just holding out long enough for him to retire (in about 5 years).

I'm also pretty sure that this last snafu about the translations stole away a lot of his credibility.

[k omalley]

In other words he is saying to his priests, “don’t you dare try to offer the TLM in my diocese!”

[maryz]

Some tips on writing to Rome to express thanks for the m9otu proprio from Fr. Zuhlsdorf:

I suggest you write a very brief, VERY brief note to His Holiness
Benedict XVI
Palazzo Apostolico
00120 Vatican City

Tips for writing to the Pope to thank him:

1) one side of one sheet of paper
2) unless your penmanship is perfect, type or word processor
3) don’t say anything negative about anyone
4) in two lines, express why you love the older liturgy and how you participate
5) in one line promise prayers for His Holiness and some work of mercy do will do for him and his intentions

Start with "Dear Holy Father," or "Most Holy Father", and address him as "Your Holiness".

Also write to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei", who shouldered the burden of the M.P. and will so in the future.

Here there are two good possibilities:

His Eminence
Dario Card. Castrillon Hoyos
President
Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei"
Palazzo del Sant’Uffizio
00120 Vatican City

Start with "Your Eminence," and address him as such.

Tips

1) one side of one sheet of paper
2) unless your penmanship is perfect, type or word processor
3) express your hopes for the fruits of the document
4) say how you concretely participate NOW in the older rite, and where, and how many people come
5) do not say disrespectful things of the bishop or priests
6) don’t say what you think the MP OUGHT to have been
7) express your support of prayers for his difficult role

Also, for all these years, the point man in the Commission has been the long-suffering

Msgr. Camille Perl
Secretary
Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei"
Palazzo del Sant’Uffizio
00120 Vatican City

Start with "Dear Monsignor" or "Reverend Monsignor".

While curial officials don’t look for recognition, Msgr. Perl has been in the Commission from the beginning. I think he would be touched by kind notes.

1) one side of one sheet of paper, or a greeting nice card
2) good penmanship, type or word processor
3) tell him some little prayer or work of mercy you will perform for his intention
4) express your support of prayers everyone in the office

And for Msgr. Perl, you can tell him Fr. Z sent you! o{];¬)

For the Commission, you might do this right away, before the August curial recess.

For all of the above, don’t try to be flowery or overly formal. Just be respectful and sincere…. and brief. They get enough long flowery formal stuff during the day.

REMEMBER: When you think about the M.P., if there is something you don’t like about it, don’t spoil the situation by falling into the trap of seeing better as the enemy of the good.

I might go with the greeting card ("Thank you!") option myself -- less room to tempt me to expand on my opinions of certain American bishops!

[Cheverus]

Agricola, Agricolae......

Why would you need to know the Latin word for “farmer” to offer the Mass in Latin?

Oh, yeah, END RUN AROUND THE MOTU PROPIO!!!!

[pgkdan]

I’d like to see an “rubrical and Latin exam” of all priests who celebrate the ordinary form of the Mass in the Latin Rite. After all, all Masses in the Latin Rite are supposed to have some Latin in them, aren’t they, Your Excellency?

My sentiments exactly!

[rogator]

Another example why some of us believe that far too many of our bishops are, in fact, enemies of the faith. Not one nickel from me to any diocesan collection. Why should our contributions support those who wish to destroy our church from within?
I have nothing but utter disdain for this kind of “bishop”.

[marshmallow]

Trautman: The Second Vatican Council, an ecumenical council of the Church, restored and adapted the liturgy recommending vernacular languages for the worship life of the Church.

Sacrosanctum Concilium (actual Vatican II document): 1.Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites.

2. But since the use of the mother tongue, whether in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments, or other parts of the liturgy, frequently may be of great advantage to the people, the limits of its employment may be extended. This will apply in the first place to the readings and directives, and to some of the prayers and chants, according to the regulations on this matter to be laid down separately in subsequent chapters.

[rogator]

“Trautman: The Second Vatican Council, an ecumenical council of the Church, restored and adapted the liturgy recommending vernacular languages for the worship life of the Church.

Sacrosanctum Concilium (actual Vatican II document): 1.Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites. “

So he also deceives his flock by distorting the truth.

[magisterium]

Careful, Your Excellency! Benedict is watching the reaction for the US very carefully, and recent statements on this and other topics indicate clearly that he is fed-up with brooking any more nonsense. There are plenty of long-extinct dioceses buried under the North African sand that you can be “transferred” to. Just ask Bishop Jacques Gaillot, late of that bustling Algerian diocese of Partenia!

Get with the program! NOW!!

[maryz]

Benedict is watching the reaction for the US very carefully, and recent statements on this and other topics indicate clearly that he is fed-up with brooking any more nonsense.

Really? Can you expand on this? I hope he's watching Boston closely!

[magisterium]

Heck, I’d like to see Bishop Trautmann take an unannounced exam on the rubrics and wording of the Ordinary Form...in English, nevermind Latin! I bet there is little chance of his acing it!

[magisterium]

Well, I certainly hope he is watching Boston carefully, too, since I am a lifelong inmate...er...member of this archdiocese.

What I am getting at is, while the wording of the letter to the bishops and the MP itself was very decorous, benedict seems to have given the bishops VERY little wiggle-room for personal interpretation. Why? I think it’s clear that it is because he has “had it” with all of this episcopal waffling. Same with the ICEL translation of the NO. Same with the doctrinal issues addressed by his recent statement on the Church’s nature as the one, true Church established by Christ. Et cetera and so forth. The party is over for the clowns parading in mitres, and they know it! Or...they should know it.

[maryz]

Oh, how I hope you’re right. Though some bishops seem to be wiggling anyway! Not to mention any names, of course . . .

[old republic]

According to Art.2. of Summorum Pontificum “In Masses celebrated without the people, each Catholic priest of the Latin rite, whether secular or regular, may use the Roman Missal published by Bl. Pope John XXIII in 1962, or the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970, and may do so on any day with the exception of the Easter Triduum.”

Does anyone have a take on this paragraph? What is its intent. If the Novus Ordo Missae and the Tridentine Latin Masses are merely expressions of the same Roman Rite then why does the TLM have to be celebrated in a private mass? Why can’t it be celebrated publicly on an equal footing with the NO? Why is only one TLM allowed on Sundays and feasts? The NO has no such restrictions so wouldn’t it be logical to say that you can celebrate as many TLMs on a Sunday as a Parish demands? This rule seems to be a bit puzzling and the only reason that I can see for it is that perhaps it is a concession to allay the concerns of dissenting Bishops’ Conferences.