Details: Posted on 02/05/2012 4:48:02 PM PST by NYer
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After 47 years as a priest, and at least two decades of straying from the Roman Catholic Missal by ad libbing parts of the Mass, the Rev. Bill Rowe of St. Mary Church has resigned under pressure from the bishop.
Why? Because he doesn’t agree that a priest should be restricted to the exact words of the Missal, including new changes in the Mass that were intended to more closely interpret earlier Latin versions.
The changes were ordered by the Vatican and took effect in late November.
Rowe, 72, said he was called to a meeting in October at the Belleville home of Bishop Edward Braxton. Rowe said that Braxton told him he could not change even small parts of what a Catholic priest is supposed to say during the portions of the Mass that are controlled by the Missal.
Rowe said Braxton told him to “think about it” for three days and then write him a letter. Rowe said he sent the letter on Oct. 12 stating he could not accept what Braxton wanted but did not want to resign or retire. He said he did not receive a response from Braxton until a few days ago, accepting his resignation.
Rowe will leave his parish in June after a successor is installed.
The Rev. John Myler, diocese spokesman, said: “I have no comment at this time. If that changes, I will contact you.”
Frank Flinn, an adjunct professor of religious studies at Washington University in St. Louis, said it is the first removal of a priest that he knows about in connection with a failure to follow the new version of the Roman Missal.
“I predicted that it would drive priests out and I was laughed at, at the time,” Flinn said, “but here it is, the truth.”
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has more:
Last Sunday, instead of saying “Lord our God that we may honor you with all our mind and love everyone in truth of heart,” during the opening prayer, he altered the phrasing to better reflect the day’s Gospel message, in which Jesus heals a man with a troubled spirit.
“We thank you, God, for giving us Jesus who helped us to be healed in mind and heart and proclaim his love to others,” the 72-year-old priest prayed instead.
Three days later, Rowe received a letter from Bishop Edward Braxton accepting his resignation.
“The problem is that when I pray at Mass, I tend to change the words that are written in the book to match what I was talking about, or what a song is about,” Rowe said in an interview.
The book in question is the Roman Missal, a book of prayers, chants and responses used during the Mass. Rowe has been saying some of those prayers in his own words for years.
But in December the Vatican-mandated adoption of a new English-language translation of the Missal may have given bishops an opportunity to rein in freewheeling priests who have been praying in their own words for decades.
“Since December when the new translation came out, no one has said what would happen to you if you changed stuff,” said the Rev. John Foley, director of the Center for Liturgy at St. Louis University. “But I find it hard to believe a priest in Illinois would be forced to resign because he wasn’t using the exact words from the translation. It’s not a strong-enough offense for that.”
Ping!
It's called obedience to your Ordinary, Father...
Misleading headline. The priest was instructed not to “ad-lib” during the mass and the priest refused. End of story.
This sort of discipline is long overdue and I welcome it.
I like the way Professor Flinn tries to make this about the translation.
And that’s a nice set of clericals on Fr. Rowe.
I can't recall ever reading or hearing about anyone in modern times running into this one.
Wow!
TOUCHDOWN NE! TIE GAME ~ then they get the extra point ~ 9 to 10.
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Imagine if all the priests did this in all the parishes? He can express what the messages of the reading are in the homily. I have been to some Masses where a priest will insert a thought in the prescribed prayers..usually is not much, but a sort of an alert if you will, or now and then an instruction about that part of the Mass but this has been rare.
Sounds like this 72 year old prelate has other problems as well..Lord help us if we find out more “dirt” on this guy.
This fellow has been doing the "Father Bill's Parish" thing for years and years. He was warned by the then-bishop of Belleville, Wilton Gregory, who is now the Archbishop of Atlanta. Abp. Gregory came to Atlanta in 2005, so this priest has been doing his own thing for at least 6 or 7 years. And the archbishop, by the way, is a very meek man who goes way out of his way to be non-controversial and not make waves. So if he felt like he had to reprimand Father Bill, you know the guy was doing a lot more than just changing a couple of words.
It's not just changing the words -- it's running a parish as his private fiefdom, giving the razzberry to his bishop and his vow of obedience, making it up as he goes along, and encouraging his parishioners in pastor-worship.
That is a strictly protestant way of doing business, and is antithetical to being Catholic. He needs to start his own church, and do it on his own dime, instead of taking the Church's money to do his own thing.
Unfortunately there are a lot more like him in that diocese, which is pretty renowned as a hotbed of dissenting "catholics". The usual "Spirit of Vatican II" crowd have been angry at Bishop Braxton ever since he was appointed, and have been doing everything in their power to undermine and attack him.
You might spare a prayer for the bishop. He has got an Augean Stables to cleanse in SW Illinois.
I noticed that also. I wonder what other festive colors he has in his closet. I guess black is so déclassé...
Time to speak Gods word and his intent, not mans. Hope the door does not hurt to much when he departs.
I have said this already this last week. It’s About Time! The Church has not stood for anything in the last few decades by allowing Bishops and Priests to “do their own thing”. That hasn’t worked so well. Stick to God’s rules, it always works. Obediance works as well.
I have said this already this last week. It’s About Time! The Church has not stood for anything in the last few decades by allowing Bishops and Priests to “do their own thing”. That hasn’t worked so well. Stick to God’s rules, it always works. Obediance works as well.
Isn’t Bishop Wilton Gregory black?? I think that’s why he’s so meek and doesn’t want to make waves.<P.Father Bill is sending off my either GAYDAR or LIBDAR....either one is NOT Kosher Catholic!! GOOD RIDDANCE!!
Our Bishop moves pastors and priests around on a regular basis - kind of like an Episcopal version of "term limits". One thing it does is stave off this kind of thing.
What Jesus forbade (Matt. 6:7) now becomes a requirement.
Imagine if all the priests did this in all the parishes? >>>
lets face it, he resigned because he had enough years to qualify for his diocesan pension and probably wanted out.
**That is a strictly protestant way of doing business, and is antithetical to being Catholic. He needs to start his own church, and do it on his own dime, instead of taking the Church’s money to do his own thing.**
Even Jesus had one apostle who wouldn’t obey.
I guess we now know that he never intended to keep his vow of “obedience.”
Say the black, do the red...
There are plenty of places for people who don’t agree with the Church to go.
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