Thursday, August 05, 2010

FuddyDuddy Ante-Deluvian Priests

Things are about to change.

Catholic clergy and lay leaders from around the region will gather in Milwaukee Thursday for a two-day conference that will be, for some, their first in-depth look at the controversial changes ahead in the Catholic liturgy

OK. So?

"For some people this will be very unsettling," said Father Ken Smits, a Capuchin priest and liturgical scholar who is troubled by the move away from the vernacular to a more stilted, "sacralizing" language

Can't have that "sacralizing" stuff around that which is sacred, you know.

"The fathers of Vatican II said overwhelmingly that we know how to adapt the prayers to our own needs," said Father David Cooper of St. Matthias Parish in Milwaukee and chairman of the Milwaukee Archdiocese Priest Alliance.

Really? No surprise that Cooper didn't provide a citation from SC, because there IS none which does what he claims.

Forging ahead to prove beyond a doubt that he's not exactly a "scholar,"...

The new translation introduces more formal, rarefied language into the liturgy. But Cooper and others who have studied drafts say it ignores English grammar and syntax and introduces terms - "consubstantial," "oblation," "ignominy," to mention a few - unfamiliar to many American Catholics. And some worry it will sow division in the pews.

"You can call it whatever you like, but it's not English," said Cooper.

Perhaps Fr. Cooper should try the intertubes. Amazing what one can find there. (All three of the above words were defined, clearly, at that site. All were "English.")

What we have here is a number of old geezers who just can't take changes; hidebound stuck-in-the-1960's types. Righteous, closed-minded folks in a time-warp, attempting to preserve a fly in amber. Maybe after 40+ years they'll get over it.

8 comments:

Amy said...

So basically they're saying we're to stupid to understand big words?

Nice. Very pastoral.

Terrence Berres said...

"terms - 'consubstantial,' 'oblation,' 'ignominy,' to mention a few - unfamiliar to many American Catholics."

That might explain why concern that a parish's Christian Formation materials are "insubstantial" gets no response.

Dad29 said...

FOr that matter, "ignominious Bishops" doesn't get much response, either.

GOR said...

I would say that Fr. Cooper's comments were made in a positively...ah...um...niggardly manner.

Terrence Berres said...

Somehow this Milwauke Catholic Herald 2009-in-review noted the death of "Oblate Fr. Lawrence 'Lorenzo' Rosebaugh...", without perceiving a need to explain "Oblate".

Anonymous said...

The only reason why there might be "division in the pews" is because priests like Fr Cooper have sown it themselves. If there was a unanimous or at least a united approach most people "in the pews" - who are largely not too interested in these things - would be mostly well-disposed to the coming changes; especially if the rationale is carefully explained to them.

Dad29 said...

Yes, anony...that's true.

Remember that Fr. Cooper was the subject of the ONLY public slap-down by Abp. Dolan.

Fr Cooper has a few problems.

Anonymous said...

No wonder there is "division in the pews" when some if its members refer to a Fr's behavior as being subject to a "public slap-down"!!!