Charles, I located the video link to the fall meeting of the USCCB
and watched portions of it. One session dealing with the
new missal translation, both English and the forthcoming Spanish
versions, caught my attention. Various bishops had
been asking technical questions about implementation when finally,
lastly, Bishop Rosazza was recognized for his question.
He made a heartfelt plea that the Spanish translation be
allowed to keep/use the words “por todos” (for all)
in the consecration. He got a ‘no’ and the associated
Rome-mandated yada, yada. To which he responded “they
imposed this on us… we don’t even have a choice” …and his
words sadly trailed off as a murmur of chuckles, then laughter,
emerged from his brother bishops. They thought this was
funny? …pleading in behalf of the people and the prayers of the Mass?
.
Something about that picture broke my heart. There stood a
rather frail appearing elderly bishop, a totally unpretentious man of
the people who until recently rode his bicycle to get around town,
being brushed-off by the other bishops as he pleaded for continuing to pray
words in Spanish that include everyone… not just “many” or some.
Unfortunately, the English is already a done-deal…
I felt tears running down my face as a terrible sadness
washed over me… that video clip represented the “reform of the
reform” direction of our church… Benedict’s “leaner church”
leadership in action, even when discussing the communal prayers of
God’s people… or perhaps now only some of the people,
if words have any meaning at all. That is what we
are now mandated to pray… something that sounds like Calvinistic
predestination — or an exclusive cloistered church turned-in upon itself
proclaiming no salvation outside of our exclusive club. At
least some of us cannot give assent to such a prayer within our hearts no
matter how much techno-speak theological spin is applied in attempt to justify
it… and apparently, neither can Bishop Rosazza, one of
the last of a vanishing breed of pastor-bishop. Most of the
rest are now Vatican yes-men eagerly climbing the corporate career ladder.
In another five or ten years will there even be a place in
the “leaner” Church for those perhaps deemed not to be part of the
“many” or ‘some’ for whom Jesus shed his blood?
.
Bishop Rosazza was one of five bishops who, in the 80s, crafted
the bishops’ document on social justice and the economy — the same
document that Archbishop Chaput recently dismissed as something that the
bishops should not have done since they “have no expertise in economics”
(but since when does lack of expertise on any topic stop
them?). That comment came on the heels of his excuse for
why the bishops couldn’t make time in their meeting agenda to discuss the
injustice of rampant economic disparity in our country.
Would that current Church leaders had as much interest in living-out the
gospel in the real world trenches of life as they do in obtuse ceremonial,
cappa magnas and fancy-sounding words. Perhaps it
has become more politically expedient to just sound "holy"
rather than to actually be a holy Christ-like people?
.
Let us know how it goes when Vatican power-brokers are done tinkering with the
Spanish and impose that on your congregation.
.