On Tuesday, a motion from Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie to reject liturgical translations proposed by the Vatican failed to garner sufficient votes from the U.S. bishops.The prelates went on to approve the new liturgical texts which will be implemented in the U.S. beginning in 2010.
Bishop Trautman, who has headed the bishops' liturgy committee in the past and is a strong supporter of gender-neutral translations, tried to stop the vote on the new liturgical texts by arguing that handing the translation of antiphons for the Psalms to the Congregation for Divine Worship at the Vatican was in violation of Church laws.
The Bishop of Erie argued to his colleagues gathered in Baltimore for the Fall USCCB general assembly that a Vatican dicastery "no matter how well intended, cannot trump the magisterial authority of a constitution of an ecumenical council."
Bishop Trautman was making reference to the Vatican II Council’s Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, which establishes that, in general, translations must be approved by the bishops of the territories where they will be used.
He then suggested that Cardinal George, by giving authorization to the Vatican to handle the antiphons - a small portion of the liturgical translations being reviewed - was breaking Church laws. He then proposed that the bishops insist on being given a final draft from the international translation committee, so they could review it, suggest improvements and vote on it.
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, President of the USCCB, explained that permission was given to Vatican officials after other English-speaking nations had complained that the U.S. bishops were taking too long to approve the translation.
Upon the insistence of Bishop Trautman, Cardinal George responded, "I feel as if we're doing guerilla warfare here."
"Maybe the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops could sue the Congregation [for Divine Worship] in the Apostolic Signatura," said Cardinal George, drawing laughter from the audience.
Besides the unlikeliness of an episcopate suing a dicastery - which is technically possible - for such an issue, the President of the Apostolic Signatura, the equivalent to the Supreme Court of the Catholic Church, is headed by U.S. Archbishop Raymond L. Burke.
Bishop Trautman's proposal was submitted to vote, and the bishops decided to support Cardinal George's decision to accept Vatican translation 194-20.
The final five groups of prayers passed each with support from at least 88 percent of the bishops.
Bishop Arthur Serratelli, chairman of the bishops' Committee on Divine Worship, thanked the bishops after approving the last group of texts calling it "a historic moment."
"I know the text isn't perfect, but perfection will come when the liturgy on earth gives way to that of heaven, as all the saints praise God with one voice,” Serratelli said.
The new liturgical translations approved by the bishops will include minor changes, mostly aimed at making the English liturgy more faithful to the original in Latin.
Some changes are minor. For example, after the changes are implemented, the faithful will respond to the priestly invocation of "The Lord be with you," with "And with your spirit;" a more faithful translation of the original in Latin "Et cum spiritu tuo," than "and also with you."
But other changes are more significant and theologically sound, such as in the Gloria and the Apostles' Creed.
Nevertheless, most of the changes apply to the parts of the Mass that are recited by the priest.
The translation will now be sent to the Vatican for approval, which is expected sometime in 2010.
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