U.S. Catholic Bishops' Liturgy Chair Raises Concerns Over New Worship Texts

Not furniture, it's Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie, Pennsylvania, of the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). I've had two pastors in a row who reword the Nicene Creed at Sunday Mass to avoid saying "man" or "men", so "Chair" for "Chairman" at the BCL of the USCCB is no surprise.

Trautman argued that the proposed changes of the people’s parts during the Mass will confuse the faithful and predicted that the new texts will contribute to a greater number of departures from the Catholic Church.

Where's the evidence that liturgists sharing Bishop Trautman's views have been particularly exercised about the current number of departures from the Catholic Church?

He urged them [liturgists], in a spirit of respect and love for the Church, to be courageous in questioning those developments that would render the liturgy incomprehensible and betray the intention of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).

That's courage as in "The Liturgists' Revised Serenity Prayer".

God grant me the courage to change the things. I can.

(via Open Book)

Update: Anthony Esolen at Mere Comments reacts,

You dumb down your liturgy, dumb down your sermons, dumb down your catechizing, dumb down your schools, and then, then you discover that your people are not too bright. Well, there is an alternative. Why not try teaching?

I can answer that rhetorical question. Teaching, like evangelizing, might be more work.

(via Diogenes at Off the Record)