Grassroots Resistance to New Roman Missal/ Bishops' "Double-Speak" Over New Missal/Article in The Tablet

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/blogsub.php?id=166&ti=18

"A grassroots resistance seems to be growing
among ordinary Catholics who are deeply concerned
at the impact this new translation will have on their
Sunday Mass. ...The flagrant misuse of power involved in the new
translation of the Roman Missal is not just about its
pastorally disastrous kind of language. It is also about
the serious disregard for Vatican II's teaching on
collegiality in the process leading up to the New
Missal... This new Missal has provoked widespread dismay
and disquiet, especially among many clergy, fearful
of its negative impact on parishioners. For instance,
in January of this year the eminent US liturgical scholar,
Anthony Ruff OSB, withdrew from a commission given
him by the US bishops to help prepare people for the
new translation of the Roman Missal in dioceses
across the US. In his letter of withdrawal he wrote:
"...my involvement in that process, as well as my
observation of the Holy See's handling of scandal,
has gradually opened my eyes to the deep problems
in the structures of authority of our Church. The
forthcoming Missal is but a part of a larger pattern
of top-down impositions by a central authority that
does not consider itself accountable to the larger
Church. When I think of how secretive the translation
process was, how little consultation was done with
priests or laity ... "

IRISH PRIESTS ASSOCIATION -

PUBLIC OPPOSITION TO NEW ROMAN MISSAL

"On 3 February the

Irish Association of Catholic Priests (ACP)

issued a press release entitled "New Translation of the
Missal Unacceptable". They described the texts as
"archaic, elitist and obscure and not in keeping with
the natural rhythm, cadence and syntax of the
English language" and say: "from the few available
samples of the new texts, it is clear that the style
of English used throughout the Mass will be so
convoluted that it will be difficult to read the prayers
in public." Moreover, they continue: "It is ironic that
this Latinised, stilted English is being imposed on
Irish people who are so blessed with world-renowned
poets, playwrights, and novelists." They ask the
bishops to follow the German bishops, who have
objected to similar texts being imposed on them
and urge them to defer the Missal's introduction for
five years to give them time to "engage with Irish
Catholics with a view to developing a new set of texts
that will adequately reflect the literary genius and
spiritual needs of our Church community in these
modern times".
Two years earlier, an article appeared in America
(14 December 2009) entitled What If We Said, 'Wait'?
The case for a grass-roots review of the new Roman
Missal, by Fr Michael G. Ryan. He spoke out of his
experience as pastor of St James' Cathedral, Seattle,
since 1988 and board member of the national
Cathedral Ministry Conference. He tells of the
reactions of "disbelief and indignation" of his friends
to some of the translations; and of "audible laughter
in the room" at a diocesan seminar for priests and
lay-leaders. ..He also notes that when the new translations were
mistakenly introduced ahead of time in South Africa
they "were met almost uniformly with opposition
bordering on outrage". Fr Ryan makes a gentle
"What if?" challenge to his fellow priests:
"What if we, the parish priests of this country who
will be charged with the implementation, were to
find our voice and tell our bishops that we want to
help them avert an almost certain fiasco? What if
we told them that we think it unwise to implement
these changes until our people have been
consulted in an adult manner that truly honors their
intelligence and their baptismal birthright? What if
we just said, "Wait, not until our people are ready
for the new translations, but until the translations
are ready for our people?...."