The following excerpts are taken from an open letter to the U.S. Catholic bishops by Father Anthony Ruff, OSB. The letter, which concerns the new translation of the Roman Missal, is being published by America magazine in their February 14 issue.
We at PrayTell support Father Ruff completely and without reservation. We sincerely hope that the bishops will read and take to heart the important message the letter conveys.
Your Eminences, Your Excellencies,
With a heavy heart, I have recently made a difficult decision concerning the new English missal. I have decided to withdraw from all my upcoming speaking engagements on the Roman Missal in dioceses across the U.S. After talking with my confessor and much prayer, I have concluded that I cannot promote the new missal translation with integrity. I’m sure bishops want a speaker who can put the new missal in a positive light, and that would require me to say things I do not believe…
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, how the Holy See allowed a small group to hijack the translation at the final stage, how unsatisfactory the final text is, how this text was imposed on national conferences of bishops in violation of their legitimate episcopal authority, how much deception and mischief have marked this process – and then when I think of Our Lord’s teachings on service and love and unity… I weep.
Read the rest here. See also the related Signs of the Times article, and the blog entry mentioning both.
Anyone who wishes to discuss the letter should do so at America magazine’s site. In this way, the whole discussion will happen in one place, and America’s graciousness in publishing the letter will be acknowledged.
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