Baltimore, Md., Nov 18, 2009 / 14:27 pm
On Tuesday, a motion from Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie, Penn. to reject the new liturgical translations 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.
In front of his colleagues, gathered in Baltimore for the Fall USCCB general assembly, the Bishop of Erie argued that "no matter how well intended," a Vatican dicastery "cannot trump the magisterial authority of the constitution of an ecumenical council."
Bishop Trautman was referring to the Second Vatican 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.