INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE and REVISED LITURGICAL BOOKS Church, Is a Sacred Action Donates to the Church of the in the Lived Experience of the Surpassing All Others
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Volume 15, No.1, Spring 1997 However, he said, 30 years renewal of Catholic liturgy. In after Vatican II "liturgy fact, the 20th century has remains the battleground, the witnessed the simultaneous focal point for tensions in the growth of three great revivals church." He said: "More than within the church - liturgical, ever we need to realize that the biblical and catechetical. All liturgical movement and the three are interconnected: A reform of Vatican II call for renewed liturgy leads to a not simply a change of greater love and understanding liturgical forms and texts, but of the Bible; a greater Newsletter of the Worship Office, Archdiocese of Newark, NJ rather a transformation of appreciation of the word of people. The revision of God embodied in the liturgy "The church in the United liturgical books and rites seeks leads to a more zealous States awaits two essential to give new life to people proclamation of the word in liturgical books to complete based ON a formation that has catechetics. The Catholic the liturgical renewal: the its summit and source in the Church in the United States revised Sacramentary and the liturgy." Trautman discussed can boast of its contributions revised New American Bible goals in the translating of texts to all three movements. I Lectionary," Bishop Donald for the liturgy; he Trautman of Erie, PA, distinguished horizontal from The council fathers of Vatican immediate past president of the vertical inclusive language, he II embraced and endorsed a U.S. Bishops' Committee ON distinguished the use of liturgical revival as the central Editor's Note: It is our the Liturgy, said in a lecture inclusive language from focus of church renewal. With usual practice to publish Feb. 27 at St. Mary Seminary endorsement of a feminist clear and decisive words, the original material in each of the University of St. Thomas agenda or women's ordination; council fathers stated that the issue of Word on Worship. in Houston, Texas. Trautman and he acknowledged the reform and restoration of the /....-,,--rills issue is entirely focused ON the legacy of the existence of bad inclusive liturgy must be seen as a "sign / devoted to reprinting the liturgical renewal connected to language. "Great havoc is of the providential disposition remarks of Bishop Donald Vatican Council II and the being done to the inspired of God in our time, a Trautman of Erie, PA, challenges faced by translators word by people not trained in movement of the Holy Spirit." which he delivered at a of liturgical texts, particularly Scripture. There is an urgent 2 With bold and authoritative lecture in February. The in regard to inclusive pastoral need for an approved, words, the council fathers re- text appeared in Origins language. Asking, for scripturally sound Lectionary earlier this year. The established liturgy in its example, "what makes the editorial board wanted to with the use of horizontal rightful place - on center circulate Bishop proposed Lectionary so inclusive language, " Trautman stage in the life of the church: Trautman's remarks since problematic, " Trautman said. He said, "Inclusive "The liturgy is the summit the issue of inclusive responded: "inclusive language is simply a toward which the activity of language is of concern to language. " Trautman called recognition of contemporary the church is directed; at the those involved in liturgy inclusive language "a complex culture and the changes in the same time, it is the fount from and because of the need and sensitive issue which has English language. It is clearly which all the church's power for sound reflection on the ramifications far beyond a response to the Constitution flows." 3 topic. translations." His lecture ON the Sacred Liturgy that began with a recollection of there be full participation in The central importance of Vatican II's liturgical renewal. the liturgy. " Trautman's text liturgy in the life of the church "With bold and authoritative follows. is unequivocally reflected in words, the council fathers re- these conciliar words: "Every established liturgy in its Among the most significant liturgical celebration, because rightful place: ON center stage and pivotal religious events of it is an action of Christ the in the life of the church. " the 20th century stands the priest and of his body the INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE AND REVISED LITURGICAL BOOKS church, is a sacred action donates to the church of the in the lived experience of the surpassing all others. No other 21st century a rich liturgical people; and they will rarely be action of the church can match inheritance - a dynamic and experienced as real until the its claim to efficacy, nor equal ongoing process of renewal. congregations celebrating them the degree of it." 4 Here the are genuine communities of church defines liturgy as an Nothing is more evident at the faith, witness and action." 5 exercise of the priestly office core of Christian life than our of Jesus Christ. public worship. It is therefore More than ever we need to understandable that the realize that the liturgical Clearly the liturgical reforms of Vatican II made movement and the reform of movement of the 20th century, their greatest impact in the area Vatican II call for not simply a reaching its zenith at Vatican of liturgy. Thirty years after change of liturgical forms and II, has left distinguishing and the renewal of Vatican II, texts, but rather a lasting marks on the church's liturgy remains the transformation of people. The life. What are these marks? battleground, the focal point revision of liturgical books and What are these liturgical for tensions in the church. It is rites seeks to give new life to achievements? disconcerting to hear voices in people based on a formation the church that call us away that has its summit and source • The vernacular. from the vernacular in the in the liturgy. How do we • The restoration of the role of liturgy. Those who seek a reach that goal? What are 'We must avoid the assembly with full, return to liturgical life as it was some steps toward that simplistic conscious and active prior to Vatican II contradict transformation? Fundamental approaches participation. the teaching of that council. It and vital are the liturgical and • The church defined as is disconcerting to hear voices scriptural texts which give that call us people of God. in the church accuse liturgists meaning and context to what back to an era • Lay people in various of de-emphasizing the sacred. we celebrate. We seek liturgical ministries. Good liturgy will always seek transformation through sung that has • The pre-eminent role of a balance between and proclaimed texts, passed. A pre- sacred Scripture in all transcendence and immanence. especially the Scriptures in the 1.---1--- -Vatican-l-I- --- __ liturgical rit~_ ---"th=e<--_ It is disconceniMlo have liturgy of the word, and opening of the storehouse of liturgists blamed for all the ills thrOugh the liturgical texts OT liturgical Scripture as reflected in the of the church. Due to many the Sacramentary - those theology and three-year cycle of biblical cultural forces, society itself texts composed by the church . h readings. has changed radically since the such as the prayers of the Mass practice ave . The renewal of biblical 1960s. We must avoid and the eucharistic prayers no chance of preaching. simplistic approaches that call themselves. We seek Spea king to a . The restoration of the us back to an era that has transformation foremost catechumenate and passed. A pre-Vatican II through the sacramental post-Vatican II Scripture-centered liturgical theology and practice elements, the bread and wine at world." catechesis. have no chance of speaking to the eucharist changed into the • The restoration of noble a post-Vatican II world. body and blood of Christ. simplicity in liturgical rites. • Ecclesial recognition of We need, however, to keep in In September 1974, Cardinal liturgical adaptation and mind that in the contemporary Knox, then the prefect of the inculturation - ("norms for church, despite all the revision Sacred Congregation for adapting the liturgy to the and reform, there is still a Divine Worship, stated that the genius and traditions of chasm of Grand Canyon liturgical books -represented peoples," Constitution ON proportions between the "the basic structures of the the Sacred Liturgy, 37-40). intended reality and our liturgical services of the • Reformed liturgical books. worship experience. There are Roman Rite" and adaptation of parish communities which are those books was "absolutely This is the legacy of the communities in name only. essential" if the ultimate goal liturgical renewal. In the Christopher J. Walsh has put it of liturgical reform was to be course of centuries much of the so well: "Reforms and achieved. 6 vitality in the worship life of revisions we've had in plenty, the church had been lost, but but liturgical renewal will The church today stands at the thanks to the "movement of the never be achieved until our brink of the 21st century. Holy Spirit" at Vatican II, a texts, rites and affirmations are While the church has made new beginning was made. The translated not into this or that momentous liturgical 2 church of the 20th century now sort of English, but into reality contributions to the next century, the church in the remanded to ICEL at its June Father Anscar J. Chupungco, United States awaits two 1997 meeting. At that time the OSB, of the Pontifical essential liturgical books to consideration of the revised Liturgical Institute in Rome, complete the liturgical ICEL translation and proposed observes that "fidelity to the renewal: the revised American adaptations to the original refers to the content or Sacramentary and the revised Roman Missal will be meaning of the text, not to the New American Bible complete.