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Views from the Choir Loft

“Ministerial Creativity” by Bishop Donald Trautman

Jeff Ostrowski · December 19, 2013

921 Trautman Inculturation URING HIS LONG career, Bishop Donald Trautman published a whole host of liturgical articles, and most are available online. As Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Liturgy, he was a major proponent of the following:

“inclusivity” & “pastoral considerations”

“cultural sensitivity” & “inculturation” *

“ministerial creativity”

avoidance of “rubrical rigidity”

For the average Catholic in the pews, what have the results been? To mention just one, 99% of today’s Catholic parishes can lawfully use horrible song texts set to secular tunes instead of the ancient Propers assigned by the Church. Sometimes, the hymns are heretical, but not all are. Usually, they’re just colloquial, lamentably uninspired rubbish, like these typical examples from modern hymnals like GIA’s Worship IV.

ON THE OTHER HAND, BISHOP TRAUTMAN had absolutely no tolerance for the Extraordinary Form or the Ordinary Form said in Latin, no matter how ardently certain members of the faithful desired it. He even issued a special set of incredibly rigid rules in an attempt to prevent his priests from celebrating the Extraordinary Form. I’m probably the last person in the world Bishop Trautman would have consulted, but if asked, here’s what I would have said:

Bishop Trautman, your efforts should not be spent persecuting priests and faithful Catholics who ardently desire a more reverent form the Mass, allowed by the Church. These are venerable rites. With regard to the Extraordinary Form, it nourished so many saints over the centuries. With regard to the Ordinary Form in Latin, the Second Vatican Council specifically ordered that Latin be preserved. You’ve said we must be “pastorally sensitive to the liturgical assembly.” You’ve condemned “rigid uniformity in matters that do not involve the faith.” Shouldn’t your rules be applied equally to all Catholics?

BISHOP TRAUTMAN HAS MADE STATEMENTS which conflict with official statements by the Second Vatican Council:

      * *  Verified Statements • Most Rev. Donald Trautman, Bishop Emeritus of Erie

Why were such bizarre statements made? Some have suggested that “his generation” could get away with it, since average Catholics had no access to the conciliar documents — after all, the internet only became popular in the 1990s. I suppose that’s possible. Another possibility would be that he never studied the documents of Vatican II. After all, his writings are full of errors. For example, Bishop Trautman implied the first Mass was in the vernacular — it wasn’t! — and seems unaware of the “Pauline” origin of et cum spiritu tuo.

Here’s the bottom line: we shouldn’t assume that, because a person is elected to chair the USCCB Committee on Liturgy, he automatically knows everything. For instance, consider these recent words by the former Executive Director of the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship, who served just two decades after the liturgical reforms. The reason he can’t find that musical setting is rather simple … the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar were never sung!


* Unfortunately, when Bishop Trautman cites “inculturation,” he ignores the specific requirements given in Sacrosanctum Concilium, interpreting it in warped, one-sided way.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Hymns Replacing Propers, Reform of the Reform Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Jeff Ostrowski

About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

5 April 2021 • When Girls *SING*

Covid restrictions here in California are still extremely severe—switching “two weeks to flatten the curve” into “two years to flatten the curve.” Since 2020, we’ve had police breaking into our church to check if everyone is wearing a mask…even when only 5-6 people are present! But we were allowed to have a small percentage of our singers back on Easter Sunday, and here is their live recording of the ancient Catholic hymn for Eastertide: Ad Cenam Agni Providi. The girls were so very excited to sing again—you can hear it in their voices!

—Jeff Ostrowski
29 March 2021 • FEEDBACK

“E.S.” in North Dakota writes: “I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put—and continue to put—into your wonderful website. In the past two years, my parish has moved from a little house basement into a brand new church and gone from a few families receiving Low Masses twice a month to several families (and many individuals) receiving Mass every Sunday, two Saturdays a month, and every Holy Day. Our priest has been incorporating more and more High Masses and various ceremonies into our lives, which has made my job as a huge newbie choir master very trying and complicated. CCWatershed has been an invaluable resource in helping me get on my feet and know what to do!!! Thank you more than I can express! May God bless you abundantly and assist you in your work and daily lives!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
29 March 2021 • Condemned?

On Palm Sunday, the Passion was read. Immediately after mention is made of the betrayal by Judas, the Holy Eucharist is introduced. Is this not a condemnation of “Christians” who deny the Church teaching on the SANCTISSIMUM? Here is Matthew 26: And Judas that betrayed him, answering, said: “Is it I, Rabbi?” He saith to him: “Thou hast said it.” And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Impelled by the weightiest of reasons, we are fully determined to restore Latin to its position of honor, and to do all We can to promote its study and use. The employment of Latin has recently been contested in many quarters, and many are asking what the mind of the Apostolic See is in this matter. We have therefore decided to issue the timely directives contained in this document, so as to ensure that the ancient and uninterrupted use of Latin be maintained and, where necessary, restored.”

— Pope John XXIII (22 February 1962)

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