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 BCDW
November Meeting
On
November 9, FDLC Chair, Msgr. John Burton and I attended the USCCB
Committee on Divine Worship meeting in our capacity as ex
officio consultants. This
was our first opportunity to meet with the committee formed under
the chairmanship of Bishop Serratelli.
A
good portion of the meeting was dedicated to a discussion of the
necessary catechesis surrounding the implementation of the revised
English translation of the Missale
Romanum editio typicae tertia.
Msgr. Kevin Irwin gave an update on the Leeds’ Group
work. At the time of
his report, the Leeds’ Group white papers were near completion
and it is anticipated that the CD with catechetical materials will
be available to English speaking conferences in Advent 2010.
In
their packets, the Committee members, staff members, and
consultants all received copies of the FDLC draft study papers and
outlines prepared for the Milwaukee National Meeting (and posted
on the FDLC diocesan members’ web page (http://www.fdlc.org/DiocesanMembers/RomanMissal.htm).
The bishops were in agreement that any materials endorsed
by the Committee should be positive in tone. Bishop Serratelli
requested that bishops submit any particular recommendations
regarding the papers to the BCDW Secretariat by the first week of
December. At the
writing of this article, no recommendation has been received.
FDLC
Report to the BCDW
Many
thanks to the (arch)dioceses that so quickly responded to the FDLC
National Office request for information regarding the status of
worship offices and commissions.
The survey went out on October 20 and within 1 week we
received over120 responses! The
full report will be given to your regional representatives at the
January Board of Directors meeting, but following is a brief
synopsis.
A
total of 119 dioceses (67% of the 178 Latin rite dioceses) report
having a Liturgical Commission. 148 dioceses (83% of the 178 Latin
rite dioceses) report having an Office for Worship. It is worth
noting that 94% of dioceses have a Liturgical Commission and/or a
Worship Office (or 168 total); a total of 10 dioceses (6%) have
neither a Liturgical Commission or a Worship Office. Meanwhile 100
dioceses (56%) report having both
a commission and an office.
Staffing
of Worship Offices varies greatly.
According to the survey results, 70 of the 148 dioceses
with Worship Offices have full-time Directors (contracted to work
35+ hours per week) and 72 are staffed with part-time Directors
(hours varying between 10-34 hours per week).
Currently, seven dioceses are without Worship Office
directors—all but one are seeking to fill the position.
Of
the 148 (arch)dioceses with Worship Offices, 63 have full-time
employees other than the Director and 76 (arch)dioceses employ
part-time staff other than the Director.
USCCB
November Meeting
The
Latin Rite bishops considered and passed three action items
proposed by the BCDW:
-
a
for Blessing of a Child in the Womb/Bendición
de una Criatura en el Vientre
-
the
ICEL gray book of the Proper of Seasons
-
the
Grail Psalter revised by Conception Abbey for liturgical use.
Each
of these items required a 2/3 vote of the 248 Latin rite bishops
and will require a recognitio
from the Holy See.
The
Blessing of a Child in the Womb was passed with only one
dissention while the Bendición
de una Criatura en el Vientre was unanimously approved by the
240 bishops assembled in Baltimore.
Once the USCCB receives from the Vatican a recognitio
on these blessings they will be included in the Book
of Blessings for Dioceses (de
Benedictionibus) when the publications
are next revised.
As
was previously reported, at the USCCB Spring General Assembly the
ICEL gray book of the Proper of Seasons was presented and failed
to receive a 2/3 vote of the Latin rite bishops.
After the June USCCB meeting, the BCDW extended its
invitation for the Latin rite bishops to submit modifications to
the ICEL texts. In
the interim between the June meeting in Orlando and the November
meeting in Baltimore, the Committee received a little over 300
modifications from 8 bishops.
The BCDW accepted over 190 as amendments to the ICEL gray
book. During the
General Assembly in Baltimore, the Latin rite bishops approved the
ICEL gray book by a vote of 189-30. The gray book and the proposed amendments will go to Rome for
a recognitio.
The
Revised Grail Psalter was also approved for liturgical use by the
Latin rite bishops in a in a 203-5 vote. The Grail Psalter produced by the
Ladies of the Grail in 1963 is the currently used in the English
translation of the Liturgy of the Hours.
The monks of Conception Abbey undertook a revision of the
Grail Psalter to conform to the demands of Liturgiam
Authenticam. The
BCDW recommended the Revised Grail Psalter for liturgical use
after its June meeting in which the committee reviewed both the
revised New American Bible psalter and the Revised Grail Psalter
with Rev. Joseph Jensen, OSB and Abbot Gregory Polan, OSB,
respectively. The
Conception Abbey web site has more information about the Revised
Grail Psalter http://abbey.solutiosoftware.com/news/1-latest-news/178-revised-grail-psalter.
The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the
Sacraments (CDWS) still needs to approve the USCCB vote, but it
should be noted that the CDDW currently is reviewing a request
from the bishops' conference of Kenya to use the Revised Grail
Psalter in the revised Lectionary for Mass
Australian
Bishops Vote on ICEL Translations
The
Catholic Religious Australia website (http://catholicreligiousaustralia.com/en/248)
reports that at its November 27 meeting, the Australian Catholic
Bishops Conference (ACBC) approved all 12 gray books comprising
the entirety of the ICEL translation of Missale
Romanum editio typicae tertia completed in October of 2008.
The ABCD decided to vote on the entire translated text while the
USCCB is voting on the translated text in segments.
As of the November meeting in Baltimore, the US bishops
have approved 2 of the 12 gray books.
The BCDW expects that all 12 gray books will be presented
for discussion and vote by the end of the November 2010 USCCB
General Assembly.
Annual
Appeal
In
November, Msgr. Burton and I sent out a letter of appeal.
We are grateful to those who have already responded to our
petition for financial support and ask those who have not yet done
so to remember your part in the liturgical apostolate when
planning your year-end giving.
A report on the appeal will be given to the Board of
Directors at its January Board meeting.
As we prepare to celebrate the Incarnation, the Theotokos, the
Holy Family, the Epiphany, and the theophany/Christophany of the
Baptism of the Lord, I offer you a reflection by Karl Rahner:
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