"Do Not Quench the Spirit"
From a speech by Bishop Donald Trautman's at the annual Frederick A. McManus Award from the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC) with commentary by Adoramus.
"Do not quench the Spirit", the bishop repeatedly exclaimed as he urged the FDLC members to resist what he termed "pullbacks" and "liturgical backsliding".
"When we encounter those who advocate a 'reform of the reform', we must say, 'Do not quench the Spirit'. The Holy Spirit was present at Vatican II and gave us new liturgical direction. When we encounter people who harken back to rigidity in rubrics, we must say. 'Do not quench the Spirit'. When inculturation is denied and one liturgical form is forced on all, we must say, 'Do not quench the Spirit'. When the Scripture translations in our Lectionary are flawed and not proclaimable, we must say, 'Give us the richness of God's Word: Do not quench the Spirit'. The Holy Spirit prompted the renewal and reform of the liturgy. Now, more than ever, we must say, 'Do not quench the Spirit'".
Who's Quenching? In the 1990s, Bishop Trautman led opposition to the Holy See's intervention in translation both of Scripture (Lectionary) and other liturgical translations (International Commission on English in the Liturgy's "Sacramentary" revision). The bishop, as head of the BCL and member of the Lectionary committee, was a strong proponent of so-called "inclusive language", and a free approach to translation. Recently he has published articles critical of the Instruction on translation, Liturgiam authenticam, issued in 2001.
Although Bishop Trautman did not directly accuse Pope John Paul II of "devotionalism" for strongly encouraging the revival of Eucharistic devotions, nor did he mention by name the Vatican cardinals he believes are responsible for impeding "progress" in translation and other aspects of the Liturgy, Bishop Trautman called for strong resistance to any perceived "pullback".
He singled out for particular concern the forthcoming "prescriptive" directives that the Holy Father called for in Ecclesia de Eucharistia, released in March 2003.
"A recent draft of a forthcoming Vatican instruction included several problematic elements -- elements which were neither pastorally sensitive nor liturgically correct" Bishop Trautman told the liturgists. "While we are thankfully reassured that more competent and more sensible judgments have prevailed, we need to ask how could such proposals be drafted and approved for submission in the first place?
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Known as 
.....and this speech of the Bishop is exactly what is to be expected of a "hand puppet" of the formerly faithful Benedictine sisters of Erie. Pa. One of the sisters recently was the featured speaker at a lavish Futurechurch, Call-to-Action fundraising dinner in Ohio as good old poverty, Chastity and Obedience quietly cried in a corner.
They tear the Church asunder as they protest the Church and The country in the name of peace and justice.
Loretta
And what makes Bishop Trautman so sure he hears the Holy Spirit better than the Church?
You know, if you go seeing/hearing things that are in contradiction to church teaching (Mary cussing, Son of Sam, etc.)you're in error. How is this different??
"The Donald Speaks !"
Dear Friends,
The CEO/CFO of the Erie Diocese has made his corporate decision. Bishop Donald Trautman has made the business decision to close St. Johns the Evangelist School in Girard. Once again corporate America has made a business decision with NO compassion for the families and communities affected by that decision.
Over 100 St. John's students must now either give up their Catholic education or spend 45-60 minutes a day on a bus traveling to and from the nearest Catholic schools available. This is time spent away from their family and community.
Business decisions are made on a daily basis to help support weaker divisions of a company. The Erie Diocese has helped St. John's with a relatively small cash shortage over the last two years. And for that, we say thank you, but with some additional assistance from the Diocese and the family of Catholic schools, I am sure that St. John's would become stronger and could continue to provide the Catholic education
needed by the children of Western Erie County and Eastern Ohio.
I say this to the Bishop...have Faith in the children and families of St. John's. After all, we have Faith.
Dave Martin
Businessman
St. John's Parent
E. Springfield, Pa
774-4808
Dear Bishop Trautman,
Over twenty-five years ago, I stood in front of God, my soon to be wife and her family and promised to raise our children in the Catholic faith and to educate them in a Catholic school, just like my wife. As you know, Catholic schools have traditionally been the most effective way to pass on the Catholic faith. In an exceedingly complex world, a Catholic education offers the simple realities: values that bring lasting peace
and happiness.
I sit here today wondering if I will be capable of honoring that promise. The closing of St. John's School will essentially end my quest to fulfill that promise.
You see Bishop, I am not a Catholic. My children have attended St. John's since my oldest began school. My daughter graduated from St. John's in 1995 and my son would be entering 7th grade next year. The distance from our home in East Springfield to the nearest Catholic elementary school is too great for me to be able to get him to and from. Danny likes basketball and participated on the JV team at St. John's, but I am concerned that he would not be able to participate at a different school due to my not being able to ride him back and forth. We have no busing from the Northwestern school district to any Catholic School and I am sure this would affect my son's extra curricular activities. That is not right.
As I look back at the evenings Helen and I spent in the marriage classes needed so that we could marry in the church, I could have never imagined
that my son's education and faith would come down to how much money it costs. Bishop, just how much is a Catholic education worth? Better yet, what will the cost be for not being educated in the Catholic faith? I don't like to think of that.
Bishop, please reevaluate the decision to close St. John's School. The loss of the school will be a burden on the students, the parents and the
community as a whole.
PLEASE, "Do not quench the Spirit".
Thank you,
Dave Martin
St. John's Parent