Posted on by Jeffrey Tucker

The Serratelli Address

The USCCB has reprinted the address of Bishop Arthur Serratelli  to the 2010 National Meeting of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, presented in early October. The address speaks of the Missal texts entirely in the past tense, giving the impression that everything is done.

This address was given before revelations of the leaked Missal and the controversy surrounding its obvious and pervasive departures from the version that had previously been approved.

I have no problem with anything that the Bishop says in this address. Had this blog received this a month ago, it would have uncritically heralded the entire text. My fear right now is that it does not represent the whole story.

He writes that “the work of translation has been truly collaborative.  It has involved so many for the last decade: ICEL, the national episcopal conferences of the English-speaking world, scholars, pastoral ministers, musicians, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and Vox Clara.  This collaborative effort has given us texts that truly can belong to the whole Church.”

4 Replies to “The Serratelli Address”

  1. First of all, we do not know if these leaks are genuine. We are operating on assumptions and speculations.

    The USCCB Committee on Worship is aware of the leaks, as are ICEL and the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

    What we need to do is trust the process and not some nameless, faceless source whose information may not necessarily be what it seems. A talk with the USCCB and the CDWDS proved enlightening to me. The USCCB is well aware of the leaks and the blog on which these were posted. The USCCB already has the official texts; however, in obedience to the Holy See, they are not releasing them until the proper time.

    I have also sent a lengthy email to Bishop Serratelli on the subject. I take serious offense at bloggers who accuse His Excellency of lying. We do not know all of the facts. We are only reading what one blogger's opinion is and we don't even know if this "source" he is using is even authentic.

    Fear is useless; what is needed is trust. I trust the Holy See. I trust the Holy Father. Neither is likely to throw this whole thing under the proverbial bus.

  2. So you have inside info to the effect that the USCCB is aware of the leaks?? Bp. Serratelli already told us that in the USCCB statement when he referred to the leaked internal report.

    And who did you talk to at CDWDS?? It sounds like you rung them up a bit ago.

    Question: If the leaked internal statement "Areas of Difficulty" is fake, why didn't Bishop Seratelli just say so? Why didn't he categorically deny its authenticity or its claim to refer to the (then) final version of the text? This would have restored everyone's confidence in the process, and completely discredited the leaks. But he didn't. Doesn't this strongly suggest that the leaked report is accurate?

    awr

  3. Fr. Ruff, with all due respect, you leveled some unfair accusations against Bishop Serratelli in your blog. Furthermore, nameless, faceless sources are not necessarily the most reliable.

    Incidentally, Bishop Serratelli only spoke of what the NCR had leaked, not about all of these other documents that, curiously enough, were "released" after his address. Furthermore, the USCCB has expressed disappointment with those who have been spreading these leaks.

    I am inclined to believe the legimate authorities on this matter. I have no reason to doubt them. This is not blind faith. This is trust in the process. This is also obedience. I do not know if hidden agendas exist that are trying to stymie the process. From what I have read, though, this seems to be the case.

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