Are the People of God dumb?

According to Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie Pennsylvania, the average Catholic is unable to comprehend such words as ineffable. Rocco reports on the story in Whispers in the Loggia. This is just a continuation of the usual liberal line. For the last forty years they have told us that we have to dumb down the liturgy in order to make it understandable to Joe Sixpack. The question of the hour is, are the People of God as dumb as Bishop Trautman would have us believe?
Why can't we use terms like ancient bondage? Why do we have to spell everything out in Romper Room speak? Is it not the height of hubris to claim that most people are not as capable as we are of learning new words? Is it not the height of clericalism? We clergy know what ineffable means, but the laity can't understand it.
And they call me clerical because I wear a biretta! We can only hope that they will retire soon. On the one hand we have religion books for seventh graders that make them learn words like epiclesis and anamnesis, and on the other we have Bishops who think people are too stupid to look up words like ineffable.
We have a long way to go, folks, but it is getting better. Yes, the people are capable of learning new words. We don't want to have to pray things like Oh God, who is so great that we cannot speak of it or put it into words....nor do we want to continue with the ICEL version: Oh God, your nice....
May God help us all, and may the Holy Spirit be with our Bishops this week.

The end of the Season?

Well, it's been a PLU-Fest for the last month! Many PLUs have joined the ranks of Presbyters in the Long Black Line. There are new PLUs joining the Long Black Line. I can still remember years ago when a saintly Priest told us in the seminary, Gentlemen, you now stand at the end of a long black line that stretches all the way through the Apostles to Our Lord Jesus Christ." Welcome to the new men!
About the PLU-Fest... This year has seen many an ordination and First Mass. Of course, we can all count on the PUUs (People UNLIKE us) to get catty about our First Masses. But...He used too much incense! He had six candlesticks and faced the Crucifix! And why was he wearing those hats?
Then we have the comments from the ever-shorter gray line -- those who cherish their gray tabbies and love to tell us, "You younger clergy just don't get it. You can't go back." Yeah, Father, the Nashville Dominicans are just a fluke -- a passing fad. Who knew the centuries-old Dominican habit was soooooo trendy! By-the-way, Father, aren't you retiring in a few weeks? Sure will miss your sage advice!
One PLU put it well when, describing the reasoning behind the New Liturgical Movement, said that the people of God, for the last forty years, had experienced on Sunday morning -- not the foretaste of Heaven, but a preview of Purgatory. It is so good to see PLUs taking the places of those who are now retiring. Change is in the air, and as this year's ordination season draws to a close, the change is definitely for the better.