Donald Walter Trautman
Encyclopedia
Donald Walter Trautman is an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
who serves as Bishop of Erie
.
, New York
, and attended Niagara University
in Lewiston
. He studied theology under Karl Rahner
at the University of Innsbruck in Austria
, from where he obtained his Licentiate of Sacred Theology
in 1962. He was ordained to the priesthood in Innsbruck
on April 7, 1962, for the Diocese of Buffalo
. Upon his return, he was successively made a parish]administrator in Collins
and associate pastor in Buffalo.
He later studied biblical language for one year at The Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
, continuing his post-graduate work in Rome
at the Pontifical Biblical Institute
, earning his licentiate
in Scripture in 1965. During his studies in Rome, Trautman served as a peritus
, or theological expert, at the Second Vatican Council
. In 1966, he earned his doctorate in Sacred Theology
from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.
From 1966 to 1973, he taught Scripture and theology at St. John Vianney Seminary, now Christ the King Seminary, where he also served as dean of students. Trautman worked as a retreat master for religious communities
, and vice-president and president of Buffalo's Pastoral Council
. He was private secretary to Bishop Edward Head, and later named Chancellor
(1973) and Vicar General
(1974) of Buffalo. He was raised to the rank of an Honorary Prelate of His Holiness
in 1975.
On February 27, 1985, Trautman was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Buffalo and Titular Bishop
of Sassura by Pope John Paul II
. He received episcopal consecration
on the following April 16 from Bishop Head, with Bishops Bernard Joseph McLaughlin
and Stanislaus Joseph Brzana
serving as co-consecrators, at St. Joseph Cathedral. After a period of pastoral work, he became rector of Christ the King Seminary.
Trautman was later named Bishop of Diocese of Erie
in Erie
, Pennsylvania
on June 2, 1990. As Bishop of Erie, he has energized the diocesan youth and vocational programs
, renovated the interior of St. Peter Cathedral
, and established a diocesan Deposit and Loan Fund and a retirement home for clergy dedicated in honor of his predecessor, Bishop Michael Joseph Murphy.
He is an a participant of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
, having served as chairman of the Committees on Doctrine, USCCB Financial Audit, and currently Liturgy. Bishop Trautman has also been the episcopal moderator of the Apostleship of the Sea
and of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference.
The April 4, 2007 edition of L'Osservatore Romano
accidentally announced Bishop Trautman had died when he was confused with former bishop Michael Murphy, who had died April 2. The mistake was also noted by a cartoon in the The Tablet
.
He was critical of the motu proprio
Summorum Pontificum
and indicated that those priests who celebrate such a Mass would first need to show that they have the requisite knowledge of its rubrics and of Latin
. Trautman has been a vocal proponent of "inclusive language" and was appointed chairman of the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy (BCL) from 1993-1996 during a period of great controversy and extended debates over the proposed revisions of the "Sacramentary" (Roman Missal
) and the revised translation of the Lectionary
. The Holy See
eventually rejected the Committee's proposed "Sacramentary" in 1998. Bishop Trautman is also on the editorial board of "We Believe!", a group of progressive liturgists organized in 1994 to oppose "roll backs" in liturgical reform.
In June 2011, Bishop Trautman turned 75, at which point Canon Law
request that a bishop tender his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI
. Trautman will continue serving as Bishop of Erie until the Pope accepts the letter of resignation, which could take anywhere from 6 months to several years.
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
who serves as Bishop of Erie
Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie is a Roman Catholic diocese in western Pennsylvania. It was founded on July 29, 1853. It is one of seven suffragan sees in Pennsylvania that make up the Ecclesiastical Province of Philadelphia, which is headed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.-...
.
Biography
Donald Trautman was born in BuffaloBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and attended Niagara University
Niagara University
Niagara University is a Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition, located in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. Originally founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, it became Niagara University in 1883. The University is still run by...
in Lewiston
Lewiston (town), New York
Lewiston is a town in Niagara County, New York United States. The population was 16,262 at the 2010 census. The town and its contained village are named after Morgan Lewis, a governor of New York....
. He studied theology under Karl Rahner
Karl Rahner
Karl Rahner, SJ was a German Jesuit and theologian who, alongside Bernard Lonergan and Hans Urs von Balthasar, is considered one of the most influential Roman Catholic theologians of the 20th century...
at the University of Innsbruck in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, from where he obtained his Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology is the title of the second cycle of studies of a Faculty of Theology offered by a pontifical universities or ecclesiastical faculties of sacred theology. An Ecclesiastical Faculty offers three cycles of study: Baccalaureate or fundamentals, Licentiate or specialized,...
in 1962. He was ordained to the priesthood in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
on April 7, 1962, for the Diocese of Buffalo
Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo
The Diocese of Buffalo is a Catholic diocese headquartered in Buffalo, New York, USA. The current Bishop is the Most Rev. Edward U. Kmiec.The Diocese of Buffalo was established 23 April 1847. It consists of Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Orleans, Chautauqua, Wyoming, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties...
. Upon his return, he was successively made a parish]administrator in Collins
Collins, New York
Collins is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The town is on the south border of the county and is considered to be one of the "Southtowns" of Erie County. The population indicated by the 2000 census was 8,307. The population for 2007 is estimated at 7,092, a loss of 1,215...
and associate pastor in Buffalo.
He later studied biblical language for one year at The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, continuing his post-graduate work in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
at the Pontifical Biblical Institute
Pontifical Biblical Institute
The Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, Italy is an institution of the Holy See run by the Jesuits that offers instruction at the university level...
, earning his licentiate
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
in Scripture in 1965. During his studies in Rome, Trautman served as a peritus
Peritus
Peritus is the title given to Roman Catholic theologians who are present to give advice at an ecumenical council. At the most recent council, the Second Vatican Council, some periti accompanied individual bishops or groups of bishops from various countries...
, or theological expert, at the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
. In 1966, he earned his doctorate in Sacred Theology
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.
From 1966 to 1973, he taught Scripture and theology at St. John Vianney Seminary, now Christ the King Seminary, where he also served as dean of students. Trautman worked as a retreat master for religious communities
Roman Catholic religious order
Catholic religious orders are, historically, a category of Catholic religious institutes.Subcategories are canons regular ; monastics ; mendicants Catholic religious orders are, historically, a category of Catholic religious institutes.Subcategories are canons regular (canons and canonesses regular...
, and vice-president and president of Buffalo's Pastoral Council
Pastoral Council
Not to be confused with Parish councilIn Catholic dioceses and parishes, Pastoral Councils may be established by the diocesan Bishop or pastor. They are consultative bodies which serve to advise them regarding pastoral issues....
. He was private secretary to Bishop Edward Head, and later named Chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
(1973) and Vicar General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
(1974) of Buffalo. He was raised to the rank of an Honorary Prelate of His Holiness
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1975.
On February 27, 1985, Trautman was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Buffalo and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Sassura by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. He received episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following April 16 from Bishop Head, with Bishops Bernard Joseph McLaughlin
Bernard Joseph McLaughlin
Bernard Joseph McLaughlin is an American Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the second oldest American Bishop behind Peter Leo Gerety of Trenton, New Jersey....
and Stanislaus Joseph Brzana
Stanislaus Joseph Brzana
Stanislaus Joseph Brzana was the tenth Roman Catholic Bishop of Ogdensburg .Stanislaus Brzana was born in Buffalo, New York, to Frank and Catherine Brzana. He studied at at St. Bonaventure University, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1941...
serving as co-consecrators, at St. Joseph Cathedral. After a period of pastoral work, he became rector of Christ the King Seminary.
Trautman was later named Bishop of Diocese of Erie
Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie is a Roman Catholic diocese in western Pennsylvania. It was founded on July 29, 1853. It is one of seven suffragan sees in Pennsylvania that make up the Ecclesiastical Province of Philadelphia, which is headed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.-...
in Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
on June 2, 1990. As Bishop of Erie, he has energized the diocesan youth and vocational programs
Vocational discernment in the Catholic Church
Vocational discernment is the process in which men or women in the Catholic Church discern, or determine, their vocation in the Church. Though one may also speak of discerning a vocation to marriage or to life as a single person, discerning a vocation most frequently refers to a special vocation...
, renovated the interior of St. Peter Cathedral
St. Peter Cathedral, Erie
St. Peter Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located in at 230 West 10th Street in Erie, Pennsylvania.-History:Plans for the building of St. Peter Cathedral were initiated in 1873 by Bishop Tobias Mullen of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. The cornerstone was laid in a formal ceremony held on...
, and established a diocesan Deposit and Loan Fund and a retirement home for clergy dedicated in honor of his predecessor, Bishop Michael Joseph Murphy.
He is an a participant of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
, having served as chairman of the Committees on Doctrine, USCCB Financial Audit, and currently Liturgy. Bishop Trautman has also been the episcopal moderator of the Apostleship of the Sea
Apostleship of the Sea
The Apostleship of the Sea is an agency of the Catholic Church. It is also sometimes known as Stella Maris , and its patron is the Virgin Mary as Our Lady, Star of the Sea...
and of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference.
The April 4, 2007 edition of L'Osservatore Romano
L'Osservatore Romano
L'Osservatore Romano is the "semi-official" newspaper of the Holy See. It covers all the Pope's public activities, publishes editorials by important churchmen, and runs official documents after being released...
accidentally announced Bishop Trautman had died when he was confused with former bishop Michael Murphy, who had died April 2. The mistake was also noted by a cartoon in the The Tablet
The Tablet
The Tablet is a Catholic international weekly review published in London. Contributors to its pages have included Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Paul VI ....
.
He was critical of the motu proprio
Motu proprio
A motu proprio is a document issued by the Pope on his own initiative and personally signed by him....
Summorum Pontificum
Summorum Pontificum
Summorum Pontificum is an Apostolic Letter of Pope Benedict XVI, issued "motu proprio" . The document specified the rules, for the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, for celebrating Mass according to the "Missal promulgated by John XXIII in 1962" , and for administering most of the sacraments in...
and indicated that those priests who celebrate such a Mass would first need to show that they have the requisite knowledge of its rubrics and of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. Trautman has been a vocal proponent of "inclusive language" and was appointed chairman of the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy (BCL) from 1993-1996 during a period of great controversy and extended debates over the proposed revisions of the "Sacramentary" (Roman Missal
Roman Missal
The Roman Missal is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.-Situation before the Council of Trent:...
) and the revised translation of the Lectionary
Lectionary
A Lectionary is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion.-History:...
. The Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
eventually rejected the Committee's proposed "Sacramentary" in 1998. Bishop Trautman is also on the editorial board of "We Believe!", a group of progressive liturgists organized in 1994 to oppose "roll backs" in liturgical reform.
In June 2011, Bishop Trautman turned 75, at which point Canon Law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
request that a bishop tender his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. Trautman will continue serving as Bishop of Erie until the Pope accepts the letter of resignation, which could take anywhere from 6 months to several years.
See also
External links
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