I don't think anyone has said that a formal presentation of data and petition through the appropriate and legitimate chain of command would not have some impact.

At the moment we are witnessing the perennial call to conference which is much akin to that instinctive need to form a committee or commission every time there's a task to be done, such as revised the revision of the revised liturgy.

I am sure that will be loads of both work and fun for the select few who will be able to attend such a conference, but I don't see the hard work of systematicly pulling together a presentation of data, and a petition happening at such a conference, nor do I see it as the necessary outcome of such a conference.

At this point I don't see that the oppositional group is any better organized or in touch with the clergy and laity than the liturgical commission has been or is at the moment. Both sides have a book and a commentary. Both sides apparently are acting above and beyond the reach of the parishes. So what? So what next.

A conference will be much the same thing we have here only there will be fewer people able to observe or participate, and more food and drink and face to face companionship. There will be no more of a connection to clery and laity there than there is here or in any meeting room in the Pittsburgh chancery.

I certainly have not give up on a formal presentation and petition that involves the clergy and parishes.

Have you?

Eli

One advantage of a conference is that people (even if a limited number) get to know each other, making all this a little more "real". Maybe the Divine Liturgy could be celebrated in strict accordance with the 1965 Liturgikon (i.e., with all litanies, etc. Then at least it would be experienced by those who have never participated in a full liturgy.

I am not really saying that a conference is worthless. I have enjoyed enough of them in my life.

I am simply commenting on the fact that there are some temporal and material limitations to viewing or presenting a conference as any kind of immediate resolution, or even the beginning of a substantial response to the stopping or delaying the promulgation of the pending revised translation of the liturgy.

I am saying that a substantial response, with heft value, [meaning one can hold the packet of data and petition in their hands]may have to be accomplished totally separate from any conference proceedings.

I am noting that scarce resources might be better spent doing something less dramatic and fun.

What actually gets done is really not anywhere near my sphere of influence.

Eli