That is true from the theological perspective but it doesn’t hold much water during the Novus Ordo liturgy. There are passages where the faithful have to answer because the priest answers them in turn. “Let us proclaim the mystery of our faith”, and nobody answers. I’ve already seen the Gloria being said like it was re-written, simply because the faithful didn’t say their part. I could see the priest was not very comfortable with it either.
I’ve sometimes seen priests who might have a more “quiet” or even “shy” congregation start the responses for them and then the congregation will join in. It works that way when the priests like to have the responses chanted back. As the cantor, I don’t sing into the microphone or anything like that. I just stay where I’m standing and chant out the responses. Having a more confident person doing it helps the rest of the congregation to feel more confident with the responses as well. I know that sounds strange, but it can be the case in some parishes. Perhaps that priest should try the same thing? I really don’t know what your parish is like, but I’ve seen that work at various parishes that I’ve attended or worked in.
As far as “spiritual growth” goes, that is a very fuzzy term that can mean anything and nothing at the same time. The truth is out there, as they say, and in this case 't is writen in the old Latin Missals: our answers and prayers in church are to be clear and convinced. Et clamor meus ad te veniat! That is how liturgy works. Especially Vaticanum II liturgy. It’s just too silly to see people in church who do not say the Our Father out loud. The Rosary works the same way. I never heard of anybody preventing me to say the Ave Maria out loud because it was preventing my “spiritual growth”. LEX ORANDI, LEX CREDENDI!
As a person who has no problem with clearly saying or chanting the responses either in the English NO or the Latin NO, I’m fine with this. And I agree, I would think it’s strange to not hear people say the Our Father - which I’ve never experienced before, although I know that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen elsewhere. Where I am, the congregations are usually the most robust in sound when they chant or say the Our Father - even at the weddings and funerals.
At the same time, there have been points in my life whether something as simple as having laryngitis or just being at a contemplative, meditative moment in time, saying my responses inwardly (yet “clearly” and with “conviction”) was much more meaningful and sincere to me than to have an outward, audible response. To do the opposite would not have been as spiritually nourishing for me during those moments.
To me, “clear and convinced” can be interpreted as either an outward conviction or an inward conviction. One can be just as clear and convinced inwardly as outwardly. As a number of the priests in my area have addressed during homilies, although it’s great that there are those who want to participate outwardly at mass whether vocally or physically, the inward participation is just as wonderful and special.
