diff --git a/changelog/21.bugfix.rst b/changelog/21.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7afdbf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/21.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix opening towncrier templates.
diff --git a/sphinx_changelog/directive.py b/sphinx_changelog/directive.py
index 4294f2e..adf1118 100644
--- a/sphinx_changelog/directive.py
+++ b/sphinx_changelog/directive.py
@@ -49,11 +49,8 @@ def render_towncrier(self):
         config_path = self.options.get("towncrier") or "../"
         config_path = self.get_absolute_path(config_path)
         skip_if_empty = "towncrier-skip-if-empty" in self.options
-        try:
-            changelog = generate_changelog_for_docs(config_path, skip_if_empty=skip_if_empty,
-                                                    underline=self.options.get('towncrier-title-underline-index', 0))
-        except Exception as exc:
-            raise self.severe(str(exc))
+        changelog = generate_changelog_for_docs(config_path, skip_if_empty=skip_if_empty,
+                                                underline=self.options.get('towncrier-title-underline-index', 0))
         return statemachine.string2lines(changelog, convert_whitespace=True)
 
     def include_changelog(self):
diff --git a/sphinx_changelog/towncrier.py b/sphinx_changelog/towncrier.py
index 4e9dc96..6ad4b92 100644
--- a/sphinx_changelog/towncrier.py
+++ b/sphinx_changelog/towncrier.py
@@ -6,9 +6,14 @@
 licenses/TOWNCRIER.rst
 """
 import os
+import sys
 from datetime import date
 
-import pkg_resources
+if sys.version_info < (3, 10):
+    import importlib_resources as resources
+else:
+    from importlib import resources
+
 from towncrier._builder import (find_fragments, render_fragments,
                                 split_fragments)
 from towncrier._project import get_project_name, get_version
@@ -40,10 +45,10 @@ def generate_changelog_for_docs(directory, skip_if_empty=True, underline=1):
     os.chdir(base_directory)
 
     print("Loading template...")
-    if config.template is None:
-        template = pkg_resources.resource_string(
-            "towncrier", "templates/default.rst"
-        ).decode("utf8")
+    if isinstance(config.template, tuple):
+        template = (
+            resources.files(config.template[0]).joinpath(config.template[1]).read_text()
+        )
     else:
         with open(config.template, "rb") as tmpl:
             template = tmpl.read().decode("utf8")