Inclusive Language and the Liturglcal Prayer of the Church The issue or the masculine pronoun to designate the entire human The issue of "inclusive language" is neither simply nor race is no longer commonly accepted as it once was. The easily defined, however, with regard to liturgy, its question of how to deal with Scripture texts in which the proponents have two major goals: the use of inclusive audience addressed at the time of writing was male is still language in references to the human community and the another and more complex facet of this issue. development of non-masculine images of God. Current Status of Liturgical Texts Although God is Spirit, the revelation of God in Scripture It is important to make clear that these questions of and particularly in the New Testament is of a loving Father language are significant, a genuine source of pain for who sent his only begotten Son to redeem the human many women-and increasingly for men as well. They family from sin and death. While Scripture need to be taken seriously, to be addressed, and in contains other images of God, the image of BE? fact this task is already underway. In liturgy God as Father is central and has been •0.11. we deal mainly with two forms of texts: with traditionally accepted by the followers of ~~ the ritual texts of the Order of Mass in the Christ for almost 2,000 years. Those \"" Sacramentary and the other sacramental who seek to alter the language we use '0 rites (i.e. the prayers composed by the about God point out that God is more ..,. Church under the inspiration of the Holy than Father; they seek the exploration of ~,~ 5 Spirit,) and with texts from Scripture other non-masculine images of God, ~·~: ..Th found in the lectionary. Both the particularly those contained in Scripture W. -+- Sacramentary and lectionary and object specifically to the constant use ~. ' ! :r,>.;f.@f ~ translations currently in use date back to of the masculine pronoun for God ...who is VA 0 the sixties and seve~ties when i~clusive essentially pure spirit, and therefore neither V, ~:1"x"'\ language was not an Issue of public male nor female. O'1VE 'St{~\ concern. Revision of these two sets of texts Cornoared wi h he i f G d I • has been in process for some time under the ompare Wit t e Issue 0 0 - anguage, the goal of dl r f ICEl th b d ibl f . d more inclusive language for the human community seems tree I~n 0 .' ~ 0 y re~ponsl. e or revismq an relatively simple. The problem centers in large part preparll)g new liturgical t~xts.1n Englls~. I.n1980 ~CEl . around differences between Latin and English: the Latin Issued a statemen~ pledqinq Itself to prl~cl~les o! inclusive language from which our translations of prayer texts are language an~ has In~o~poratedthose ~rlnclples .1n~0 derived contains two words, "vir" (male person) and subsequent ritual revl~~ons,e.g. the Rite of An~m.tmg and "ho . e "(h ) t d . t t t Pastoral Care of the Sick and the Order of Ohtistien rmn m uman race 0 esiqna e separa e concep s F, I .. for which in English we have only one word, "man". In the ,unera 5, as well as the revised e.dltl~n ~f the past it was commonly accepted that when rendered in S~cr~mentar>:'scheduled for publication In 1.994: The. English each of these differing Latin words would be criteria establlshe.d by the U~CC for e~aluatlng .lncl~slve translated "man" WI'th'lnthe p t t d d howei language translations of SCripture are Included In this . as wo eca es, owever, . fWd W hi d i J f hi h perceptions have changed and the use of the word "man" Iss~e 0 or on o.rs tp an In une ~ t ISyear t e United States Catholic Conference of Bishops voted to Inclusive Language and the "Liturgical Prayer of the Church The issue or the masculine pronoun to designate the entire human The issue of "inclusive language" is neither simply nor race is no longer commonly accepted as it once was. The easily defined, however, with regard to liturgy, its question of how to deal with Scripture texts in which the proponents have two major goals: the use of inclusive audience addressed at the time of writing was male is still language in references to the human community and the another and more complex facet of this issue. development of non-masculine images of God. Current Status of Liturgical Texts Although God is Spirit, the revelation of God in Scripture It is important to make clear that these questions of and particularly in the New Testament is of a loving Father language are significant, a genuine source of pain for who sent his only begotten Son to redeem the human many women-and increasingly for men as well. They family from sin and death. While Scripture need to be taken seriously, to be addressed, and in contains other images of God, the image of G fact this task is already underway. In liturgy God as Father is central and has been v 0.11 we deal mainly with two forms of texts: with traditionally accepted by the followers of ~ ~ the ritual texts of the Order of Mass in the Christ for almost 2,000 years. Those \,.. Sacramentary and the other sacramental who seek to alter the language we use 0 rites (i.e. the prayers composed by the about God point out that God is more .,. Church under the inspiration of the Holy than Father; they seek the exploration of ~,; -5 Spirit,) and with texts from Scripture other non-masculine images of God, ~'~J] found in the lectionary. Both the particularly those contained in Scripture . w'Wt.~ -+- Sacramentary and lectionary and object specifically to the constant use ~. ; ~ JPS tran~la~ions currently .in use da~e bac.k to of the masculine pronoun for God ...who is v/\ \Jpiil 0 the sixties and seventies when inclusive essentially pure spirit, and therefore neither V, ~--:1';.X: language was not an issue of public male nor female. Or«.'St{~\ concern. Revision of these two sets of texts Cornoared wi h he i f God I • has been in process for some time under the ompare Wit t e Issue 0 - anguage, the goal of di f f ICEl th b d ibl f . d more inclusive language for the human community seems tree I~n 0 .' ~ 0 y re~ponsl. e or revismq an relatively simple. The problem centers in large part prepadrlQgnetw hturtglcladlt~xts.1n Elfnglls~. I.n11980f ~CEIl . around differences between Latin and English: the Latin Issue a sta emen. p e glng itse to Prl~CI~es o. InCusive language from which our translations of prayer texts are language an~ has In~o~porated those ~nnclples .1n~0 derived contains two words, "vir" (male person) and subsequent ntual revl~~ons, e.g. the RIte of An~m.tmg and "hominem" (human rac e) t0 desiqna. te separa te concep ts FPastoral, I Care of the SIck and.. the Order. of Chtistien for which in English we have only one word, "man". In the ,unera s, as well as the revised e.dltl~n ~f the past it was commonly accepted that when rendered in S~cr~mentar>:' scheduled for publication In 1~94: The. English each of these differing Latin words would be cnteria establlshe.d by the U~CC for e~aluatlng .lncl~slve translated "man" WI-th'lnthe p t t d d howei language translations of Scnpture are Included In this . as wo eca es, owever, . f'AI d .AI hi. d i J f hi h perceptions have changed and the use of the word "man" Iss~e 0 vvor on IIlIo.rs Ip an In une ~ t ISyear t e United States Catholic Conference of Bishops voted to accept the revieed Lectionary (New translations can and should be made in there is the tragic case of congregations American Bible translation) which now light of additional knowledge in pertinent of religious who, because they have awaits the approval of Rome. A second areas, and with the goal of providing the become divided about the texts they will revised biblical translation, the New finest possible rendering of the message use for communal prayer are literally RS.V., already approved by Rome, has of Scripture in the language of a given unable any longer to pray together. As also been accepted for liturgical use in the time. Distinguishing between what is Americans we are accustomed to the United States. essential to revelation and what is not, "quick fix"; to getting what we want however, is the province of the teaching immediately - or even yesterday. If a Ad·hoc Pastoral Solutions authority of the Church under the process moves too slowly for our liking, Revised translatlons of Lectionary and guidance of the Holy Spirit. we find it natural to take matters into our Sacramentary will respond to the bulk of A second practice which needs to be own hands, to make our own arbitrary concerns about inclusive language, examined is that of groups or individuals adjustments. What we need to look at particularly those related to "horizontal" who alter the communally recited people's now are the long-term consequences of communal prayer fractured by disunity; of language, however, it is reasonably text of the Mass in order to avoid certain that all will not be satisfied.