Letters

Inclusive language (letter)

George F. Simpson

Contents - Jun 2002 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Corpus Christi: at the core of the Faith - Michael Gilchrist Liturgy: New English Missal: Archbishop Pell to chair international Vox Clara committee - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World - AD2000 Neocatechumenal Way setting up its second Australian seminary - Richard Egan Sydney initiative to strengthen Catholic influence at university - Robert Haddad A post-1968 Catholic's view of R.E.: 'My generation was shortchanged' - Mark Power Moral leadership of American hierarchy under scrutiny at Rome meeting - Philip Lawler Following our baptismal calling takes courage - Chrism Mass homily - Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett How John Paul II's 'new springtime' came to an American parish - Elizabeth A. Wittman Pope John Paul II on Catholic Action (from Ecclesia in Oceania) - Pope John Paul II Letters: IVF expansion (letter) - Brian A. Coman Letters: Father Fessio (letter) - P.A. McKenna Letters: An exemplary priest (letter) - John Monaghan Letters: Heroic fantasy (letter) - Hal G.P. Colebatch Events: Talks on the Faith at Thomas More Centre - AD2000 Letters: Good example (letter) - Paul Foster Letters: Radio apostolate (letter) - Maureen Federico Letters: Inclusive language (letter) - George F. Simpson Letters: Accuracy (letter) - Fr John Crothers PP Letters: Excellent edition (letter) - Anne Boyce Letters: Ambiguities (letter) - Valentine Gallagher Letters: Latin Course (letter) - Rev V.I. Falconer SJ Letters: (letter) Letters: Latin Masses in Victoria (letter) - William Campbell Books: 'Right And Reason: Ethics in theory and practice', by Fr Austin Fagothey SJ - Michael Casanova (reviewer) Books: 'Socrates Meets Jesus', by Peter Kreeft - Arthur N. Ballingall (reviewer) Books: The Travels of Friar Odoric, 14th Century journal of Blessed Odoric of Pordenone - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) Books: New Titles from AD Books Reflection: A reason for mercy: healing post-abortion trauma - Anne R. Lastman

Eric G. Miller asks by what right hymns sung at Mass are amended to incorporate inclusive language (April AD2000). The answer is by no right at all.

In 1995 The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith issued the document: Norms for the Translation of Biblical Texts for Use in the Liturgy.

As the instruction applies not merely to discipline but to revelation, it cannot be changed by bishops or local bishops' conferences. The document instructs, inter alia, that the Church must seek to accurately translate the inherited texts. It contains the instruction that there shall be no systematic substitution of the masculine pronoun or possessive adjective to refer to God in correspondence to the original text.

Some may claim that hymns are not biblical texts and are not, therefore, covered by the above instructions. I would argue, however, that their contents are inspired by Divine Scripture and their mutilation is in defiance of the spirit of the law.

GEORGE SIMPSON
North Blackburn, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 15 No 5 (June 2002), p. 15