Are priests allowed to alter the text of the Gospel?

[Phaedrus]

I submitted this question to “Ask the Apologists” several weeks ago, but it was not addressed. Thought I would submit it to the board at large.

A few Sundays ago (Sept. 8), our deacon read the Gospel, and he made numerous changes to the text. For example “If your brother sins against you…” became “If your neighbor sins against you…”. Every masculine pronoun was altered to be “gender neutral”. When I asked the deacon about it, he said that the priest had asked him to make the changes to make the Gospel reading more “universal”.

Now, I am used to the inevitable (and unnecessary) “and sisters” added to all of Paul’s “brothers”, but this seemed to cross the line. I was certain that a priest should not be able to do this, but I have searched the internet and the archives of this forum until my eyes were sore and have been unable to find any direct reference to it this matter.

I don’t want to make a big deal out of nothing, but I detest political correctness, and I don’t feel that it has any place in the Church. If what the priest did was wrong, how do I address it?

Thanks for helping me with this!

Under the Mercy,
Phaedrus

 

[hilde_the_dog]

Phaedrus

i would be concerned gravely if anyone changed the readings esp. from the the Gospels and especially from a Deacon as He should have enough backbone to know that is not right, but as some times you do hear renditions of a Psalm with the words changed but not altering its meaning. PC **** is wrong.

 

[brad2bad]

When i asked “the apologist” under what circumstance the Gospel could be skipped, Fr. Serpa wisely replied"

"None. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) states in # 12: "In the celebration of Mass the biblical readings with their accompanying chants from Sacred Scriptures may not be omitted, shortened, or, worse still, replaced by nonbiblical readings…"

However, my Pastor replies as follows:
As for the GIRM norm you noted, there are exceptions to almost every rule. You will note in the “Word and Song” book that we use which is in compliance with Church norms, that there are sometimes shortened forms of readings. We have the same option in many of our liturgical books. At Christmas many Catholic churches opt to have either children or others portray the nativity of the Lord without the official reading of the gospel and sometimes it is lengthened by the extra dialogue that is added to heighten our appreciation of the humanity of Christ and the Holy Family. I bring these exceptions to your attention not to argue with you but to point out two obvious and acceptable forms of decisions to enhance the experience of the Scriptures."

Are there exception to the GIRM that allow loopholes to doing it right?

 

[John_Lilburne]

No, the deacon was breaching canon 846 §1 of the Code of Canon Law.

“The liturgical books, approved by the competent authority, are to be faithfully followed in the celebration of the sacraments. Accordingly, no one may on personal initiative add to or omit or alter anything in those books.”
(The Code of Canon Law: New revised English Translation, HarperCollins Liturgical, 1997, ISBN 000599375X. Another translation is at vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_INDEX.HTM )

The liturgical book in this case is the Lectionary for Mass. A text has been properly approved by a Conference of Bishops and the Vatican. If it has “brothers” which someone changes to “brothers and sisters” then they have added something to the liturgical book, which canon 846 says should not be done.

The 2004 Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum included:
“[59.] The reprobated practice by which Priests, Deacons or the faithful here and there alter or vary at will the texts of the Sacred Liturgy that they are charged to pronounce, must cease. For in doing thus, they render the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy unstable, and not infrequently distort the authentic meaning of the Liturgy.”

 

[Joan_M]

When i asked “the apologist” under what circumstance the Gospel could be skipped, Fr. Serpa wisely replied"

"None. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) states in # 12: "In the celebration of Mass the biblical readings with their accompanying chants from Sacred Scriptures may not be omitted, shortened, or, worse still, replaced by nonbiblical readings…"

However, my Pastor replies as follows:
As for the GIRM norm you noted, there are exceptions to almost every rule. You will note in the “Word and Song” book that we use which is in compliance with Church norms, that there are sometimes shortened forms of readings. We have the same option in many of our liturgical books. At Christmas many Catholic churches opt to have either children or others portray the nativity of the Lord without the official reading of the gospel and sometimes it is lengthened by the extra dialogue that is added to heighten our appreciation of the humanity of Christ and the Holy Family. I bring these exceptions to your attention not to argue with you but to point out two obvious and acceptable forms of decisions to enhance the experience of the Scriptures."

Are there exception to the GIRM that allow loopholes to doing it right?

Unfortunately, the “loopholes” are in the mind of the person making them! Yes, there are sometimes short forms of readings - they are marked in red in the Missal, and if they are indicated, then it is perfectly legitimate to use them. However, any parishes öpting to have children or others … are just committing liturgical abuses! The GIRM and the rubrics of the Missal are very clear about what is to be done.

Why, why can’t our clergy just be obedient!

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

However, my Pastor replies as follows:
As for the GIRM norm you noted, there are exceptions to almost every rule. You will note in the “Word and Song” book that we use which is in compliance with Church norms, that there are sometimes shortened forms of readings. We have the same option in many of our liturgical books. At Christmas many Catholic churches opt to have either children or others portray the nativity of the Lord without the official reading of the gospel and sometimes it is lengthened by the extra dialogue that is added to heighten our appreciation of the humanity of Christ and the Holy Family. I bring these exceptions to your attention not to argue with you but to point out two obvious and acceptable forms of decisions to enhance the experience of the Scriptures."

Are there exception to the GIRM that allow loopholes to doing it right?

All your pastor provided were two obvious forms of bad judgment and liturgical abuse. The only obvious thing about the situation is that anyone with with half a brain who has read the GIRM knows all options are made explicit and none is made for changing the text of the lectionary/evangelary. It takes a certain level of mental incompetence or bad intention to justify the vast majority of liturgical abuses we experience in our parishes.

NB - high level of vitriol duly noted and allowed to myself for a moment