Changes Readings to be "Inclusive"

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Our Liturgy Committee Meeting is tonight, so I am desperate for a quick respone! Thank you. Our lectors are being instructed to change the wording in the readings to be more inclusive–like from “men” to “people,” etc. I either have to confront or move to a different parish. I live in the Diocese of Rochester NY and these changes, I am sure, are supported by our Bishop. What do I do? I want to find a parish that is Orthodox, but isn’t that just running away from the problem?
 
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Sue:
Our Liturgy Committee Meeting is tonight, so I am desperate for a quick respone! Thank you. Our lectors are being instructed to change the wording in the readings to be more inclusive–like from “men” to “people,” etc. I either have to confront or move to a different parish. I live in the Diocese of Rochester NY and these changes, I am sure, are supported by our Bishop. What do I do? I want to find a parish that is Orthodox, but isn’t that just running away from the problem?
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Thankfully it’s not up to your Bishop. Such ad hoc changes are not allowed by the Church. They are a product of personal pride (and likely sexism.)

Following is a letter from the US Bishops:

"4. What about inclusive language?

The new Lectionary strives for maximum possible fidelity to the biblical text. When that text is not gender specific, the new Lectionary is not gender specific. When the text is gender specific, the new Lectionary is gender specific. While certain tools are appropriate to achieve such inclusivity (for example, whoever, the one, anyone, etc…), other tools (for example, change of person and number) change the meaning of the biblical text. **The new Lectionary never changes the biblical text in order to make it more “inclusive”. **

nccbuscc.org/liturgy/innews/298.htm
 
Wow. Assuming that a parish liturgy committee can retranslate the sacred scripture proclaimed in Mass on it’s own authority - even if it is supported by the local Bishop - takes some guts. You are right to object in the strongest possible terms.

In my opinion, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) speaks to the issue. In Section 128 (and elsewhere) it is clear that the Lectors proclaim scripture from the Lectionary. No provision is made for proclamations of scripture from privately produced translations, only from the Lectionary.
  1. After the Collect, all sit. The priest may, very briefly, introduce the faithful to the Liturgy of the Word. Then the lector goes to the ambo and, from the Lectionary already placed there before Mass, proclaims the first reading, to which all listen. At the end, the lector says the acclamation Verbum Domini (The word of the Lord), and all respond, Deo gratias (Thanks be to God).
In Section 391, authority is clearly given to the Conferences of Bishops (the USCCB, not your individual Bishop) to provide the translations of biblical translations used in the Mass. Again, that points to the official Lectionary as approved by the USCCB, not a private translation produced by a parish liturgy committee to be “inclusive”.
  1. It is up to the Conferences of Bishops to provide for the translations of the biblical texts used in the celebration of Mass, exercising special care in this. For it is out of the Sacred Scripture that the readings are read and explained in the homily and that psalms are sung, and it is drawing upon the inspiration and spirit of Sacred Scripture that prayers, orations, and liturgical songs are fashioned in such a way that from them actions and signs derive their meaning.150
That’s my two cents. I hope it helps.

Blessings.
 
While they’re at it change their name to Parish Dissent Committee. Inclusive Language The term inclusive as applied to Liturgical language is actually a misnomer, an invention of the feminists who want to change the very name of God. Instead of God the Father, feminists want “God the Mother” and to erase all references to masculine pronouns with reference to God. This is all consistent with [Feminist Theology](Vocabulary of Terms Commonly Used by Dissenters Theology). For an in-depth discussion, see the Vertical Inclusive Language article
 
Unless somebody on your liturgy committee is named Pope John Paul II, nobody there has authority to change anything about the Mass, and even he does not have the authority to change sacred scripture, so my guess is the answer is NO
 
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