Is it okay to say "God, our Father and Mother" at Mass?

[RPRPsych]

I’ve recently noticed that a lot of the visiting priests at our parish tend to substitute “God, our Father and Mother” for the more usual “God our Father” in various parts of the liturgy during Mass. I find the usage awkward myself, and would much prefer sticking to “God our Father” but that may just be my prejudice speaking. Does the Church officially permit this term as an alternate formula, or is it just a case of political correctness run amok?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Actually, it’s a case of liturgical and theological incorrectness run amok. Not only has a priest no authority to change the words of the Mass, but the entire Christian tradition is opposed to calling God “our Mother.” Since this is a problem with visiting priests, I recommend talking to the pastor about your concern. You may wish to show him this paragraph from Redemptionis Sacramentum:

In keeping with the solemn promises that they have made in the rite of sacred ordination and renewed each year in the Mass of the Chrism, let priests celebrate “devoutly and faithfully the mysteries of Christ for the praise of God and the sanctification of the Christian people, according to the tradition of the Church, especially in the eucharistic sacrifice and in the sacrament of reconciliation.” They ought not to detract from the profound meaning of their own ministry by corrupting the liturgical celebration either through alteration or omission, or through arbitrary additions. For as St. Ambrose said, “It is not in herself … but in us that the Church is injured. Let us take care so that our own failure may not cause injury to the Church.” Let the Church of God not be injured, then, by priests who have so solemnly dedicated themselves to the ministry. Indeed, under the bishop’s authority let them faithfully seek to prevent others as well from committing this type of distortion (RS 31, emphasis added).