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Guest
At mass our priest referred to the Holy Spirit several times as a “she.” I just about fell off of the pew. I am a woman and cringe when so many people rabidly dismiss all of the claims of feminism outright with just a wave of the hand as if female suffering at the hands of male chauvinism for centuries even up until today is not an offense before God. But this gender inclusive language in the mass has got to stop.
I am a new Catholic (I was raised as a Baptist) and I love the Catholic Church! I am learning so much and growing in ways I had never thought possible. I thank God for directing me home!!! But, I have noticed recently that all references to God as ‘he’ in the language of the mass is slowly being re-edited. At my home parish, I noticed that when reciting the Nicene Creed people don’t say “for us men and for our salvation” but they only say “for us and for our salvation.” Now, at the celebration of Pentecost, no less, the Priest refers to the Holy Spirit as “she.” Right after meditating on the homily the fact that we all stood up and proclaimed that we “believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the Giver of life who proceeds from the Father and the Son, with the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets,” felt like we were confused or at worse disingenuous.
I understand the theological arguments for the use of “she,” the Hebrew rendering of the Holy Spirit as a feminine word, etc. Yet, isn’t the Holy Spirit the spouse of the Virgin Mary? I also understand that God is genderless and that anthropomorphizing God was a heresy condemned in the fourth century. I also realize that I have not been on earth that long – I am a proud member of the millennial generation – and have only been a Catholic since Advent. I know that I don’t understand everything. But that reference made me felt uncomfortable.
Is there nothing that can be done? I am so new I don’t feel like it is my place to say anything, but is keeping the mass the way that it has been (for at least the years of my Catholic education, and attending mass on and off while I was still searching), with the gendered language and everything intact such a bad thing? Why does it offend so much? I am an African American and when I hear the psalmist say, “though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow, though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool” I do not feel the need to take out all references to whiteness in the Bible.
It doesn’t feel like a theological statement. It feels like a political one. But I feel like I should be humble and submit to the authority put before me. Yet even in the Catechism reference made to the Holy Spirit uses the pronoun ‘he’ or ‘it.’ Is there anything besides feeling awkward that I can/should do? Am I just woefully wrong and socially conditioned in feeling like something is wrong?
I am a new Catholic (I was raised as a Baptist) and I love the Catholic Church! I am learning so much and growing in ways I had never thought possible. I thank God for directing me home!!! But, I have noticed recently that all references to God as ‘he’ in the language of the mass is slowly being re-edited. At my home parish, I noticed that when reciting the Nicene Creed people don’t say “for us men and for our salvation” but they only say “for us and for our salvation.” Now, at the celebration of Pentecost, no less, the Priest refers to the Holy Spirit as “she.” Right after meditating on the homily the fact that we all stood up and proclaimed that we “believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the Giver of life who proceeds from the Father and the Son, with the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets,” felt like we were confused or at worse disingenuous.
I understand the theological arguments for the use of “she,” the Hebrew rendering of the Holy Spirit as a feminine word, etc. Yet, isn’t the Holy Spirit the spouse of the Virgin Mary? I also understand that God is genderless and that anthropomorphizing God was a heresy condemned in the fourth century. I also realize that I have not been on earth that long – I am a proud member of the millennial generation – and have only been a Catholic since Advent. I know that I don’t understand everything. But that reference made me felt uncomfortable.
Is there nothing that can be done? I am so new I don’t feel like it is my place to say anything, but is keeping the mass the way that it has been (for at least the years of my Catholic education, and attending mass on and off while I was still searching), with the gendered language and everything intact such a bad thing? Why does it offend so much? I am an African American and when I hear the psalmist say, “though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow, though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool” I do not feel the need to take out all references to whiteness in the Bible.
It doesn’t feel like a theological statement. It feels like a political one. But I feel like I should be humble and submit to the authority put before me. Yet even in the Catechism reference made to the Holy Spirit uses the pronoun ‘he’ or ‘it.’ Is there anything besides feeling awkward that I can/should do? Am I just woefully wrong and socially conditioned in feeling like something is wrong?
), I’m sure he wants to know what his congregation thinks. Changing the gender of God in the liturgy is a serious abuse, not only because it is making unauthorized changes to the liturgy but also because it is heresy. If you know other people who were offended/concerned by it, get them to go with you and talk to the priest together, or perhaps email the parish office/priest’s email?
. And most importantly, Welcome home to the The Church! :extrahappy: