No bishop would be crass enough to begin a pastoral letter with “Dear brothers in Jesus Christ”, ignoring the fact that at least half the faithful are his sisters. Inclusive language is now the norm, and anything else is plain misogyny. Pope Francis’ latest encyclical is addressed to Fratelli tutti because the title is a quotation from his namesake, but he goes on: “With these words St Francis of Assisi addressed his brothers and sisters …”
What on earth, then, has possessed the bishops of England and Wales to adopt a translation of the Bible for the readings at Mass that was produced 20 years ago, and which regards “men” as an adequate term for men and women, or “man” for the whole of humanity?
28 January 2021, The Tablet
Bishops ignore women. Again
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