My parish has been having visiting priests recently, and two of them have had the unfortunate habit of addressing the congregation by saying, “My sisters and brothers . . . “
To my mind, this is just sad.
It comes off something like a parent being overly chummy with the young ‘uns by trying (and failing) to use the latest teen-lingo and sounding out of touch instead.
Let’s talk about the alternatives.
1) “Brethren” – This has been the standard way of addressing mix-gender religious congregations in English for the last several million years.
It sounds formal, but natural—which is what you want. Something elevated in tone in keeping with the religious nature of the gathering, but not something that’s going to pop out to the listener as an unnatural or forced expression, which would cause the listener to pop out of the worship experience and start thinking about how you are using language rather than what you are using language to say.
While “brethren” did originally mean “brothers” (not like that’s a bad thing), the term is no longer in colloquial use and people don’t parse it to mean “brothers.” They know without having to stop to think about it that everybody is included.
2) “Brothers” – This is the contemporary equivalent of “brethren.” It sounds less formal, but the term is more likely to be taken as exclusive of women. In some Christian churches they use this word without any problem, but in the contemporary Catholic parish there is likely to be enough political correctness to make an alternative desirable.
3) “My brothers and sisters” – This is the common alternative that gets used. It even gets used by the pope. Given the gender-sensitivities that exist these days, I can deal with this one, although it’s a shame that people have given up so quickly on the virtually ideal term “brethren.”
The one place I absolutely hate “my brothers and sisters,” though, is in Scripture readings. I’m sorry, but Greek had a way to say “sisters,” and St. Paul could have effortlessly written his epistles saying “adelphoi kai adelphai” if he wanted to. To translate “adelphoi” as “brothers and sisters” is inaccurate. Further, it allows political correctness to intrude upon and “correct” the word of God.
Any of these, though, are preferable to “my sisters and brothers.”
Why?
Because communities use conventional modes of expression for a reason: They let people to focus on meaning rather than having to pause to ponder the mode of expression. Further, using the community’s norms of speech signals an acceptance of the community’s values and beliefs.
To take phrase like “brothers and sisters” and deliberately invert it signals a rejection, on some level, of the community’s traditional way of handling gender issues.
No doubt priests who do this are trying to show sensitivity and inclusiveness to women, but what they actually do tickle the ears of certain people (of both genders) while sending an “I reject your values” message to everybody else (of both genders).
They also force worshippers to pop out of the worship experience and focus on the words being used rather than the message being conveyed. And they needlessly intrude gender politics on the act of worship.
That’s just sad.
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“They also force worshippers to pop out of the worship experience and focus on the words being used rather than the message being conveyed.”
Actually, you just did that to me. And frankly, we ARE brothers and sisters, in Christ, and nothing wrong with saying so in English. It’s a fact, not a political statement. And I’m a conservative, Latin-loving Catholic.
As to mass and scripture translations, I look forward to better ones. But in the meantime, “brothers and sisters” bothers me not at all, because it’s true, even if it’s not a precise translation. And if it’s good enough for the Pope and Abp. Chaput, whose mass I attend at the Denver Cathedral, then it’s good enough for me.
I should also say, I feel the same about “sisters and brothers.” You could even say it’s more old-fashioned, as ladies come first, you know!
The Holy Father often uses the term ‘Fratelli e Sorelle’ meaning ‘Brothers and Sisters’, when he speaks in Italian. He could use the term ‘fratelli’ which would cover both brothers and sisters in Italian, in the same way that brethren does in English, but he chooses to use both terms.
What’s sad is that you couldn’t come up with a better topic than this for the blog.
I have the same reaction when I hear “gender” for “sex.” “Gender” is non-incarnational, and “sex” is all about incarnation.
“Sisters and brothers” is a Cajun/French thing. Any chance your priests were visiting from there?
hmmm? I have heard two homilies where the priests used the “energetic & engaging” salutation of “sisters and brothers” no less than 9 or 10 times. Not kidding! Saying it once might be your style, but then, who cares. This seems like a fad. Those who fear that women are slighted and have no pull are dying out.
Most everyone, men and women, realize who has the power…Altar Society or Men’s Club/K of C. Choose the former my friends, even when both have tens of thousands of dollars.
It couldn’t just be a case of “Ladies first”? After all, we say “ladies and gentlemen,” when addressing a crowd.
St. Paul was raised in the Mediterranean tradition in which females were ignored as a matter of respect. Unfortunately this had the effect (mostly on males) of deprecating females, resulting in attitudes like that of the modern Greeks, who will ask if you have any children or daughters. If you start paying attention to other people’s silly speech mannerisms you wil go psychotic. “Brethren” suggests to me, who come from a mixed marriage, a small, esoteric Protestant sect, and would be much more disruptive to my worship than even “boys and girls.” “charity in all things…”
Wow. Maybe the venerable Fathers who address us as “sisters and brothers” simply wish to offer respect, as in “ladies first.” (haha)
I agree with Theo: I really don’t see the problem—-Jesus is the Son of God, we are the children of God. Therefore, as a congregation, we are spiritual brothers and sisters to the priest giving the sermon and to each other. (Just as I am brother or sister to my siblings, of our earthly parents)
I agree. I find it annoying. Why not my friends in Christ? That’s a decent alternative.
I disagree with Mr. Akin. I think he’s being overly objectionable over something that truly is very petty. I do not take any priest references to my sisterhood or brotherhood as offensive; rather it reminds me that I am part of the body of Christ and Mr. Akin is my Christian just like Fr. Pat or Sr. Kim or the homeless person on the street. Let’s focus as Christians on REAL issues not another chip on someone’s shoulder itching for disagreement.
What’s sad is that you couldn’t come up with a better topic than this for the blog.
I agree w/ the above quote from Linda ... for the love of mike ... petty, petty, petty ...
I feel we are all brothers & sisters in Christ
I think it is a damn good topic for a blog post. Here sits a woman who is sick of being patronized by inclusive drivel. Bring on the brethren, mankind!
Why not just say, “Friends”?
This is just so sad- when we leave real issues and focus on such trivial stuff. If the popes uses this expression, then why is it so bad to merit a blog entry? Again, some priests who use it, mean it in the literal sense- we are brothers and sisters of the Lord: Ananias addressed St. Paul as “Brother Saul!” Again the same English tradition being referenced uses “Ladies and Gentlemen!” This is just so sad!! The world needs Christian witness, not Christian squabbling over non-issues!! So sad.
Um. I think you need to read more carefully. He was kinda OK with brothers and sisters.
Want a better post? Be a better reader. You can always get something out of any sincere effort. It’s sort of like “there are no boring parts only boring actors.” or is it act-persons?
I really boils down to humility on the part of the celebrant. Does he have enough humility to just follow the mass text as is or is he a social pushover that needs to spice it up and ad lib to make it more hip?
At my parish, the pastor and at least one deacon have a habit of saying “my sisters and brothers”. It comes off as forced, as they go out of their way to overemphasize the feminine. I consider this to be a subtle form of radical feminism. And, for me, it *is* a distraction during Mass.
KathyV, your comment rejecting inclusive language is refreshing!
“Orate Fratres” at the EF Mass I attend makes things so much simpler…
I find it *petty* that women cannot respect the linguistic norms of the Church (our MOTHER), whether the norms are gender specific or “male-centered.” AND they are wasting time worrying about this kind of stuff when they could be thinking about all of the other amazing aspects of our spirituality. Stop sweating the petty stuff and focus on the wonderful FEMININE teachings the Church has been offering since the beginning. The Church=BRIDE of Christ. Spirituality is markedly FEMININE (i.e., We must allow Christ to BEAR FRUIT in us—as the Virgin Mary allowed God to bear fruit in her). The first saint was a WOMAN. More recently: Theology of the Body, anyone?? But I guess these things just don’t coincide with the (false) feminist revolution of the 60’s and 70’s that stripped women of all real femininity (like having children) and pushed them to care about silly things like linguistic inclusiveness instead of what makes us inherantly equal, but also UNIQUE and different from men.
For example: it takes a man and a woman (naturally) to make a child—they are equal partners and share an equal amount of DNA. They are inherantly equal here. However, men have a role that no woman can ever have: they “select” the gender of the children. Women, we only have X chromosomes in our gametes and men have X and Y. Bummer, I know. But looky here, women can also serve-up something completely unique to the table: the environment for which life is able to come to fruition, development and eventually enter the world outside of the womb.
P.s. I am not trying to take the stress away from the importance of men, for God came to earth as a man and not as a woman** very important point.
Funny how the “sisters and brothers” priests I have listened to also change other parts of the Mass as well—usually in ways that emphasize the horizontal rather than the vertical. Each of them that I have heard also say the “Blessed are WE who are called to THIS supper”, although the current “sisters and brothers” priest I have sometimes completely ad-libs with “Blessed are we who are called to love Him”, whatever that means. This same priest also prays for “The Pope, X, the—not “our”—bishop, the lay ministers, and all of the people…”. Why lay ministers are included in there, I have no idea. He also gave a bizarre homily based on a phrase from some dialect of black English despite said phrase having little to do with the topic at hand. Maybe trying to make himself relevant to the non-white/not-over 70 crowd but just making us all uncomfortable.
Any words that depart from the prayers given to us by the Church pull my attention away from the Mass to wonder why he’s changed them and what message he’s trying to give and whether or not he’s intentionally messing with the theology behind said words. Granted, I can be easily distracted, but perhaps priests can help us easily distracted folks in the pews and just keep to the correct words.
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