Ethics Daily reports
Catholics at worship should neither sing nor pronounce the name of God as “Yahweh,” the Vatican has said, citing the authority of both Jewish and Christian practice. The instruction came in a June 29 letter to Catholic bishops conferences around the world from the Vatican’s top liturgical body, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, by an explicit “directive” of Pope Benedict XVI. “In recent years the practice has crept in of pronouncing the God of Israel’s proper name,” the letter noted, referring to the four-consonant Hebrew “Tetragrammaton,” YHWH. That name is commonly pronounced as “Yahweh,” though other versions include “Jaweh” and “Yehovah.” But such pronunciation violates long-standing Jewish tradition, the Vatican reminded bishops. “As an expression of the infinite greatness and majesty of God, (the name) was held to be unpronounceable and hence was replaced during the reading of sacred Scripture by means of the use of an alternate name: `Adonai,’ which means `Lord,”‘ the Congregation said.
The Vatican- turning back the clock since the close of Vatican II.
From John Goldingay’s OT Theology (v1), pg. 339:
“If Yhwh wants to be known by name and we decline and insist on referring to Yhwh by role, we refuse the personal revelation . . . God asked to be known not as ‘Lord’ but by a personal name. We relate to a person, not a mere authority figure.”
By: agathos on August 14, 2008
at 2:58 pm
Quite right.
By: Jim on August 14, 2008
at 3:06 pm
Next His “Holiness” will be telling us to stop writing “God” and instead put “G-d”. Then of course we will be asked to respect Jewish customs by being circumcised and keeping the ceremonial law. And anyone who dares utter such sentiments as Galatians 5:1-12 will be sentenced to burn in hell for ever. Well, let’s hope not!
By: Peter Kirk on August 14, 2008
at 4:33 pm
Hi Jim
This question should be asked : Does God need a name in monotheism?
By: Louis on August 14, 2008
at 4:44 pm
In fact, this is only enforcing an instruction made by the Vatican in 2001 in Liturgiam Authenticam>. The Pope wrote about this issue in his book Jesus of Nazareth.
Here is a post of mine with more references.
By: Iyov on August 14, 2008
at 10:37 pm
This is a critical issue, because The Most High does want to be called by His Name. What does He think about the “priests” who won’t do it? Malachi ch 2 has the answer. What does He think about those to will obey Him, regarding the use of His Name? read Malachi ch 3:15-18. The Saviours Name is at issue here also; Jn 5:43; and the entire chapter of Jn 17 expresses just how important the Name of the Most High is, both to the Father, and the Son. Frank
By: Frank on August 23, 2008
at 11:55 pm