c. 2008 Religion News Service

Vatican bars use of `Yahweh’ in Catholic churches

VATICAN CITY (RNS) 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.

That practice continued with Christianity, the letter explained, recalling the “church’s tradition, from the beginning, that the sacred Tetragrammaton was never pronounced in the Christian context nor translated into any of the languages into which the Bible was translated.”

Invoking a Vatican document from 2001, the Congregation reminded bishops that the name “Yahweh” in Catholic worship should be replaced by the Latin “Dominus” (Lord) or a word “equivalent in meaning” in the local language.

The Vatican’s move will require changes in a number of hymns and prayers currently used in American churches, but not to the Mass itself, said the U.S. bishops’ top liturgical official.

Catholic News Service quoted an Aug. 8 letter from Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli of Paterson, N.J., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, informing American prelates of the policy.

The Vatican’s instruction, Serratelli wrote, would serve as “an encouragement to show reverence for the name of God in daily life, emphasizing the power of language as an act of devotion and worship.”

_ Francis X. Rocca

Tenn. sheriff to draft church-goers as special deputies

(RNS) Citing recent high-profile shootings across the country, a Tennessee sheriff has introduced a new plan to train parishioners as law enforcement officers.

Under the “Church Protection Plan,” churches in Bradley County in southeastern Tennessee can nominate parishioners to serve as special deputies during Sunday services.

“The chances of a violent shooting occurring in a church are remote, but it can and has happened,” Sheriff Tim Gobble wrote in a statement. “If this program helps save a life or prevent a shooting, it will be worth it.”

Two people were killed and seven wounded when a gunman opened fire at a Unitarian church in Knoxville, Tenn., about 80 miles north of Bradley County, on July 27.

Under the program, churches with nonprofit status and more than 50 parishioners would have the option of submitting two names to the sheriff’s office to serve as “special deputies.” If appointed, special deputies would be required to participate in 40 hours of training each year, and would be authorized to carry firearms. Their authority would be restricted to church services and events.

Some county commissioners have questioned the program, saying it rests on a fragile legal framework.

“I’m very concerned about the county’s liability, but I’m equally concerned about the church’s liability,” county attorney Joe Byrd said, according to the local Cleveland Banner newspaper.

According to Chief Deputy Bill Dyer, the program existed for more than a century, and the new deputies will come at no price to the taxpayer.

“Any time we have a large gathering of citizens, whether it be a church or a block party, or a fireworks demonstration, or a parade, the potential is there for a lot of people to be injured,” said Dyer. “So we’re trying to protect citizens wherever they gather.”

Church security has become a thriving business in the United States, with many megachurches employing security guards to protect parishioners. Last December, a shooter killed four people in a pair of shootings in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Although Dyer said there have been no recent threats made against churches in Bradley County, churches have been quick to sign up, he said.

_ Tim Murphy

Progressive National Baptists urge action on foreclosures

(RNS) Members of the Progressive National Baptist Convention called for governmental action to halt housing foreclosures and address climate change during their annual meeting that concluded Aug. 8 in Atlanta.

“PNBC … urges the U.S. government to take immediate action to stop housing foreclosures and to take actions in particular to protect the low-income and the African-American community which has (been) disproportionately affected by the crisis,” the historically black denomination stated in one of 24 resolutions passed overwhelmingly at its meeting.

The denomination also urged its churches to ask members to seek congressional and presidential action to support measures that would reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.

The Rev. T. DeWitt Smith, president of the denomination, said in an interview that members of PNBC churches have shown increased concern about climate change after attending a joint meeting with other Baptist groups last January. He said his denomination is taking new steps to help congregations understand what it means to “go green” by considering changes to their church properties and “teaching our children how to appreciate the Lord’s good Earth.”

He said denomination members discussed the mortgage crisis and how “to help our parishioners find ways to save their homes rather than to lose them.”

As in past meetings, the PNBC urged its members to register to vote and participate in elections. Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain were invited but were not able to attend.

“It’s a historic opportunity to know that an African-American is running as a presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party,” Smith said. “But we were in prayer for both Sen. Obama, his family and Sen. McCain and his family.”

The 2.5 million-member denomination, of which the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was a member, again voiced its support for the end of the Iraq war and the need to involve churches in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS.

_ Adelle M. Banks

Quote of the Day: Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn.

“(House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi is committed to her global warming fanaticism to the point where she has said that she’s just trying to save the planet. We all know that someone did that over 2,000 years ago, they saved the planet _ we didn’t need Nancy Pelosi to do that.”

_ Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., offering her take on federal energy policy. She was quoted by One News Now, distributed by the American Family Association.

KRE/PH END RNS