Vatican Says No 'Yahweh' In Songs, Prayers At Catholic Masses

By CatholicMusicNetwork.com
8/26/2008
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

The Vatican has reiterated a directive that the name of God revealed in the tetragrammaton YHWH is not to be pronounced in Catholic liturgy or in music. Catholics at worship should neither sing nor pronounce the name of God as "Yahweh," the Vatican has said, citing the authority of 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.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

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1 - 10 of 30 Comments

Kathleen Degelmann
2 months ago
I remember being puzzled sometime back about no longer being able to use God's name, Yahweh. I have several different bibles and I just realized that my Catholic Jerusalem Bibles all use Yahweh for God's name. Now what? I can't read my Catholic Jerusalem Bibles? How long has the Church permitted Yahweh to be used? I have had these Bibles for quite some time now. I also REALLY miss the song, You are Near. I wonder if they will substitute the name, Jesus, instead, so that we can still sing that beautiful song?
Colin Crook
6 months ago
As a 12 year old child in RI class we were learning about Joseph & his multi-coloured coat. I was bored not interested in anything spiritual so I was browsing my text book. When I came across a chapter with God's name in it, I was astounded that God had a name. It gave Him personality.
I immediately put up my hand and exclaimed to my teacher that Yahweh was God's name. He told me told close the book & pay attention to the current subject. I eventually forgot about this experience until I was talking to a priest nine years later in 1971. Again he didn't help me but it encouraged me to learn more.
This was a profound teaching which I was eager to learn about but disallusioned by someone who should have recognised a spiritual awakening in someone who needed spiritual help.
Almost certainly I am not the only one who has an experience like this in need of encouragement.
Nothing is more important on this planet than teaching someone the truth about God, Yahweh, (Jehovah) but His name is being continually eroded.
Matej
1 year ago
If you call your mother and father - mum and dad out of respect, why don't you call Jesus Christ - lord, father out of respect and he is so much more?

Why did Jesus call his father Jhwh?
rebekah
1 year ago
Yahweh's people will continue to spread His name , His Laws and His Prophecies in these last days. yahweh dot com
David
1 year ago
This obsessive adherence to Judaic tradition is misguided and goes against the very essence of the radical novelty of what Jesus tried to teach us about God our Father. Jesus did not advocate being disrespectful to God, his Father, but the radical novelty of Jesus teaching was helping us to understand that God truly was our Father in a sense that was real. He was not some omnipotent etherial Spirit floating in the sky who we should worship with superstitious rituals and names. He told us to use the name Abba, Father....closer to Daddy than Lord.
While I do not advocate, disrespectful use of any name for God our Father, we must not abandon the teaching and example of Jesus by returning to beliefs that are just regurgitations of erroneous and meaningless theology. The fact that some tradition has been practiced in the Church from the earliest of times does not mean that it was legitimate.
The teaching of Jesus in this matter was clear and the Church has no authority to override that.
Colin Crook
2 years ago
The whole point of being a disciple of Jesus is to emulate him as close as possible. He always gave credit to his Father. Christians are obligated to do the same, but it should be done with love of God and of your neighbour.
Jesus preached the Kingdom of God continually, he told his disciples to do also.
Rahab, not one of God's people, had heard about Jehovah. (Joshua 2:9,10) That name backed by miracles proved to be a powerful message.
Paul also quoted Joel's words "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord (YHWH)[Jehovah] shall be saved." as a warning to the entire human race.(Romans 10:13-15; Joel 2:32)
It certainly saved Rahab and her family. Will it save you?
gene somers
2 years ago
CeeDee. was the spanish inquisition also a directive from heaven.?
Cee Dee
3 years ago
I just want to add my two cents by making a couple of points:

First of all, any directive handed down by the Vatican/Pope is a directive from Heaven. We as Catholics are bound to obey the laws of our Church as well as respect them and those within the hierarchy of the Church who deliver them from Heaven.

As for God's "name" when asked Who He was, His answer was, "I Am Who Am". I take this to mean that I am your Father and you address Me as such. This would be the same thing as calling your parents "Mom" and "Dad" not "Sue and "Bob". It's out of reverence and respect for the higher authority.

Thank you and God Bless you all! :)
Michael
3 years ago
We are talking about the English translation of the name of God, therefore if the English translation of Christ is Jesus then the English translation of the tetragrammaton is Jehovah. That is the fact when it comes to the English language, of course this would not be the same as the original pronunciation but that has been lost over centuries.
FRED PEPPER
4 years ago
If God did not want us to use His Name why would he give us the Name in the first Place?

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