(The Christian Post) Some Catholic women in Britain are backing an online petition that urges the Church’s leadership in England and Wales to reverse their decision to use the “gender-exclusive” English Standard Version of the Bible (Catholic edition), instead of the Jerusalem Bible translation, at mass.
“In choosing this translation over the inclusive Catholic version of the New Jerusalem Bible, the Bishops have chosen to exclude at least 50% of the ecclesial community,” reads the petition to Cardinal Vincent Nichols (Archbishop of Westminster and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
“Their choice of Bible translation can but speak of an attitude that continues to judge women second class citizens in the Church,” it adds. “Language shapes thoughts and attitudes, and the impact of rendering Holy Scripture in this way is to deny the inclusion of female disciples of Jesus, not only in the language of the liturgy, but in the good news of salvation.”