The announcement of a new Catholic lectionary for the proclamation of the Word in liturgies is welcome news.

As Archbishop O’Regan has said, “The Revised New Jerusalem Bible represents a fresh, faithful and poetic rendering of the sacred texts”.

As one of the key bishops responsible for the new lectionary for Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, he is to be congratulated on the new version’s concern for communicating the Word faithfully, in language that is both dignified and relevant.

Most of all, we will at last have Scripture readings with more inclusive language, removing an obstacle to contemporary hearing that so often today jars the ear, and misleads what the intention of the text is.

It is to be hoped that the work of revising the language used in worship beyond the lectionary, to make it fully inclusive, can continue this new step forward.

Peter Laffan
Clayton Bay