Evening star., 1936-12-02
Prayer
Continued From First Pase.)

CIlduSedply, apparently VIII equal
justification and with equal correct
ness so far as grammar Is concerned.
1t Is matter of preference.
Them that" he finds. seems to have
a slight preference so far as the
sanction Of scholarship and culture is
concerned in both England and the
United States. When first spoken
ne admits, it may sound harsh and
vulgar, yet it is the form used by the
most scholarly compilers Of prayer
books and catechisms.
On the other hand "those who" 4
preferred by several American Cath
olic catechism compilers and seems te
hold the preference In Anglican pray.
er books.
At least two approved catechisms
he finds. use the expression them
who" Some time ago the Catholic
hierarchy Of Ireland oficially approved
the text Of catechism in which the
expression Is "them who" but a sub.
sequent approved Irish catechism used
those that"
The popular opinion seems to be, hi
says, that "them that" is . bit vul.
gar. even if dramatically correct.
1T Is not vulgar" he says. It Il
virile. In the Lords prayer it seem,
to give added emphasis, merely ir
its sound. to the strong warning and
implication Of the NTH petition"
But this is merely a beginning
Msgr. Henry finds, and an even
stronger argument might come up ovel
the first part Of the same petition.
The commonest Catholic form Is
Forgive us our trespasses." In many
Protestant churches the form now usee
Is Forgive us our debts"
Neither, Msgr Henry finds, has any
special sanction and both fail to ex.
press the idea intended. As for thl
first, he says: Ordinary folk will b
apt to associate the word with the sigr
No Trespassing'-a sign which man.
good people will wholly disregard i
there be no danger Of discovery. Bet
ter educated people may be aware o
the polite formula, May I trespass OF
your patience Tor your leisure, or you
kindness),' w...ch ordinarily suits tn
action OF the word without waiting To-
q granted permission. Perhaps yer,
few will think Of 'trespassing' Is q sin
whether in legal or in polite circles
Curiously enough, from the historica
associations, he points out, Catholic
might say Forgive us our debts" ant
Protestants Forgive us our trespaSSes.
The Rheims version Of the Catholi
Bible translates the Lords prayer Il
the Gospel Of st. Mathew literally Will
the terms debts" and debtors" Tn
term "trespasses" was first introduces
in the early Protestant version by Tyn
dale, from whence 1t passed over int
the standard King James version-an'
It does not occur in the Catholic Bibl
at all.
Just how it got into the Catholi
prayer. Msgr. Henry says, some bette
Biblical scholar than he may be adj
to explain.
But, he thinks, there isn't mucl
preference between debts" and tres
passes" and both are misleading
Debts" he explains, has . legalistl
tone which does not necessarily 1mpi
sinfulness in moral sense-and oo
viously it is moral, not q legal. sin 10
which the petitioner asks for forgive
ness.
One trouble, Msgr. Henry point
out, is that the text Of the Lord
Prayer Is taken from the Gospel Q
st. Matthew, whereas it would be quit
different H. II had been taken fror
st. Luke. There both Catholic IN
Protestant versions sgree in the trans
Iation: Forgive Us eur sins. .
"Wht." ho asl0, do ~ not uso "a