The Catholic Church is not an "it"

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In Christian usage, the word "church" designates the liturgical assembly, but also the local community or the whole universal community of believers. These three meanings are inseparable. "The Church" is the People that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and is made real as a liturgical and above all a Eucharistic assembly. She draws her life from the word and the Body of Christ and so herself becomes Christ's Body.


752 Catechism of the Catholic Church I Believe in the Holy Catholic Church

The comparison of the Church with the body casts light on the intimate bond between Christ and his Church. Not only is she gathered around him; she is united in him, in his body. Three aspects of the Church as the Body of Christ are to be more specifically noted: the unity of all her members with each other as a result of their union with Christ; Christ as head of the Body; and the Church as bride of Christ.

789 Catechism of the Catholic Church The Church: The Body of Christ

The proper pronoun to use when speaking of the Catholic Church is "she".  She is Holy Mother Church.  She is the Bride of Christ.  Why is it then, that more Catholics now refer to the Church as "it"?

For example, during the reading of the Prayers for the Faithful intentions at this past Sunday Mass, the following was read..."for the Catholic Church, that "it" continue..."

That same day that the above referred to intention was read at Mass, the meditation for the day in the Magnifcat, happened to be one of St. Catherine of Siena's writing on patience and perseverance.

She wrote:  "For you know well, most holy Father, that when you accepted Holy Church as your bride you agreed to work hard for her.  You expected all these contrary winds of pain and difficulty to confront you in battle over her... So we see that the Church's being persecuted, and every difficulty virtuous souls experience will end in peace, won through true patience and perseverance..." - October 2010 Issue

On a similar note, God should never be referred to as "she".  He is Abba  Father; God the Father.  God should never be referred to with feminine pronouns as some will now lead Catholics to believe; their arguments being that God is a spirit, neither male or female. 370 Catechism of the Catholic Church: Equality and Difference Willed By God

Our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last,1 the beginning and the end of everything. The Credo begins with God the Father, for the Father is the first divine person of the Most Holy Trinity; our Creed begins with the creation of heaven and earth, for creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God's works.

198 Catechism of the Catholic Church I Believe in God the Father.

Jesus taught as to pray as follows:

"This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."  Matthew Chapter 6:9-16.