WHY IS YAHWEH REMOVED FROM OUR HYMNALS?

The Jewish people would never pronouce the name of God aloud or in writing. In writing, they would remove the vowels and only the consonants would remain. When others did not adhere to this respectful tradition, they re-added the vowels (this was in Hebrew) and the "name of God" would either be Yahweh or Jehovah. Pope Benedict XVI, with a keen sense of our Judeo-Christian heritage has pronounced that, in keeping with this respectful Hebrew tradition, that the name of God would not be spoken aloud in Catholic worship as well. It has not been removed from just our hymnals, it is not allowed in the proclamation of the Hebrew Scriptures at Mass as well. Pope Benedict did this of his own accord.