
By Father Joseph Chan Wing-chiu
Is there really any difference between “siblings” and “brothers and sisters”? I remember when I was young, and I joined the Legion of Mary group of the parish; during meetings, the spiritual director and the group leader would remind us to refer to one another as brothers and sisters, for example, “Brother Chan Wing-chiu” or “Sister Chan Wing-chiu”. Some older members would later tell me that initially, both men and women were referred to as brothers. As a young person, I found this quite strange; however, upon further inquiry, I learned the reason behind it.
You may know that the Legion of Mary was introduced to Hong Kong from Dublin, Ireland. When they addressed each other, they used terms of brotherhood in the Lord, which stems from our Christian tradition. Since ancient times, members of the Church have referred to one another this way, tracing back to the teachings of the apostles to early Christians. Jesus Christ is the firstborn, and through his holy death and resurrection, we gain new life in him, becoming children of God the Father. In the Father’s eyes, each of us, regardless of being male or female, has become his beloved children through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. However, we are merely heirs, not the firstborn.
Thus, within the Church, there is a saying that Jesus is the elder brother of us all, and we are all his younger brothers. Therefore, when we refer to each other, we use the term “brothers” because we all have one elder brother, regardless of being male or female. This form of address encompasses the essence of faith and signifies our relationship with Jesus and one another.
The terms “brethren” or “brothers and sisters” are used instead of “siblings,” as the latter implies children from the same family lineage and carries notions of hierarchy based on gender. Thus, when referring to our relationships during Catholic rituals, we are consistently reminded of our relationship in faith in Jesus Christ and call each other brothers, making clear that it does not refer to peer relationships based on family ranking.
Starting in the 18th century, with the development of the feminist movement, the Church responded by recognising the importance of women, which is why “sisters” was also incorporated into the address. Over time, however, people began to forget the original faith significance behind the use of the term “brother” and mistakenly assumed it was merely an inclusive term for those participating in the rites.
In the future, when you hear “brothers and sisters” again, I hope you will more consciously remember our close relationship in the Lord and continually think of and be grateful for our one true elder brother—Jesus Christ.