Rev. James D. Conley, D.D., S.T.L. | Diocese of Lincoln website

The Hail Mary prayer, a central component of Catholic devotion, is experiencing notable differences in wording, specifically the shift from using "thee, thou, and thy" to "you and your." This change reflects broader trends in language usage rather than an official decree from the Church.

Historically, the Hail Mary, while deeply associated with Catholic identity, was not formalized by the Church for much of its history. The Catechism of the Council of Trent attributes the origins of the prayer's sections to various sources. The beginning part, featuring the words "Hail full of Grace, the Lord is with you," is attributed to the Archangel Gabriel's greeting to Mary, dating back to early Christian liturgies.

Elizabeth's greeting to Mary adds another layer to the prayer, emerging around the 12th or 13th century, particularly in France and England. This tradition developed organically without formal institution. The final segment, "Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen," responds to Protestant Reformation critiques and became official with the 1568 Roman Breviary's release.

"Similarly, moving from the use of 'thou' to 'you' was not a formal act of the Church, but rather a simple matter of common usage changing," states the anonymous author discussing linguistic evolution in prayer. The choice between older and more modern pronouns remains a personal matter for many, as both preserve the prayer's meaning.

The evolution of the Hail Mary underscores its organic development within the Church's history, reflecting broader linguistic changes over time without altering the prayer's core intention.