"Which" is "Who"

It was almost 25 years ago when I first heard of a very solemn, intense, and moving version of the "Lord's Prayer" in a funeral mass and sung by the father of a friend who died of a freak car accident. The version, which was created by Albert Hay Malotte, was so touching that it made everyone very silent while listening meditatively. The song made God the Father very real to me. The song, in a very unique way, gave everyone a feeling of comfort and consolation. In spite of the grief and great feeling of loss, the song, somehow, helped in communicating the very message of Jesus when He taught the prayer to His disciples.

Since then I had been regularly hearing the version in many funeral masses and even in wedding masses. The solemnity of the version adds to the solemnity of the celebration be it a wedding or a funeral. Some Gospel and Christian singers had even made it as part of their repertoire in their concerts or shows.

However, just recently, I noticed that there seems to be something wrong with the lyrics of the song. The beginning lyrics of the song says "Our Father, which art in heaven." Hearing those words made me uncomfortable. In the bible, the word used was "who" and not "which". As far as I remember my grammar, the relative pronoun "which" refers only to things, while "who" refers only to persons. In that Albert Hay Malotte version, the word "which", which, in modern use should be for things, appeared disrespectful to God who is being referred to by the pronoun. It would be unfair to just judge Malotte for the improper use of the relative pronoun "which". There must be an explanation somewhere. I do not believe that he overlooked it. The most I can think of is that during his time, the word "which" may also be used for persons and only later was it made exclusive only for things. In any case, the present generation can not help but be uncomfortable with it whenever it is sung for the reason stated above.

It is therefore better to change the "which" to "who" whenever the Malotte version is being sung. If some would prefer to stick to the original for courtesy's sake or in faithfulness to the original version, so be it. But, when it is sung in church or any religious celebration, I suggest that priests should see to it that the "which" is changed to"who". To refer to God as a thing is courting sacrilege or disrespect. But in order to render to God the perfect respect and recognize His true dignity, the word "who" must be used.