Posted on 02/04/2016 8:07:50 AM PST by Salvation
Many groups have a tendency to use words that make sense to their members but are unintelligible to outsiders. I have sometimes had to decode "Church-speak" for recent converts.
For example, one time I proudly announced, "RCIA classes will begin next week, so if you know anyone who is interested in attending please fill out an information card on the table just outside the sacristy door." I thought I'd been perfectly clear, but then a new member approached me after Mass to inquire about the availability of classes to become Catholic and when they would begin. Wondering if she'd forgotten the announcement I reminded her what I had said about RCIA classes. She looked at me blankly. "Oh," I said, "Let me explain what I mean by RCIA." After I did so, I mentioned that she could pick up a flyer over by the sacristy door. Again I got a blank stare, followed by the question "What's a sacristy?" Did I dare tell her that the classes would be held in the rectory?
I've had a similar reaction when announcing CCD classes. One angry parent called me to protest that she had been told by the DRE (more Church-speak) that her daughter could not make her First Holy Communion unless she started attending CCD. The mother, the non-Catholic wife of a less-than-practicing Catholic husband, had no idea what CCD meant and why it should be required in order for her daughter to receive Holy Communion. She had never connected the term CCD with Sunday school or any form of religious instruction.
Over my years as a priest I have become more and more aware that although I use what I would call ordinary terms of traditional Catholicism, given the poor catechesis (another Church word, meaning religious training, by the way) of so many, the meaning of what I am saying is lost. For example, I have discovered that some Catholics think that "mortal sin" refers only to killing someone. Even the expression "grave sin" is nebulous to many; they know it isn't good, but aren't really sure what it means. "Venial sin" is even less understood!
Other words such as covenant, matrimony, incarnation, transubstantiation, liturgy, oration, epistle, gospel, Collect, Sanctus, chalice, paten, alb, Holy Orders, theological, missal, Monsignor, and Eucharistic, while meaningful to many in the Church, are often only vaguely understood by others in the Church, not to mention the unchurched (is that another Church word?).
Once at daily Mass I was preaching based on a reading from the First Letter of John and was attempting to make the point that our faith is "incarnational." I noticed vacant looks out in the pews. And so I asked the small group gathered that day if anyone knew what "incarnational" meant; no one did. I went on to explain that it meant that the Word of God had to become flesh in us; it had to become real in the way we live our lives. To me, the word "incarnational" captured the concept perfectly, but most of the people didn't even really know for sure what "incarnation" meant, let alone "incarnational."
Ah, Church-speak!
During my years in the seminary the art of Church-speak seemed to rise to new levels. I remember that many of my professors, while railing against the use of Latin in the liturgy, had a strange fascination with Greek-based terminology. Mass was out, Eucharist was in. "Going to mass" was out, "confecting the synaxis" was in. Canon was out, "anamnesis" and "anaphora" were in. Communion was out, koinonia was in. Mystagogia, catechumenate, mysterion, epikaia, protoevangelion, hapax legomenon, epiklesis, synderesis, eschatology, Parousia, and apakatastasis were all in. These are necessary words, I suppose, but surely opaque to most parishioners. Church-speak indeed, or should I say ekklesia-legomenon.
Ah, Church-speak! Here is an online list of many other Church words for your edification (and amusement): Church words defined
At any rate, I have learned to be a little more careful when speaking so as to avoid too much Church-speak, too many insider terms, too many older terms, without carefully explaining them. I think we can and should learn many of them, but we should not assume that most people know them.
The great and Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said that he discovered early on that he often got credit for being learned when in fact he was merely being obscure. And for any who knew him in his later years, especially through his television show, he was always very careful to explain Church teaching in a way that made it accessible to the masses. It's good advice for all of us: a little less of the CCD and RCIA jargon and little more of the clear "religious instruction" can help others to decode our Church-speak.
I would not argue that we should "dumb down" our vocabulary, for indeed it is a precious patrimony in many cases. But we need to do more explaining rather than merely presuming that most people will know what some of our terms mean.
This video has a lot of gibberish in it, but it illustrates how we can sound at times if we're not careful!
I was thinking of “consubstantiation.”
I farted once in church on a pew. I was horribly embarrassed as a 10 year old kid, but one of the ushers came over to make things worse. He said “Did you fart?” I was so embarrassed I looked at him and said “No, sir. I always smell this way at 0900AM.” Years later we became friends because he laughed so loud the preacher chewed his ass out.
I once dated a very dear and sweet man who was Roman Catholic.
I was enthralled by the Catholic Church, though ignorant of its traditions and beliefs. I knew the Catholic Church only from movies such as "The Bells of St Mary's" and "A Nun's Story".
His parents were visiting and I was invited to attend Mass with them the upcoming Sunday. I was hesitant because I was not Catholic and would not know what to do, but they assured me all was OK, that lighting would not strike if a Baptist attended.
It was such a beautiful Church, carved pews and high arched ceiling, it was absolutely breathtaking. Each look around, revealed more beauty than the other.
I was seated isle side and after prayer, I could not resist feeling the carved flowers and swirls on the arm of the pew and without conscience thought, I left my arm lightly rested there.
A few moments passed and as the Church grew quiet and expectant, my friend leaned over and whispered in my ear:
"Kay, you have your arm on the holy hump".
What?, I thought. The holy HUMP?, I whispered back.
"Yes, the holy hump, it's very disrespectful"
I quickly removed my arm and asked forgiveness for the profane thought I had about the name and for the disrespect I had shown. I looked for lighting bolts through the entire service.
And no, there is no such terminology - but one who did not know believed it for awhile.
Obviously, if she was not yet a member of the Catholic Church, she was not. yet. a. member. of. the. Catholic. Church.
Yes, because turning away potential new church members with your sarcasm is a great thing.
This wad reported as... wait for it ... "ASSAULT MINISTRY"!!!
The sound a kid makes playing army. "Pew pew pew! I shot you, you're dead!"
"Did not, you missed!"
bookmark
Great post. #2 really hit home for me, and I suspect a lot of people are in the same boat.
In my younger, immature days, I overheard someone give that exact description of a pew and without thinking I said, "twiss." I was somewhat shocked that the "church-lady" knew exactly what that meant. The verbal beatdown she delivered right then and there, cussing me out in the dignified way that only a "church-lady" could, put me off crass jokes for at least a week.
That’s awesome!
“I was convicted, now I’m committed, but I’m not crazy and I’m not going to jail.”
From “Turning Christianese,” parody song by Mark Bradford, from his album “Righteous Pop Music Volume 5,” to the tune of 80’s hit “Turning Japanese.”
http://www.creativemin.com/product/343/righteous_pop_music Track 4
"At your service, monsieur!"
That was kinda funny. I”m going to listen to the other songs, too, I think.
That sounds illegal.... :p
“Those “inside” religion have no idea what a howling, cold wilderness it is outside of it”
Putting in my glossary of quotations.
:)
Some friends introduced us to those parody albums and we’ve enjoyed them.
If those adults had attended Catholic schools (K-12) those words would be common and ordinary.
75% of public school students fail college entry exams so they have take the bonehead English classes starting with Dick anbd Jane; 95% of Catholic school students pass college entry exams.
How much more do parents have to think? Many work extra jobs to make sure that their children can go to a school that teaches reading, writing and math, NOT self esteem, self esteem, self esteem and knowing how to read, write and spell only at a second grade level.
If said parents don't live near a Catholic or private school...then they can move. They can plan ahead, knowing what their school districts are like. Why wouldn't parents want the best for their children? Seems to be a no-brainer for me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.