Thursday, September 02, 2004

Catholic Newspeak.

Jeff Culbreath offers a catalogue at El Camino Real.

Most of them are truly doubleplus ungood.

I've piped up with a few of my own there, too. I'll repeat them here:

Eucharistic celebration.
Sacred meal.
Gathered community.
Presider.
Writer (deployed before the biblical readings of the Mass to deny the traditional ascription of authorship--e.g., Paul didn't write the Pastorals, etc.).

Any Catholic parish that identifies itself as a "Catholic Community" on the sign in front.
Collaborative
In the Catholic tradition
Shared ministry
Ministry
Hospitality--not because I'm opposed to it, or because your average parish doesn't usually fail miserably at it. Hospitality is something done, not advertised. Taking a cue from the secular world: Restaurants that brag about it raise expectations they usually disappoint.
Uses of terms like *the* Eucharist or *the* Church without *the* definite article. Brings out my inner duelist.
I'll dissent (!) somewhat on two items. First, "universal call to holiness"--I've never seen this term used by the left, though I can see how it could be abused. The second dissent is "abundant life"--Johnette Benkovic would be a tad irritated by tossing the Lord's words into the mix.


I'm sure Zach Frey can offer us some wackier examples, speaking as a former member of a community in the Episcopal tradition. Something involving "reconciliation," no doubt...

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