

The contemporary meaning when acknowledging responsibility is more like 'whoops, my fault'. In everyday speech more recently mea culpa is used more lightheartedly and with little regard to its religious origin. To all the Saints and to you, brothers (and to you Father),


Omnes Sanctos, et vos, fratres (et te, pater), Omnibus Sanctis, et vobis, fratres (et tibi pater), The Confiteor uses both 'mea culpa' and 'mea maxima culpa'. "Shall lay their hands a little heavier on their hearts with Mea maxima culpa." This also has longstanding use, as here in Watson's Decacordon, 1604: To emphasize the point the phrase is sometimes strengthened to 'mea maxima culpa' - literally 'my most grievous fault'. It has a long history of use in English and was used by Chaucer in his Troylus as early as 1374: The phrase originates in the Confiteor which is a part of the Catholic Mass where sinners acknowledge their failings before God. What's the origin of the phrase 'Mea culpa'? The literal translation from the Latin is 'through my own fault'.Įven those who don't speak Latin could probably make a guess that this phrase means 'I am culpable', or words to that effect. Mea culpa What's the meaning of the phrase 'Mea culpa'?
