Priest Renames Feast of Corpus Christi to "Feast of the Body of Christ"
A priest's efforts to help the Church move forward in this era of much-needed change.
CHICAGO, IL – Many Catholics in the decades following the Second Vatican Council are not familiar with the Church’s traditional association with the Latin language. Most, in fact, may not even recognize Latin when they see it. Certain terms, such as Agnus Dei, Gloria, Credo, and the names of feasts such as Corpus Christi are taken for granted. As the feast of Corpus Christi draws near, its traditional title has drawn controversy in an Illinois parish.
A priest from the Diocese of Chicago made an announcement this past Sunday that, moving forward, parishioners are banned from calling the feast of Corpus Christi by its original Latin name and must instead use the English translation. The parish bulletin lists that the “Feast of the Body of Christ” will be honored next Sunday by a potluck – in lieu of the traditional custom of a procession – in the parish hall, to celebrate that “we are all the Body of Christ, in communion with each other.”
Fr. Charles ‘Charlie’ Protest, SJ, 58 (known simply as “Charlie” to most of his parishioners), said in a special bulletin post this week that this change will be made because, “Latin is in the past. The Church has left Latin. Calling this feast day “Corpus Christi” is just another thing that was forgotten in the updates. I’m making sure things are kept up to date. Therefore, I declare the term “Corpus Christi” (formerly and commonly used to refer to the feast celebrated next Sunday) as abrogated in the parish of St. John Paul II. Henceforth it shall uniquely and irrevocably be known as “The Feast of the Body of Christ.’”
An anonymous source close to Fr. Protest states that the decision to outlaw the term “Corpus Christi” came as a result of a conversation between Fr. Protest and parish secretary Sally, who informed the Jesuit that she thought some parishioners, particularly suspected allies of the sect known as Traditionalists, enjoyed the feast of Corpus Christi “too much because of its name.”
“They pronounced “Corpus Christi” with a certain relish – I think it was because it was in Latin,” Sally said.
Fr. Protest is taking proactive measures to ensure that his directives are followed. Aside from the special post in the bulletin, an announcement given personally at each Mass this Sunday, and a sermon dedicated to the topic at his Mass, Fr. Protest has instructed all volunteers at the parish (such as ushers and usheresses, lectors and lectoresses, altar servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, the Welcome Committee, the Before Mass Announcement Committee, the Mass Farewell Committee, the Collection Committee, the Collection Counters Committee, the Liturgical Dancers Society, the Prayers of the Faithful Author’s Society, and even choirs such as the Black Women’s Choir and the Native American Choir, among others), and other people involved to keep special watch over not using the term “Corpus Christi,” since such actions may be deemed by the faithful as representative of the parish’s views and encourage leeway for them to disobey Fr. Protest’s orders.
All breaches of these instructions by parish volunteers will be penalized by demotion from their current posts at the parish, and by a special mention of the accused’s name at the Prayers of the Faithful. No options for appeal will be considered, even for cases where the person in question uttered the Latin name for the Feast of the Body of Christ by accident.
“Calling this feast the proper name in English also allows the faithful to better understand what it means,” Fr. Protest said. “Who thinks of the meaning of “Corpus Christi” when they say it? Now, when the people say, “The Feast of the Body of Christ,” they will have to think about what the feast is about.” He added, “The feast is about us, the community – the Church –, because we are the Body of Christ.”
The parish announced that similar directives for other remaining Latin terms that are used occasionally, but not as often as the Latin translation for the Feast of the Body of Christ, will soon be issued at the parish, such as for those people who insist on calling the Lamb of God “Agnus Dei,” or the Creed “Credo.” Fr. Protest is coming up with special instructions for the Spanish-speakers of the parish, since the Spanish words for the Creed and the Gloria are the same as the Latin terms used.
Inspired.
🙃