Why is there Greek in the Roman Catholic Latin Mass.?

Question

You're cruising along in the Latin Mass and all of a sudden "Kyrie Elieson" pops up (which I take to be Greek). I have't been to Mass in 30 years since I left Catholic high school, but these are the kind of questions that pop into my mind when I am out walking.
Peter

Answer 1

Ignore those first two responses. They are expressing a common misunderstanding. In truth, there is no K nor Y in Latin. You were correct to note these are Greek phrases

Tradition is the source of these phrases. The new testament is in Greek, and the common language in the early church was Greek. It likely sprang from those early versions of the mass. Note that it is only 3 words: Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison. (Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.) Not too hard to remember what they mean since they're so few, n'est pas?

Answer 2

All Catholic services derive from three primary sources, the liturgies of James, Mark and Peter. There are currently about 23 variants all of which are pretty close together in use today. Greek was the primary second tongue of the world at the time of the apostles. Some people might speak Syriac and another Copt, but both likely spoke Greek. Alexander's conquests went to the Hindu Kush and so Greek permitted the "known world," to talk to each other. In Italy, the original services were in Greek. As time passed they were translated into Latin, the vernacular tongue. However, Greek portions of the service remained for reasons unknown but apparently important to the original Latin Christians. Southern Italy still uses the Italo-Greek service and not the Latin service.

Answer 3

There are "Greek Catholics" (like there may be the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church or Melkite Greek Catholic Church). Catholicism is a global-vast faith - crossing many unique international locations and cultures. So inside this global-vast church there are unique rites - unique approaches of practising our shared ideals. Most Catholics within the US are acquainted with the Latin/Roman ceremony of the Catholic Church. That is by means of a long way the ceremony practiced by means of such a lot Catholics. But there are Eastern rites/Eastern Catholic Churches - (just like the Greek Catholics stated previous). All Catholics have doctrines and dogmas are the identical - the perception within the Trinity, the seven sacraments, the communion of saints, the supremacy of the pope. But how they train (the disciplines) can also be unique. For instance, Latin/Roman Rite Catholics have a good time Holy Communion on the Mass. Eastern Catholic Churches have a good time Holy Communion in a provider known as a Divine Liturgy. They each have the perception in transubstantiation - wherein the bread and wine grow to be the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. But the provider is unique. The Divine Liturgy of Eastern Catholics is extra very similar to the offerings held in Eastern Orthodox Churches. So that is what individuals imply after they say Eastern Catholic church buildings comply with the orthodox liturgy (the Divine Liturgy) however suppose in papal supremacy. See long ago in 1054 there used to be the "Great Schism" (or the East-West Schism). Where the only church break up into Catholicism and Orthodoxy. The complete purpose why is lovely intricate - however probably the most explanations used to be a confrontation approximately the supremacy of the pope. So Eastern Churches break up and there used to be the Orthodox Church. Now a few of the ones church buildings who break up later again to the Catholic Church (had been inclined to receive the supremacy of the pope and different teachings) and so that is wherein one of the most Eastern Catholic Churches got here from. They stored their Eastern approaches of practising the religion, however receive the entire doctrines and dogmas of the Catholic Church. But Catholicism and Orthodox are very equivalent in lots of ideals. One isn't always extra strict than the opposite. As for Holy Communion. From the Catholic standpoint, an Orthodox member can acquire Communion in a Catholic church if there's "well purpose or purpose" and most effective with the the mutual contract of the neighborhood Roman Catholic and Orthodox bishops. Generally regardless that the Orthodox church teaches that it is contributors must no longer acquire Communion at non-Orthodox church buildings. The Catholic Church teaches that a Catholic can acquire the sacraments in an Orthodox church if "necessity calls for it or real non secular expertise shows it". So in circumstances wherein a Catholic can not procedure a Catholic priest for the sacraments and the Orthodox church is all that's to be had, then the Catholic would acquire sacraments on the Orthodox church. For instance, might be if a Catholic lived wherein there have been most effective Orthodox church buildings and no Catholic church, then he would acquire on the Orthodox church. However, mainly a Catholic must most effective acquire Communion and different sacraments from the Catholic church. Now, Latin/Roman Catholics can acquire Holy Communion on the Divine Liturgy of Eastern Catholic Churches and vice versa - for the reason that they're all Catholic Churches. So you would satisfy your Sunday duty and acquire Holy Communion at an Eastern Catholic Church however won't achieve this at an Eastern Orthodox Church (until it used to be a few sort of emergency or some thing).

Answer 4

Kyrie is the vocative case of the Greek word κύριος (kyrios - lord) and means O Lord; it is the name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, also called Kyrie eleison.

The Kyrie prayer, offered during the Roman Catholic Mass and in some other denominations (such as Lutheran and many in the Anglican Communion), led by the priest or celebrant, and repeated by the congregation. Though today usually recited in the vernacular, the traditional form of the Kyrie in Western Christianity is a transliteration of the Greek prayer into Latin, and is used in this form in Latin-language Masses.

Answer 5

The New Testament was written by the early Christians in Greek.

The Septuagint was a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and was the Bible for the early Catholic Church.

Greek was the worldwide common language at the time of Jesus. Although Jesus mostly spoke Aramaic, because He spent his early years in Egypt, He probably could speak Greek.

Greek is one of our "mother" tongues. Older even than Latin.

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

It is Latin, not Greek.

Answer 7

it's not greek it's latin language