THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN CATHOLIC LITURGY

Language is a quintessential element in human existence, without which life may lose its essence. It is at the forefront of every human activity - social, political, economic, spiritual, etc. Language is one of the main characteristic features that distinguish man from other lower animals. It takes on a transcendent dimension when interwoven with liturgy. Recently, the Catholic Church of the Igbo community has made a retranslation of the Igbo liturgy with modifications to some of its sections. This paper sets out to look at some of the areas and compare them with the Latin and French equivalents for proper justification or not of this linguistic modification. Liturgy refers to the prescribed forms of public worship, rituals, and ceremonies practiced by a religious group. This paper centres on the Catholic liturgy encompassing the order of Mass. Language serves as a conduit for theological expression, communal worship, and spiritual engagements. The aim of the present communication is to explore the role of language within the context of Catholic worship and to justify the retranslation of certain sections of the Igbo liturgy.

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