I Can’t Understand a Word My Priest Says – WSJ

Blithe Spirit 1 Minute

The lady spells out the perils (and benefits) of Catholic universality, with emphasis on impaired diction.

For a partly negative view of this matter so well laid out for us, may I offer this? Sometimes, especially if the speaker has a soft, smoothing tone, it’s a blessing not to know what he’s saying. I’d say many worshipers zone out anyhow. So like the new priest for other reasons even if you can’t understand him, including this mixed blessing which I have discovered — and be thankful for any priest at all.

Source: I Can’t Understand a Word My Priest Says – WSJ

Published by Jim Bowman

Jim Bowman covered religion 1968-78 for the Chicago Daily News, since then has written books, articles, etc., mostly on corporate history but also on religion (Company Man: My Jesuit Life, 1950-1968), and more recently on politics (Illinois Blues: How the Ruling Party Talks to Voters -- Lulu.com, Kindle). Longtime Oak Park, Illinois, resident, he lives now on Chicago's North Side, where four of his and Winnie's six children live close by.

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2 thoughts on “I Can’t Understand a Word My Priest Says – WSJ”

  1. I have the same problem. The immigrant priests are faithful and fervent, but with my old ears and their accents, most of what they say is unintelligible.

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