Mea culpa

The title of this article is ambiguous. Further meanings are listed under Mea culpa (disambiguation) .

Mea culpa ( Latin "through my fault") are words from the Confiteor , which has been spoken in the Catholic Church since the 11th century :

" Confiteor [...] quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, opere et omissione:
mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa [...] "

"I confess [...] I have sinned in thoughts, words and works:
through my guilt, through my guilt, through my great guilt [...]"

The believers beat each other on the chest.

The expression mea culpa has entered colloquial language, often ironically, as an excuse. Occasionally the term is used generically to refer to a far-reaching or meaningful request for forgiveness.

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Wiktionary: mea culpa  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations