"Mea culpa" - Religious Phrase The famous Latin religious phrase "Mea culpa" derives from the words 'mea' meaning my or mine and culpa meaning fault or cause (it is also the root word for culpability). The prayer of confession of sinfulness translates as "through my fault, through my fault" and continues with "mea maxima culpa" meaning through 'my most grievous fault'. It basically means "I accept guilt or it is my own fault." In church law the word 'culpa' refers to a defect, violation or irregularity that is due to a lack of knowledge or oversight and not considered to be a premeditated or wilful act. The word 'dolus' relates to a deliberate act. |