French Christian Religion – La Chrétienté ⛪️

Author: Emilie

List of French Christian religion vocabulary with English translation. Learn the clergy in French, the various Christian faith terms.

50 Christian Word List in French

  1. Un croyant , un fidèle, un pratiquant – a believer
  2. Croire – to believe
  3. Une croyance – a belief
  4. La foi – faith
  5. Les croyants – the faithful
  6. La chrétienté – christendom
  7. Un chrétien, une chrétienne – a Christian
  8. Un catholique, une catholique – a Catholic
  9. Un protestant, une protestante – a Protestant
  10. Un orthodoxe, une orthodoxe – an Orthodox
  11. La Vierge Marie – The Blessed Virgin Mary
  12. Le “Je vous salue Marie” – Hail Mary Prayer (click to hear Camille say the Hail Mary Prayer in French)
  13. L’immaculée Conception – The Immaculate Conception
  14. L’Eglise – the Church
  15. Un pèlerin – a pilgrim
  16. Un pèlerinage – a pilgrimage
  17. Une prière – a prayer
  18. Prier – to pray
  19. Se recueillir – to commune with God
  20. Le recueillement – contemplation, meditation, remembrance, recollection, worship
  21. Brûler un cierge – to light a candle, to pray or hope for a miracle
  22. Le Seigneur – the Lord
  23. Dieu – God
  24. Jésus – Jesus
  25. Un ange – an angel
  26. La messe – mass (click to hear Camille say the prayers of the Catholic mass in French)
  27. la Bible – the Bible
  28. Un miracle – a miracle
  29. Le paradis – heaven
  30. L’enfer – hell
  31. L’hostie (f): host
  32. Une calice : chalice
  33. Un ciboire: ciborium
  34. Les buvettes (f): cruets for the water and wine)
  35. L’encens: incense
  36. Le (chant) grégorien : Gregorian chant
  37. Les nappes (f); altar cloths
  38. Les canons d’autel : altar cards (used in traditional masses to aid the priest without needing the missal)
  39. Les parements ou les ornements : vestments, including the cloth hanging down on the altar (usually the color of the day or made from cloth-of-gold)
  40. La chasuble: chasuble
  41. L’aube : alb
  42. Le cordon: cincture (attention, la ceinture [fascia] est dessus la soutane [cassock], pas dessus l’aube)
  43. L’étole: stole
  44. L’amict: (white vestment worn below the alb around the neck)
  45. La manipule : maniple (worn on the left arm by traditional priests)
  46. La barette: square hat with three fins by cardinals, bishops and many priests
  47. Le missel: missal, the book with the texts of the Mass.
  48. l’épistolier/ l’évangéliaire : book with epistles or gospels for Mass (usually they are one complete volume); we also refer to « le lectionnaire », the lectionary.
  49. Le chœur : choir (dans une église mais aussi un nom pour les chanteurs, normalement les chanoines, qui s’y assoient)
  50. Un laïc : layperson

The Clergy in French

I invite you to read the comments of Matthew Roth below, on the different names of the members of the clergy and how to address them. I’ve added his vocabulary suggestion to this list. Thank you Matthew!

  1. Un prêtre – a priest
  2. L’acolyte/l’enfant de chœur/ servant de messe/servant d’autel : altar boy
  3. Un diacre, un sous-diacre: deacon, subdeacon.
  4. Un séminariste: seminarian
  5. Une religieuse, une nonne , une soeur, familièrement appelée “une bonne soeur” – a nun, as sister, familiarly called a ‘good sister’ in French
  6. Un moine – a monk
  7. Un clerc: cleric
  8. Un curé – pastor or parish priest
  9. un vicaire – parochial vicar or curate
  10. Un évêque – bishop
  11. Un archevêque – archbishop
  12. Le pape – the pope
Author: Emilie

Emilie

Bonjour, my name is Emilie, and I'm an experienced and certified French teacher. I live in the foot of the Pyrénées Mountains in the South West of France and will share articles about my beautiful region with you.

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