Holy Ghost Vs. Holy Spirit

[Dave]

I'm curious to know if anyone here, especially regular Tridentine Mass-goers, prefers to call the Holy Spirit the Holy Ghost, especially when, for example, saying the Gloria Patri ("Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost" rather than ". . . and to the Holy Spirit"). I've always used the phrase "Holy Spirit," but at my Latin Mass parish, most people seem to use the phrase "Holy Ghost." For example, when they pray the rosary before Mass as a group, they'll use "Holy Ghost" in the Apostles' Creed and the Gloria. So I want to know if anyone else here uses the phrase "Holy Ghost."

[Laudate_Dominum]

Most often I pray that doxology in Latin so this isn't an issue, although privately I might use the more primitive Greek form which excludes the [i]sicut erat in principio[/i]. When I do invoke the Holy Trinity in the vernacular I must confess that I am inconsistent on the [i]Ghost[/i]/[i]Spirit [/i]issue. I suppose it doesn't really matter to me either way. In defense of [i]Spirit [/i]I would say that [i]Ghost [/i]sounds funny in contemporary English, but if you're in the company of Catholics who use more archaic English I think it is best to do what they do.

[MC IMaGiNaZUN]

My dad grew up using the term Holy Ghost, so he says it out of habit.
I grew up using the term Holy Spirit, unless im writing a rap and to get the right rhyme i might say Holy Ghost.

SHALOM
Bro Mark

[Deo Iuvente]

I use then anglican breviary, so I use "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost...." in the gloria patri. Sometimes when I say the rosary, I just say it not paying attention. There is one priest at my parish who always calls him the Holy Ghost (Even in the absolution at confession(!) I'm pretty sure that makes them invalid.

[Dave]

[quote name='Deo Iuvente' post='1468273' date='Feb 24 2008, 07:51 PM']There is one priest at my parish who always calls him the Holy Ghost (Even in the absolution at confession(!) I'm pretty sure that makes them invalid.[/quote]

No, that would NOT invalidate absolution. Trust me.

[qfnol31]

Holy Ghost is more Germanic.

Holy Spirit is more Latin.

I'm German, but in this case I choose the Latin version. Plus, tons of Protestants come out of Germany...

Oddly enough, certain groups who denounce all Protestant beliefs are all for Holy Ghost and against Holy Spirit, even though one is more Latin and the other is closer to Protestantism...go figure.

Edited February 25, 2008 by qfnol31

[Aloysius]

The germanic words in the english language are used for more concrete concepts, and studies have shown that they are used more when being more sincere; whereas the French is used for more abstract concepts and are more often used when one is thinking more about what they're going to say, ie when they are lying or being careful with words. there was a time when the anglo-saxon/germanic words were persecuted, and French had to be spoken officially... probably the roots of why sincerity is found in the core germanic words whereas insincerity, abstractness, and lying comes on the more imposed french based words.

it doesn't come from german protestantism, it comes out of the deeper roots of the English language, the Anglo-saxon germanic words are more basic to the language and the French based words are more abstract. I actually have seen a general tendency towards a more abstract conception of the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity amongst those who use the term "Holy Spirit" and a more concrete personal understanding of him among those who use the term "Holy Ghost"... but that's just a general thing not a definite correlation...

I find it more ironic that technically the use of "Ghost" represents a more authentically enculturated form but those who are all in favor of extending enculturation everywhere insist upon "Holy Spirit".

the fact that Latin Massers do not opt for the more Latin form I think is a great sign to dispel a lot of misconceptions about what it is to be traditional. One would expect them to automatically go for the Latin form... but surprisingly, a large number of them flock to the germanic based word showing that it's not just arbitrary following of whatever is most latin, but a real connection with the mindsets of the people of the past, understanding the nature of the germanic words as such.

[jeffpugh]

In saying that, I sometimes like Holy Spirit, I sometimes like Holy Ghost. I was Anglican once, as well as my mother, her parents, etc so Holy Ghost is more familiar.