How to Mention Names in the Liturgy

HOW TO MENTION NAMES IN THE LITURGY

In Catholic theology and in the Christian tradition in general, and in the Liturgy in particular, when we use “your name” the understanding is one; it refers to only your given name at Baptism i.e. your first name. Your “name” is your FIRST NAME…surnames are not the focus.

That’s why in the Liturgy the surname of the Bishop of the place is NOT MENTIONED AND NOT TO BE MENTIONED. His name is his First Name and that alone is mentioned during the Eucharistic Prayer.

Again, when one dies and we are offering Requiem Mass for him/her…like in all Funeral Masses….only the First Name is to be mentioned….the deceased is identified in the Liturgy by his/her first name only.

We have been using “first name” (as seen above) only for the sake of emphasis. But the correct/acceptable way is to say….Name…just name. The Church does not even say First Name…it says simply…Name….and Surname…as we have in our various sacramental registers.

Thus, you have a NAME and then a SURNAME. So whenever we come across NAME in a liturgical book or during a liturgical  celebration, it is not referring to what we might call FULL NAME (First Name and Surname) but simply what we call FIRST NAME.

Your name is the name that was mentioned when you were being baptized. It is the same name that would be called out (repeated) at the time of your death when the Church gathers to pray for us in her Liturgy, when we are returning home to the Father of us all.

Thus, in Catholic theology, YOUR NAME IS (AND MEANS) YOUR FIRST NAME.

By: Fr. Anthony Agnes Adu-Mensah