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examen de conciencia

English translation: examination of conscience

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:examen de conciencia
English translation:examination of conscience

17:32 Oct 27, 2012
    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2012-10-31 13:54:36 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)


Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Religion / Catholic faith
Spanish term or phrase: examen de conciencia
hizo un breve examen de conciencia
Se trata de un sacerdote.
Ana Terzaghi
Uruguay
Local time: 18:03
examination of conscience
Explanation:
This is the term English-speaking Catholics use. One is supposed to do it before confession.

"Examination of Conscience
Before going to Confession you should make a review of mortal and venial sins since your last sacramental confession, and should express sorrow for sins, hatred for sins and a firm resolution not to sin again.
A helpful pattern for examination of conscience is to review the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church:"
http://www.catholic.org/prayers/confession.php

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2012-10-27 17:49:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Dear Father John, My spiritual director is recommending that I practice a daily “examination of conscience.”"
http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/tags/examination-of-con...

"Conscience exam" is sometimes said too, but this is an informal and much less common term, and is certainly inappropriate for a priest, I think.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 27 mins (2012-10-27 18:00:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"1454 The reception of this sacrament [confession] ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in the light of the Word of God. the passages best suited to this can be found in the moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic Letters, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the apostolic teachings."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, part II, section II, chapter II, VII: "The Acts of the Penitent"
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P4D.HTM

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2012-10-28 00:47:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I see Cinnamon's point; you could say "he briefly examined his conscience", and that would be more natural in non-religious contexts. However, for a Catholic, the "examination of conscience" is an established part of one's spiritual duties, a formal procedure, as you might say, and I think it would be more appropriate here to say "made a brief examination of conscience", particular since it refers to a priest. The catechism doesn't say that the sacrament ought to be prepared for "by examining one's conscience in the light of the Word of God"; it says "by an examination of conscience made in the light of the Word of God", thereby indicating that it is a procedure to be performed.
Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 23:03
Grading comment
thanks to all for your help
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7examination of conscience
Charles Davis
4 +2soul-searching
Darius Saczuk
5 +1conscience exam
mnuar
4 +1He examined his conscience.
Cinnamon Nolan


  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
soul-searching


Explanation:
one option - more context is needed

Darius Saczuk
United States
Local time: 17:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rosa Paredes: I also agree with your comment. Saludos.
1 hr
  -> Gracias, Rosa. :-)
agree  Sergio Kot: Soul searching is widely accepted and used.
1 day 2 hrs
  -> Thank you, Sergio. :-)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
conscience exam


Explanation:
this is a common practice in the Catholic Church and refers to a type of prayer in which the person goes over what has been done during the day and whether it was good or bad - according to their conscience. This is the accepted term in English

mnuar
Local time: 17:03
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cyril B.
10 mins
neutral  Joss Heywood: This is not the most accepted term in English - Google gives it 1030 hits, most of them in the same website, against 224000 for "examination of conscience"
31 mins
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
He examined his conscience.


Explanation:
It would have been most helpful for the asker to include context for appropriate register selection.

It sounds very formal to say 'He made/performed an examination of conscience.' This option is more direct.


www.readeasily.com/jules-verne/jv0007/jv00070049.phpShare
Dick Sand had, in all sincerity, examined his conscience. If he was capable of taking in or setting the sails of the schooner, according to circumstances, ...

www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,851106,00.html
When Coca-Cola's meek, mild Vice President and Secretary George T. Adams got a mysterious call from Washington, he examined his conscience, found it ...

Judicial Disqualification
www.law.suffolk.edu/.../Ch 25 Judicial Disqualific...
...assertion” that the judge had examined his conscience and found no disqualifying bias and prejudice.7. As the “inward test” is obviously difficult of proof and the ...

An Iconic Lawyer - Thomas More - Lawyers' Guild of Toronto
www.thomasmoreguild.ca/An Iconic Lawyer.pdfShare
...at 3:00 in the morning, examined his conscience carefully daily, went to morning mass, read and wrote. He wanted to be fit for his public performance, to be true .

Cinnamon Nolan
Spain
Local time: 23:03
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: agree with you that this would be far more common
1 hr
  -> Thank you.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
examination of conscience


Explanation:
This is the term English-speaking Catholics use. One is supposed to do it before confession.

"Examination of Conscience
Before going to Confession you should make a review of mortal and venial sins since your last sacramental confession, and should express sorrow for sins, hatred for sins and a firm resolution not to sin again.
A helpful pattern for examination of conscience is to review the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church:"
http://www.catholic.org/prayers/confession.php

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2012-10-27 17:49:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Dear Father John, My spiritual director is recommending that I practice a daily “examination of conscience.”"
http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/tags/examination-of-con...

"Conscience exam" is sometimes said too, but this is an informal and much less common term, and is certainly inappropriate for a priest, I think.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 27 mins (2012-10-27 18:00:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"1454 The reception of this sacrament [confession] ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in the light of the Word of God. the passages best suited to this can be found in the moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic Letters, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the apostolic teachings."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, part II, section II, chapter II, VII: "The Acts of the Penitent"
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P4D.HTM

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2012-10-28 00:47:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I see Cinnamon's point; you could say "he briefly examined his conscience", and that would be more natural in non-religious contexts. However, for a Catholic, the "examination of conscience" is an established part of one's spiritual duties, a formal procedure, as you might say, and I think it would be more appropriate here to say "made a brief examination of conscience", particular since it refers to a priest. The catechism doesn't say that the sacrament ought to be prepared for "by examining one's conscience in the light of the Word of God"; it says "by an examination of conscience made in the light of the Word of God", thereby indicating that it is a procedure to be performed.

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 23:03
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 92
Grading comment
thanks to all for your help

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cyril B.
10 mins
  -> Thanks, Cyril
agree  Stephen D. Moore: It's not just used in the Catholic Church.
24 mins
  -> Thanks, Stephen! No, that's quite true; I simply assumed that was probably the context of the question.
agree  Jenni Lukac (X)
41 mins
  -> Thanks, Jenni!
agree  Rosa Paredes: Yes. Although I feel we need more context to determine register. Cheers!
1 hr
  -> Yes, that's fair comment. Thanks, Rosa :)
agree  Meredith Parks
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Meredith :)
agree  Luis Rey Ballesteros (Luiroi)
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Luis :)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, gallagy :)
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