ecclesial

American  

[ih-klee-zee-uhl] / ɪˈkli zi əl /

adjective

1. pertaining to a church or its functions, teachings, or organization.

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Etymology

Origin of ecclesial

1640–50; < Latin ecclēsi ( a ) ecclesia + -al ¹; compare French ecclésial

Explanation

Anything ecclesial is related to a Christian church. You might go to Sunday services with your friend to find out what ecclesial offerings his church has. The adjective ecclesial derives from the Greek ekklesiastes, "speaker in a church" and its root ekkalein, "to call out." It's specifically used to talk about the Christian religion. If someone mentions ecclesial institutions, they mean churches, and a reference to an ecclesial service is the same as talking about a sermon in a Christian church. Catholics sometimes use the phrase "ecclesial community" to refer to non-Catholic churches.