en leur "rachetant" leurs péchés

English translation: "redeeming" their sins

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:en leur "rachetant" leurs péchés
English translation:"redeeming" their sins
Entered by: Tony M

11:39 Mar 16, 2015
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Religion / Catholicism
French term or phrase: en leur "rachetant" leurs péchés
Hello,

In the source text below there is a play on words with “rachetant” but I can’t make out the specific meanings in this context (there is no hlepful wider context other than the above section of text)? To pay back, to buy back, to make up for, to redeem, to pay for, (to pay off?) are some of the possible meanings I think it could have.

Source Text (Figaro Magazine, an article published in 2014, on "pardon" ceremonies in Brittany): Officialisé au XVe siècle dans le dictionnaire trilingue breton-français-latin, le pardon désigne une fête religieuse ou un pèlerinage vers un lieu saint consacré par la foi chrétienne. Auparavant, il faisait uniquement référence aux indulgences consenties aux pécheurs par les papes : une sorte d’amnistie de leurs fautes en échange d’une démarche pénitentielle (aumône, jeûne, pèlerinage). L’occasion pour l’Eglise, malmenée par l’émergence de nombreuses hérésies au milieu du Moyen Âge, de se réconcilier avec le peuple catholique : en leur « rachetant » leurs péchés sans qu’ils aient forcément à se rendre au péril de leur vie et de leur portefeuille jusqu’au tombeau du Christ à Jérusalem mais en se contentant de vénérer dans des lieux proches de chez eux une figure sanctifiée, elle redynamisa chez ses fidèles une foi populaire déclinante.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Rebecca
Rebecca Lees
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:58
redeeming their sins
Explanation:
I don't really see how you can get away from the dedicated term, even though it is a pity to lose the mercenary play on words in the FR.

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Note added at 2 heures (2015-03-16 14:15:00 GMT)
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It always seems to me that 'to redeem' is used "the wrong way round", more so in FR perhaps than in EN, though even in EN, it sometimes seems backwards. If you have a 'money off' coupon, the shop 'redeems' it for you in return for some goods.
In the same way, the Church (acting as subcontractor for God) 'redeems' your 'sins' in return for a bag of grace — and if you happen to hand them a wad of cash along with your sins, you get an even bigger bag of grace.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 heures (2015-03-16 14:16:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

We had this very discussion not so long back on KudoZ, about 'redeem' in another, more commercial context.
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 15:58
Grading comment
Thank you all for your help
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +7redeeming their sins
Tony M
4 +1by "relieving them" from their sins
Daryo
3 +1by forgiving their sins
Jonathan MacKerron


  

Answers


41 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
by "relieving them" from their sins


Explanation:
en leur "rachetant" leurs péchés
=
the Church is not "buying back" sins from sinners, the Church is taking the sins from the sinners, relieving them from the burden of their sins. (it's the logic of that religion, don't start screaming "nonsense" is you don't believe it)

by "relieving them" from their sins

here "en rachetant" implies a very peculiar kind of "transaction" - nothing to do with earthly trading [although it could end up in money changing hands in exchange for "spiritual" goods - but it's not supposed to be that way]

Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:58
Native speaker of: Native in SerbianSerbian, Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: That's really the whole point of 'redeeming' — 'buying' your way back into a state of grace; It always feels like the wrong way round, but we say 'your sins will be redeemed'; cf. the system of paid 'indulgences' etc.
28 mins
  -> the ways of thinking of religion/religious people is something special, nothing of this world/down to Earth (as they claim it themselves) this "buying" is of a rather weird kind, especially given that the Church is in actual fact "selling" grace

agree  Helen Hagon: I rather like the ambiguity of this phrase, although I would say 'relieving them of their sins'. It implies that they would feel a sense of relief afterwards, as well as hinting at the common expression, 'to be relieved of your hard-earned money'.
53 mins
  -> the ambiguity with 'to be relieved of your hard-earned money' is not supposed to happen // the "relieving of sins" is supposed to be obtained by good deeds, not by money. Thanks!

neutral  AllegroTrans: not the correct dedicated term, as TM correctly states
10 hrs
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42 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +7
redeeming their sins


Explanation:
I don't really see how you can get away from the dedicated term, even though it is a pity to lose the mercenary play on words in the FR.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 heures (2015-03-16 14:15:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It always seems to me that 'to redeem' is used "the wrong way round", more so in FR perhaps than in EN, though even in EN, it sometimes seems backwards. If you have a 'money off' coupon, the shop 'redeems' it for you in return for some goods.
In the same way, the Church (acting as subcontractor for God) 'redeems' your 'sins' in return for a bag of grace — and if you happen to hand them a wad of cash along with your sins, you get an even bigger bag of grace.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 heures (2015-03-16 14:16:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

We had this very discussion not so long back on KudoZ, about 'redeem' in another, more commercial context.


Tony M
France
Local time: 15:58
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24
Grading comment
Thank you all for your help
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks very much


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Charles Davis: But you don't lose it: the inverted commas, as in French, allude implicitly to the monetary senses of "redeem" (which, after all, literally means buy back). Redeem and racheter are exact equivalents, it seems to me. (I had a longer answer ready to post!)
10 mins
  -> Thanks, Charles! Yes, I guess the quotes will do the trick.

agree  Helen Nisseron: Redeem in this context is "to deliver from sin" but it does also mean "to buy back", so the play on words is respected. (Edit: just seen that I've said the same as Charles who was quicker than me!)
15 mins
  -> Thanks, Helen!

neutral  Daryo: "racheter" leurs péchés is used in a really strange way (for s.o. not religious) In fact, the Church IS NOT "paying" the sinners anything - it's the other way round sinners are "paying" by their local pilgrimage the Church to take their sins ...
1 hr
  -> Please see added note.

agree  writeaway: buying one's way out of purgatory?
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, W/A! I know what that feels like...

agree  B D Finch: As Christ is supposed to be the Redeemer, I think the idea is that Jesus has already paid the price of the sins and so the sinner only has to accept that redemption by a demonstration of faith i.e. by going to Jerusalem, which is where the Church steps in
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, B! :-)

agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
7 hrs
  -> Merci, J-C ! :-)

agree  NancyLynn: spot on
7 hrs
  -> Thanks, Nancy!

agree  AllegroTrans
10 hrs
  -> Thanks, C!
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
by forgiving their sins


Explanation:
People can redeem their own sins, but it is Christ who forgives them.

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Susan Monnereau
1 day 1 hr
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