Mea Culpa

The **Mea Culpa** is the sword used by the Penitent One. Desamparados also calls it "The Sword of the Father" and the "guilty blade".

**Mea Culpa** was created when a woman asked The Miracle for punishment for her sins by hitting her chest with an image of the Twisted One. **The Miracle** caused a sword to spawn from the statuette, impaling the woman through her chest, and turning her into stone. The woman would thereafter become the Kneeling Stone.

The sword's handle is thus adorned by the effigy of **The Twisted One**, and thorns that follow the edges of the blade. After meeting Deogracias for the first time, another thorn is added to the handle with the purpose of harming the sword's wielder to feed on his blood and guilt. This thorn will continue to grow until it reaches its final form, the Cvstodia of Sin, if all of the Confessor Dungeons are completed.

It's possible that the sword was originally destined to be used to defeat His Holiness Escribar or put an end to the effects of the **Miracle**, as evidenced by the fact that Crisanta of the Wrapped Agony guards the entrance to **Escribar**'s chambers and her dialogue both in the comic and before her boss fight.

After the death of the High Wills, the sword crumbles to dust as the Miracle disappears for good.

Mea Culpa does not return in Blasphemous 2, and is instead replaced by three weapons: Veredicto, Ruego Al Alba, and Sarmiento & Centella.

## Mea Culpa Altars

The power of the **Mea Culpa** can be increased by visiting **Mea Culpa Altars**, which allow access to further abilities in return for Tears of Atonement.

### Altar Locations

1. Albero, in the house of the Wound Kissers in the basement.
2. Convent of Our Lady of the Charred Visage, after defeating Our Lady of the Charred Visage.
3. Brotherhood of the Silent Sorrow, when approached from the side of the Mountains of the Endless Dusk.
4. Mother of Mothers, before the Melquiades fight, at the top of a tall room.
5. Library of the Negated Words, after the Exposito fight in The Sleeping Canvases
6. Archcathedral Rooftops, 3rd floor, on the right
7. Chalice of Inverted Verses challenge, started in the Desecrated Cistern, on the left in the elevator shaft. Requires Linen of Golden Thread to reach.

## Achievements

Buy all skills from the Mea Culpa shrines.

Achieve the maximum level of the Mea Culpa sword.

## Location Gallery

#01 In Albero#02 In the Convent of Our Lady of the Charred Visage#03 In the Brotherhood of the Silent Sorrow#04 In the Mother of Mothers#05 In the Library of the Negated Words#06 In the Archcathedral Rooftops#07 In the Desecrated Cistern
## Relevant Item Descriptions

The Legend of Mea Culpa, the Sword of Guilt
It is said that this stone statue covered with petals was once a young womam who, tormented by a deep feeling of guilt, struck her chest with the figure of Our Father, asking him to be punished. The Miracle manifested itself in the figure of the Father, emerging from her a wide and long edge, a great rooted sword, which pierced his guilty heart to later transform his body into stone. That sword was called Mea Culpa in allusion to the last words of the young woman.

## Trivia

* Mea Culpa translates from Latin as "My fault/guilt" (nominative) or "Through my fault" (ablative). This is drawn directly from the Confiteor said by the sacred ministers in the Traditional Latin Mass of Catholicism.
* Crisanta of the Wrapped Agony refers to Mea Culpa as the "guilty sword" and that "using it is a crime against the Mother".
* The Mea Culpa being drawn from the petrified woman is a clear allusion to medieval chivalric legends of King Arthur, albeit instead of a worthy hero drawing a bright and glorious sword to claim kingship, a lowly man ridden with guilt claims a dull thorned blade as key to completion of his penance. Also like Excalibur or Caliburn, the Mea Culpa could also be considered a holy sword given it's origin.