A new lingua franca for the Church?

[FiveLinden]

Can Mass be said in sign language?

 

[Bernoulli]

The essential form of the consecration has to be spoken orally.

 

[steph03]

If we were to adopt a single language (which I don’t necessarily agree with), I would probably go for Aramaic…

 

[ProVobis]

In the fourth century, Latin was a horribly confused, muddled mess that was evolving at an increasing rate.

Yet we can still read the writings of Cicero today.

 

[GordonP]

Yet we can still read the writings of Cicero today.

And we can still read Beowulf today. With the same difficulty as speakers of the languages that Latin evolved into, namely Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Romanian.

Oh, and even by the fourth century, formal Latin had diverged from Cicero, and would continue evolving throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It never was as static as you seem to think.

 

[ProVobis]

It never was as static as you seem to think.

The written Classic and Ecclesiastical Latin language haven’t changed much. It’s not what I think. It’s what several Popes have said. Read Veterum Sapientia.

 

[dochawk]

Oh yes? So which other language do you think mass was said in western christendom on the eve of Trent?

Not on the eve, but for centuries.

It would have varied from place to place, by the local languages.

When I was learning such things, I had no particular interest in what the languages were, but, probably for no good reason, assumed germanic tongues.

Oh, and even by the fourth century, formal Latin had diverged from Cicero,

By the time of Cicero, it had diverged. What Cicero wrote, and used at the forum or Senate, and what was spoken in general, were already separated.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Of course I wouldn’t favor the adoption of a living, evolving language over a dead-though-immortal language as the “lingua franca” of the Church.
The Church used a dead language for centuries for a reason. And it should continue to do so.

 

[Maximian]

Not on the eve, but for centuries.

So an example would help. Obviously not the Gallican, Sarum or Mozarabic rites which are all in Latin.

 

[graciew]

No, I wouldn t.There is nothing “ obvious” but arbitrary in adopting English ,as per the OP question.