VATICAN CITY, NOV. 28, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI encouraged the teaching of Latin, especially to young people, with the help of new methodologies.
The Pope made this proposal today when greeting the participants in a meeting organized by the Latinitas Foundation, a Vatican institution that promotes the official language of the Latin-rite Catholic Church.
The Holy Father, who addressed the participants in classical Latin, congratulated the winners of the Certamen Vaticanum, an international competition of Latin prose and poetry.
Benedict XVI said that this foundation must see to it that Latin continues to be part of the daily life of the Church, so that understanding of many of its treasures will not be lost.
Isn’t this great? The popes have always encouraged the learning of Latin, but here is one that is enthusiastic about it.
I only have three years of Latin under my belt, but I appreciate what little I know. I intend to keep learning and eventually become fluent in both spoken and written Latin. The experience of the NO and of the Tridentine rite, are amazing. I particularly enjoy the Tridentine. When you understand what is being said in the Latin it does not loose that sense of mystery that comes from something veiled… it becomes an expression of a deeper sense of mystery, the mystery that comes from worshiping the Lord in a worthy fashion.
I am quite fond of it, as you can probably tell. I encourage everyone to at least try learning it. It is a great experience.
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