"Bilingual" frustrations

[Tepeyac]

The priest said he would address the issue, but offered no further information, except that he agrees there was a distraction.

Thank you. I hope you keep us informed.

As far as your previous statements, our church has plenty of opportunities for english masses and spanish masses. The parish is generally happy with this balance. The problem is, there are some outspoken individuals who see it as racial discrimination that there are not more bilingual masses. This is generally because no one wants them, and there aren’t the priests for it.

I’m sorry that some of your fellow parishioners are unhappy. Have you spoken to them personally? How many Spanish masses do you have available? It you have Spanish masses available, why do they think the lack of bilingual ones is discrimination?

I am curious. Are you bilingual?

Yes.

Have you been to a bilingual mass?

Yes.

For us, a bilingual mass is nothing but a headache. They generally run 2-3 hours long, and all the while everyone is lost due to dual-language acitivies, and the cultural differences bother both sides.

My parish has a number of bilingual masses each year including the Easter Vigil. Only the Easter Vilgil takes anywhere from 2 to 3 hours and that’s because of the nature of the Vigil. The others take no longer than a regular Sunday mass. The last time we had a bilingual mass (I think for the feast of the Immaculate Conception) I don’t believe it took longer than 40-45 minutes.

The biggest of which is english speakers frustrated that toddlers are allowed free-reign on the sanctuary. They run around (even up near the altar), scream, talk loudly, play in the aisles, and even stand in the pews while prayers, or even when transubstatiation is taking place.

Do you mean the sanctuary or the nave? (I’m curious about the floorplan of you church if the toddlers can approach the altar).

The parents make no effort to stop, since this is acceptable to them, and many can’t hear what is going on.

Our church has asked parishioners to keep better tabs on their children, and most people are pretty good about. If a toddler is truly, truly disruptive a parent will take them outside. If kids really are being disruptive this is something your pastor needs to address.

Catholics generally bring their kids to mass. Some of us have crying-rooms but most of our parishes don’t have Sunday School or day care to keep the kids occupied. Generally we’re not used to doing things that way. There’ve been threads dealing with kids at mass before so maybe you’d like to do a forum search and read through them.

I will say that at my church one old priest at my church has preached about kids at mass. He says that everytime a baby screams or cries it’s a good thing because parent’s should be bringing to mass right from the start. You gotta get’em interested while they’re young, he says. He says that when he gets complaints he’s old enough to tell them ‘I knew you when you were little and you weren’t so well behaved yourself!”. This old priest serves at one of our English masses.

Continued in next post….

 

[Tepeyac]

The hispanics are frustrated because the english style is not colourful enough, is bland, and too restrictive.

This is where careful planning plays a part. Are these regular or occasional masses? Each might require a different approach. People are usually understanding if things are explained to them. Has the parish explained to people what the difficulties are? Has it asked for (name removed by moderator)ut and volunteers? Does it use material like the ones I suggested above that are meant specifically for bilingual parishes?

People are happy with the separated masses. It allows freedom of worship, in their own style, for both sides. Even something as simple as the bass guitar the hispanics use, would FREAK OUT the english speakers.

I used to go to another parish where the only mass I could attend was their contemporary mass in English. The music group used drums, electric guitar and bass. For a bilingual mass this is where careful planning, specifically regards to music, needs to be done. What’s your mass schedule by the way? At a lot of parishes people know what different masses are like (sung, spoken, traditional, folk, etc) and choose accordingly. If they can go to a Spanish or English mass at another time why would they be bothered by the availability of a bilingual mass and the music used there? Almost by definition a bilingual mass is an attempt to serve both groups. Maybe your church needs to explain better to its members why a bilingual mass is sometimes celebrated.

I’ve personally been to all three versions: Spanish, bilingual, and english. Each pure mass has their beauty since everything flows so well and makes sense, while a biliangual mass seems a chaotic mess. I personally don’t get the obsession to mix everything into a homogenized mess. I think there is so much beauty in the diversity, and shouldn’t be watered down into a mixed service.

I don’t see a chaotic mess at the papal liturgies. The Taize monastery in France serves pilgrims from around the world and celebrates its services in multiple languages and people have deep experiences there.

I hate to repeat myself but again this is why planning is important and why resources out there exist. At my church when there’s a bilingual mass the readings alternate and the Gospel is read in both. Some prayers are in one language, others are in another. The greeting, intercessions and blessing at the end are usually in both. The homily is in both languages but shorter to fit in with time constraints. The music depends on who is available but we do have a bilingual choir that can sometimes serve. Everybody is use to this and knows why we need to do this sometimes (we don’t have enough priests either).

Oh, and one more thing. The people pushing for the bilingual masses want to keep their hispanic celebrations, but make all english masses on that day bilingual. So some english speakers feel shortchanged, and when some people address these issues to those making the noise, they have generally been put down as racist, intolerant, bigots.

Why do they want to make all the masses bilingual?It sounds to me like your parish is going through a transition. What are the demographics of your neighborhood? The attendance at the different masses? Your parish should really consider doing a survey. Ours did and among other things it turned out that the majority of the faithful at one of our English masses was actually Spanish speaking. (It helped that our church used one of those bilingual missals). Maybe some of the needs of your parish really are being unmet.

 

[Whitacre_Girl]

well I am sure that being a bilingual parishoner, it’s hard to understand the frustration of a bilingual mass for someone who is not bilingual.

I wish I could respond to everything you posted, but that’s a lot of information.

Personally, I think we should allow for the diversity, and allow freedom or worship for people of all languages and cultures. Some cultures don’t mesh in a mass, and shouldn’t be forced to. It’s a loud minority that wants the bilingual masses. And I am not sure why. There are just as many spanish masses as english masses at my parish. The hispanic pop. in my area is up to 40%. However, most of those are english speakers or at least bilingual. However, the purely spanish speaking have a very loud voice. There are a lot of problems surrounding the issues, and it has threatened to tear my parish apart on several occasions, so I hear from a priest.

I just can’t ffigure out why everyone has to make this a civil right stand. Why can’t we worship in spirit and in truth without watering down the liturgy for all in order to be “politically correct?” I do not speak from the view of a frustrated english speaker, but saying that this is the case for all involved. If our church tried to eliminate all spanish masses, I’d be fighting just as hard for them too, even if our country made english the official language of the nation. Yes, such a law would require english to be learned, but I think that for true freedom in worship, the native language of a significant population should be used. That was the immense beauty of Vatican II.

Oh, and it is in the sancutary. Where everyone is sitting. It’s not uncommon to have a child walk up to you during a mass and try to speak to you while mass is going on.

 

[Lujack]

Latin solves everything. Traditional Latin hymns unite all Catholics. What the OP describes wouldn’t have happened if we all cherished and put into practice our collective heritage as Catholics.

Btw, the “days of the Latin Mass” have yet to come. Count on it.

Because when the Latin Mass was the standard, the Irish and the Italians and the Poles all held hands and sung and skipped through the fields together, right? They would never have put themselves into national parishes…

(Not that I don’t love the old Catholic neighborhoods, but the Latin Mass certainly did not prevent intense ethnic tensions between Catholic groups, especially the Irish and the Poles).

 

[StricklandGA]

Whitacre_Girl,

I’m sorry you were so disturbed at mass, I’m don’t think I would have liked someone attempting to make a statement like that… and I do hope that gets addressed by your pastor.

That said, I’m your typical white American, with the exception that I’m fully bilingual and speak fluent Spanish. In rural south Georgia, we practically wouldn’t have a church if it wasn’t for our Hispanic brothers and sisters! At my parish the Hispanic mass has an average attendance of 350+ while the English masses average 75-100 max. I have to admit to going to Spanish mass most of the time… our Hispanic community has just been overwhelmingly friendly and practically adopted me as one of their own.

We too have bilingual masses on feast days, they might be a little longer, but they usually work out fairly well and while I don’t think they are a favorite of anyone… I think we need them. We are, after all, one in Christ and the bilingual masses are one of the few ways we have to truly bring the community together.

I too have noticed a different attitude in the Hispanic community concerning younger children… sometimes they do seem to have free reign of the place, but if they truly get out of hand our Hispanic pastoral associate usually steps in and I try not to let them bother me. Honestly, I am just amazed to see so many children and youth in church… to me getting nearly 400 people in church on a Saturday evening in the south is truly a miracle!


Jason

 

[Tepeyac]

Whiteacre_Girl,
I respectfully disagree that I can’t understand your frustration. I’ve attended mass in a language that’s not my own. Don’t take this personally but whatever the language, the order of mass is the same anywhere and anyone familiar with mass shouldn’t feel that disoriented in whichever language. Most actions (proclaiming the Gospel, the consecration, etc.) are fairly clear.

Oh, and it is in the sancutary. Where everyone is sitting. It’s not uncommon to have a child walk up to you during a mass and try to speak to you while mass is going on.

I know that other churches use these terms differently but typically in a Catholic church the “nave” is the body of the building where most people sit and the “sanctuary” is the area surrounding the altar that’s normally occupied by the priest(s) and servers. See this wikipedia article: the nave. Just a small point.

I’m a little confused by your last post. Originally you said it was only a small number of people agitating for bilingual masses but now you say the ‘purely spanish speaking have a very loud voice’ but wouldn’t they be ones satisfied with all-spanish masses?

There is no perfect solution to these situations and without personally knowing your parish I can only speak in general terms. It seems like much of this is out of your hands anyway so in the mean time maybe you should let go a little, just avoid bilingual masses if they’re really bothering you and I recomend reading this book How To Get The Most Out Of The Eucharist

 

[benedictgal]

Hello all!

I am currently attending a parish with a very diverse community…and it’s AWESOME!!! I even had an opportunity to attend a mass entirely in spanish. It was really great to see how people from other languages and cultures celebrate the mass!

I did recently have a frustration though, and I am not entirely sure what to do with it. Our Ash Wedneday service was originally planned to be celebrated in our parish as bilingual. That means some things are in english, and some in spanish (no translation for anyone though, so you get to miss half of what’s going on for both sides)Well, this didn’t happen, simply because there wasn’t the man power (or building space!!) to pull it off, so there was just an english service, and a spanish service.

Well, I guess one of the more vocal hispanic men came to our services (english) with the express purpose of protesting. In the earlier service, he sang songs in spanish, and even interrupted the cantor to say in ENGLISH that they would be singing the songs in spanish. In the service I attended, he came as well – still wearing the ashes from the earlier service – and not only responded LOUDLY (so loud I couldn’t hear myself or those around me) to the prayers and responses during eucharist, that I just had to stop responding (like many other english speakers around me), or speak louder myself so I could focus. He was also giving the people around him (white people) dirty looks, especially during the distribution of ashes. It was not a prayerful and solemn service. It was horrible. He even helped himself to the pulpit at the end for unplanned “announcements” that were entirely in spanish with no translation. I know it was unplanned because or priest was rather shocked that he was standing at the microphone, ready to speak.

I admit, that the issue of bilingual ability is a rough one for me. I have been turned down for several jobs because I don’t speak fluent spanish (although I speak a little). There is a lot of stress surrounding this issue for me, and I go to church to lay it all down and worship with my brothers and sisters in christ. Not to be in the middle of a political statement.

What do I do about this? I have emailed the priest to tell him what went on, should I just leave it there? I really don’t want to have to find another parish because mine has turned into weekly protests…

I am from a Texas border town which is 99.9% Mexican-American. Bilingualism is a daily reality for me. Having planned special liturgies (bilingual), this is what I have had to do. I recognize that there are folks who do not understand Spanish nor Englsih. When the reading is proclaimed in English, I will put the Spanish text in the worship aid and vice-versa. I have tried to place hymns that are billingual (Holy, Holy, Holy) so that people can sing. I have even had bilingual general intercessions. These, admitedly, are not the easiest to plan. Inasmuch as I realize that they are done to engender community, sometimes, it comes across as something along the lines of the Tower of Babel.

Now, one thing to note is the observation that Pope Benedict XVI made in Sacramentum Caritatis regarding multi-lingual Masses:

The Latin language

1. None of the above observations should cast doubt upon the importance of such large-scale liturgies. I** am thinking here particularly of celebrations at international gatherings, which nowadays are held with greater frequency. The most should be made of these occasions. In order to express more clearly the unity and universality of the Church, I wish to endorse the proposal made by the Synod of Bishops, in harmony with the directives of the Second Vatican Council, (182) that, with the exception of the readings, the homily and the prayer of the faithful, it is fitting that such liturgies be celebrated in Latin. Similarly, the better-known prayers (183) of the Church’s tradition should be recited in Latin and, if possible, selections of Gregorian chant should be sung.** Speaking more generally, I ask that future priests, from their time in the seminary, receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin, and also to use Latin texts and execute Gregorian chant; nor should we forget that the faithful can be taught to recite the more common prayers in Latin, and also to sing parts of the liturgy to Gregorian chant. (184)

That is what my parochial vicar did for one of the Christmas Masses which had been billed as bilingual.

I would not recommend drawing from the OCP trough; rather, if you are able to, get a copy of the Magnificat and carry it with you so that if you are caught in a bilingual Mass situation, at least you will have the readings there to help you out.

 

[Appleby]

My parish for a number of years has been doing bi-ligual services. We have limited them to those feast and celebrations which need the community to come together as on, particular Holy Week services.
It has been a struggle at time with objections from both Primarily English and Spanish speakers. It is important to explain that we are not taking away anyones culture or language, but instead we are all one body of Christ in which language should not seperate us in our worship. We teach, love your neighbor as yourself, which this case may mean giving up part of one’s own comfort. Our parish has invested in bi-ligual missals and hymals. It’s still a point of contention for some, but the vast majority now accepts the practice.

Peace,
FAB

My former parish had an Italian Mass and an English Mass. Some of the services, such as Stations of the Cross, are done alternately (with materials provided in both languages), e.g. English for the First Station, Italian for the Second. The odd thing is that virtually all the people who attend the English Mass are Filipino!

Since I am conversant in Italian, I used it as an opportunity to improve my Italian. Most of the Italian speakers are elderly and this is the only Italian Catholic parish in town.

I agree that if someone comes in and starts disrupting the service, the priest should take command of the situation. Our priest is from Newark NJ and he has absolutely no difficulty in doing so. Because we are a downtown parish we have had the occasional mentally disturbed person wander in, and he handles the situation instantly.

 

[daeve]

My former parish had an Italian Mass and an English Mass. Some of the services, such as Stations of the Cross, are done alternately (with materials provided in both languages), e.g. English for the First Station, Italian for the Second. The odd thing is that virtually all the people who attend the English Mass are Filipino!

Since I am conversant in Italian, I used it as an opportunity to improve my Italian. Most of the Italian speakers are elderly and this is the only Italian Catholic parish in town.

I agree that if someone comes in and starts disrupting the service, the priest should take command of the situation. Our priest is from Newark NJ and he has absolutely no difficulty in doing so. Because we are a downtown parish we have had the occasional mentally disturbed person wander in, and he handles the situation instantly.

I lived in Brooklyn in the late 80s, and went to St. Mary Mother of Jesus. Most of this neighborhood was Italian (my Irish ex-husband was always an outsider) and the 9am week day Mass was in Italian. Most days it was a handful of old ladies, Father Carmine and me. My grandparents were born in Italy and I understood a lot of Italian but didn’t speak it. But that Mass sounded like the Mass I grew up with, and most of the prayers and various parts are very much the same. It was totally comfortable for me.

If I went to a Mass in Viet Namese or Spanish or anything other than English, Latin or Italian, however, I’d feel isolated. We need Masses for people who speak other languages, but not to the exclusion of English Masses in the US.

 

[Appleby]

I went to a Mass in Viet Namese or Spanish or anything other than English, Latin or Italian, however, I’d feel isolated. We need Masses for people who speak other languages, but not to the exclusion of English Masses in the US.

The difficulty in many places and at many events seems to be the ever present Race Card. It is the adult equivalent of a screaming tantrum, and people are so terrified of being labeled Racist that they cave in and hand over everything to the accuser, which in fact does nothing but paper over the simmering anger.

And then there are the people whose only interest is revenge against English-speaking people; they are not happy until they have beaten the WASPS to the ground and turned us into second class citizens …

 

[daeve]

The difficulty in many places and at many events seems to be the ever present Race Card. It is the adult equivalent of a screaming tantrum, and people are so terrified of being labeled Racist that they cave in and hand over everything to the accuser, which in fact does nothing but paper over the simmering anger.

And then there are the people whose only interest is revenge against English-speaking people; they are not happy until they have beaten the WASPS to the ground and turned us into second class citizens …

I think we’re in agreement about English. I don’t consider myself a WASP, since I’m mainly Italian and French and Catholic. I live in a suburban midwest area where languages aren’t much of a problem, but when I lived in NYC, I can recall going into stores where no one spoke English and they really didn’t want my custom. A particular incident was at an appliance store in Queens. I wanted a Mr. Coffee but the price tag was in some other language. The owner told me it was $48! This was in about 1980. One of my neighbors saw me coming out of the store and asked if something was wrong. I told her that I was going to have to go down on Steinway Street (a very long walk with a stroller that couldn’t get on the bus or train) to get a coffee pot because the price was way out of line. She said, what’s an acceptable price…$20-$25?.. and she went in and got it for $24. Another time a woman in a fabric store picked my wallet out of my bag, and my baby (very precocious and not nearly as young as he appeared) said, Mommy that lady took your wallet. I turned and said drop it, and she did, but the rest of the people in the store acted like I did something wrong. My little blond baby and I were the only ones of a different race/ethnicity. When I was in Brooklyn though, people in stores spoke the language I’d heard all my life and I was very comfortable. I would expect that most people would be pretty much the same…comfortable with the familiar.

My thoughts are divided on this. We were all immigrants at some time, and the US welcomed our ancestors. We should also welcome newcomers, but we can’t change our country and our language to accommodate them. How would that be possible, since they’re not all coming from the same place? And no other country is expected to operate in a zillion languages. If I moved to Mexico, I’d have to learn Spanish to live there. I’m afraid that people coming here will have to learn English to thrive here. Mass in Spanish where there are a bunch of people who speak that language should be do-able, but not to the exclusion of English.

 

[kage_ar]

Could you explain a bit why the bilingual Masses at your Parish take 2-3 hours? We have bilingual Mass on special occasions, some of the readings/songs are in English and some of them are in Spanish. The only thing that is “doubled” is the homily, it will be said once in each language. Due to the size of the crowds, these Masses may run 10 minutes longer than usual, but, nowhere NEAR 2-3 hours (Except the Easter Vigil, but, that would be 3 hours regardless…)

 

[ASD]

A little thought experiment:

Imagine we’re in Rome in October, 1962. The Council Fathers are debating the document that would become Sacrosanctum Concilium (The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) which eventually brought us NO/OF Mass in vernacular languages.

Now, imagine a speech (called an intervention) by one of the conservative Bishops who says he can foresee trouble. We know he would have warned about banal, politicized translations that distort Catholic teaching. But, imagine the smirks from the elegant gents of the “progressive” majority if the conservative had said that he was worried about, say, unseemly bickering about which vernacular to use. Or what if he had said that in a generation or so we’ll have Masses that are half one vernacular and half some other vernacular. The “progressive” boys of the Domus Mariae would have laughed out loud.

Alas . . …

ASD​

Traditional Latin Mass: Translation and Grammar

 

[Contarini]

Do you live in a Spanish speaking country? If you live in the US, expecting all the Masses to be said in a language that isn’t the standard of the country is pretty bizarre to me.

Last I checked, the U.S. had no official language. So that’s a non-issue.

Edwin

 

[Contarini]

I am curious. Are you bilingual? Have you been to a bilingual mass? For us, a bilingual mass is nothing but a headache. They generally run 2-3 hours long, and all the while everyone is lost due to dual-language acitivies, and the cultural differences bother both sides. The biggest of which is english speakers frustrated that toddlers are allowed free-reign on the sanctuary. They run around (even up near the altar), scream, talk loudly, play in the aisles, and even stand in the pews while prayers, or even when transubstatiation is taking place. The parents make no effort to stop, since this is acceptable to them, and many can’t hear what is going on. The hispanics are frustrated because the english style is not colourful enough, is bland, and too restrictive.

Sounds like Catholicity to me.

People are happy with the separated masses.

Of course. Sectarianism is comfortable because we don’t have to learn to love each other in concrete ways. But that misses the point of being the Body of Christ.

Edwin

 

[PacoG]

and the cultural differences bother both sides. The biggest of which is english speakers frustrated that toddlers are allowed free-reign on the sanctuary. They run around (even up near the altar), scream, talk loudly, play in the aisles, and even stand in the pews while prayers, or even when transubstatiation is taking place.

I am really doing my best to control myself and not make any accusations of bigotry.

As someone who has been a Hispanic all my life and live in an area that is 90 percent Mexican-American, I did not know that having badly behaved, rowdy toddlers was something that is unique to Hispanic culture. Funny thing, I have been to Spanish and Bilingual Masses that have been reverent and respectful. On the other hand, I have been to predominently Anglo parishes where the Mass was chaotic and irreverent, where there were no kneelers, where the choir played on with drums, pianos and saxophones as if it were a jazz concert, where teenagers were practically making out in the pews and toddlers roamed free to cause chaos.

Honestly, I think chaos and badly behaved kids are cross cultural. And even more honestly, badly behaved children are not exclusive to and part of Latino culture.

My parish is a very middle class parish. We are about 75 percent Mexican-American. We only have one Spanish Mass (Sunday 10:30 a.m.). The major Masses during the major solemnities are always Trilingual (Engish-Spanish-Latin since our pastor insists that the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation, Pater Noster and Agnus Dei are in Latin). And no one complains. There is a certain beauty and unity to it.

This year,Monsignor said entire Liturgy of the Eucharist in Spanish with the Preface Dialogue, Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation, Doxology, Pater Noster, Embolism, the Rite of Peace, Agnus Dei and Priest’s Communion in Latin. The Oratre Fratres, Prayer Over the Gifts, Preface, and Eucharistic Prayer were in Spanish. And guess what…it felt almost like the Mass was meant to be said…in Latin. This is because Spanish is the daughter tongue of Latin.

My point, appreciate the Mass in Spanish. It is a lot closer to our Catholic liturgical birthright than the Mass in English is. The translation is also more faithful to Latin than the English translation is. Note: that “Y con tu espirtu” is a more faithful translation of “Et cum spirtu tuo” than “And also with you” is.

 

[PacoG]

The major Masses during the major solemnities are always Trilingual (Engish-Spanish-Latin since our pastor insists that the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation, Pater Noster and Agnus Dei are in Latin). And no one complains. There is a certain beauty and unity to it.

I need to correct myself here. Otherwise, I sound like a dolt.

Our priest insists that we Kryrie is in GREEK. (For you Latin buffs out there: what would the wording of the Kyrie be if it were in Latin? I know that in Spanish it’s "Senor tien piedad. Cristo tien piedad. Senor tien piedad.) Therefore, at my parish, our major solemnity Masses are quad-lingual.

Then again when you consider that the words Amen, Alleluia, Hosanna and Sabaoth are actual Hebrew words, it’s pent-lingual (if there is such a word)–English, Spanish, and Latin with sprinklings of Greek and Hebrew.

 

[PacoG]

We should also welcome newcomers, but we can’t change our country and our language to accommodate them. How would that be possible, since they’re not all coming from the same place? And no other country is expected to operate in a zillion languages.

This discussion was about bilingual Masses. Last time I checked, learning English was not one of the precepts of the Church, nor was English a sacrament or necessary for attaining heaven.

We are talking about the Church. The Church has always ministered to her people in their language. There are ethnic parishes all throughout the Midwest and Eastern United States. **The Church’s mission is to lead people to heaven regardless of language. **

Really, honestly, the solution to this is clear. Go back to the Latin Mass like it’s supposed to be. The Liturgy of the Word can be in the vernacular or vernaculars. Then the priest says Liturgy of the Eucharist in Latin. Eureka! Problem solved. There was not this bickering and nonesense when the Mass was in Latin. Latin blurred national lines.

 

[mary73]

Well there could have been a problem with the preist who performed the mass in Spanish. Maybe the preist was not able to speak fluent Spanish and garbledup the words and this man took offense in that the preist did not understand what he was supposed to be saying? More information has to be shared here…unless we have the happenings of what went on inthe Spanish mass we can’t offer a solution.
In my opinion, let the preist handle this man and see what is wrong that he[the Spanish man] went so out of control at the mass you attended. may Gods Peace be with you.
Mary

 

[promethius]

I am really doing my best to control myself and not make any accusations of bigotry.

This is ridiculous that you would throw this out there and imply bigotry on the part of the OP when you turn around and say something like this:

Spanish. And guess what…it felt almost like the Mass was meant to be said…in Latin. This is because Spanish is the daughter tongue of Latin.

My point, appreciate the Mass in Spanish. It is a lot closer to our Catholic liturgical birthright than the Mass in English is.

God does NOT prefer people or their worship based on what language the speak. NOT latin, NOT spanish, NOT swahili (sp?). To imply such is disgusting. God is NOT closer to the hispanic people than to anyone else.

AND, I hate to break this to you: the original worship of the catholic church was in greek and aramaic, NOT latin, so please spout the “spanish language is closer to the catholic liturgical birthright speeches” elsewhere. We don’t need the kind of socio-racial discrimination you showed in that post.