Can a priest licitly "sprinkle in" some Latin into a vernacular language Mass of the ordinary form?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Lepanto
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
L

Lepanto

Guest
Can a priest licitly “sprinkle in” some Latin into a vernacular language Mass of the ordinary form?

If so, is there a limit regarding how much Latin could be used?

If so, would it be only limited to certain parts of the Mass?

Or is it all up to the priest to decide how much Latin to use and for what parts of the Mass? (I’m assuming that at least the readings and the homily would still be in the vernacular.)
 
It is perfectly licit for a priest to say all or part of the Ordinary Form of the Mass in Latin.

The post-Vatican II changes PERMITTED parts of the Mass to be prayed in the vernacular; they did not REQUIRE it.
 
There is no requirement that any of the Mass be in the vernacular. The homily would be of course, but even the readings could be done in Latin should the Priest choose to do so.

Many people seemingly are unaware that Vatican II permitted the use of the varnacular. Nowhere did it require it.
 
lepanto said:
Can a priest licitly “sprinkle in” some Latin into a vernacular language Mass of the ordinary form?
Click to expand...
Absolutely!
lepanto said:
If so, is there a limit regarding how much Latin could be used?
Click to expand...
Well, he can’t ad lib; he has to read/say what the Missal prescribes him to say. (The same rules applies for the vernacular, except where the Missal allows “similar words” to be used.)
lepanto said:
If so, would it be only limited to certain parts of the Mass? Or is it all up to the priest to decide how much Latin to use and for what parts of the Mass? (I’m assuming that at least the readings and the homily would still be in the vernacular.)
Click to expand...
It would probably make sense to give the homily in the vernacular. Everything else can be done in Latin. There’s no reason he can’t re-read the Scripture readings in the vernacular at the beginning of his homily.
 
lepanto said:
Can a priest licitly “sprinkle in” some Latin into a vernacular language Mass of the ordinary form?

If so, is there a limit regarding how much Latin could be used?
Click to expand...
he does not have to sprinkle he can use full immersion. latin is and has always remained the preferred language for Mass, even in the newer rite. as long as the readings are proclaimed in the language of the people (even if also read in Latin) he can add as much or as little Latin as he likes. He is the priest. he makes these decisions. not the cantor, choir, altar server, liturgist or any other officious layperson. Here we sing Kyrie, Sanctus, memorial acclamation, Pater and Agnus Dei for Advent and Christmas, Lent and Eastertide. We sing the AD in Latin most of the time, even when other parts are in Spanish or Englis, we also add a lot more Latin at the bilingual Masses on holy days.
 
At my parish, the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei are done in Latin fairly often (Kyrie in Greek of course), usually on certain important Solemnities–such as Epiphany last week.
 
We also often have the Ordinary said/sung in Latin. One of our priests does this regularly on any and all feast days. Even if in English, we sign the Mass parts quite a bit. 😃
 
At the Benedictine Monastery where I have attended Mass, all the responses are done in Latin, i.e. the Sanctus, Agnus Dei, etc.
The Eucharistic prayers are said in English, except on Thursdays and Solemnities. Then, the entire Mass, except for the readings, are in Latin. I always take my missal, when attending Mass there.

So, yes, the priest can use Latin in the Mass. However, I would hope that people are able to use a missal to follow along, or have been accustomed to Latin, beforehand. To just start using Latin with a clueless congregation, would seem to be a disservice to them.

Jim
 
lepanto said:
Can a priest licitly “sprinkle in” some Latin into a vernacular language Mass of the ordinary form?

If so, is there a limit regarding how much Latin could be used?
Click to expand...
This is a very good question. I think there probably are limits to the extent that this can be done, but they may simply be limits imposed by common sense. It would, however, be interesting to hear if there is any prescription as to how often or where a priest can deviate from the text of the English missal into the Latin one.

Obviously it would be inappropriate to just randomly insert Latin into the text, e.g. “Glory to Deo in the highest.”

Another question that may illuminate the OP is…
If there is a parish that is permitted by the bishop to have English and Spanish masses, or even bilingual masses at the discretion of the priest, can there be transitions between English and Spanish willy-nilly, or are there limits on this? Are the transitions between the English and Spanish text governed by different rules from the transitions between English and Latin text?
 
Digitonomy said:
Obviously it would be inappropriate to just randomly insert Latin into the text, e.g. “Glory to Deo in the highest.”
Click to expand...
it would usually be grammatically incorrect, if not liturgically, and just plain silly IMO
 
puzzleannie said:
…as long as the readings are proclaimed in the language of the people (even if also read in Latin) he can add as much or as little Latin as he likes…
Click to expand...
There’s no requirement that a single word of the liturgy ever be in the vernacular. That includes the readings.
 
Latin is the official language of the Church. Technically, the priest can say the entire Mass in Latin, if he wants to. Technically, he could even deliver the homily in Latin, if he wanted to.

In real life, of course, “can” is a word of many shades of meaning, though, and just because he is allowed to by the Church doesn’t mean that he won’t get a reaction of some kind from the congregation, and this might limit his actions, to some extent.
 
One of our priests pretty frequently will restate key parts of the reading in Latin and then go on to explain them. I think he uses the Latin to show that he is hilighting a particularly important point that he really wants us to fully grasp. I think it is pretty effective.
 
Digitonomy said:
This is a very good question. I think there probably are limits to the extent that this can be done, but they may simply be limits imposed by common sense. It would, however, be interesting to hear if there is any prescription as to how often or where a priest can deviate from the text of the English missal into the Latin one.

Obviously it would be inappropriate to just randomly insert Latin into the text, e.g. “Glory to Deo in the highest.”

Another question that may illuminate the OP is…
If there is a parish that is permitted by the bishop to have English and Spanish masses, or even bilingual masses at the discretion of the priest, can there be transitions between English and Spanish willy-nilly, or are there limits on this? Are the transitions between the English and Spanish text governed by different rules from the transitions between English and Latin text?
Click to expand...
In bilingual-multilingual Masses, the Liturgy of the Eucharist should be in Latin. The Papal Masses under Pope Benedict’s reign are a prime example of this. In fact, that is what he calls for in Sacramentum Caritatis.

In our parish, the noon Christmas Day Mass was bilingual. My PV was the celebrant. One reading was in Spanish (along with the Psalm). The Epistle, Gospel Acclamation and Gospel were in English. The music was bilingual. However, when it came time for the Eucharistic Prayer, my PV prayed the entire Roman Canon (including chanting the Mysterium Fidei) in LATIN!👍 😃 👍 Our choir director was a little miffed and said that he should have told her, especially when Mysterium Fidei was chanted. I told her about Sacramentum Caritatis.and the issue of bilingual Masses.

Furthermore, even if the Mass is celebrated in the vernacular, certainly nothing can preclude the acclamations from being chanted in Latin, as was the case in yesterday’s Papal Mass celebrated in the Sistene Chapel. The Mass was in Italian, for the most part, but the Eucharistic acclamations were chanted in Latin.
 
benedictgal said:
In bilingual-multilingual Masses, the Liturgy of the Eucharist should be in Latin. The Papal Masses under Pope Benedict’s reign are a prime example of this. In fact, that is what he calls for in Sacramentum Caritatis.
Click to expand...
I’ll take your word on that, but it still leaves open the question of whether there are restrictions on how often and where transitions may be made between English and Spanish, and whether such restrictions are any different from restrictions between English and Latin, as the OP asked about.
 
benedictgal said:
Our choir director was a little miffed and said that he should have told her, especially when Mysterium Fidei was chanted. I told her about Sacramentum Caritatis.and the issue of bilingual Masses.
Click to expand...
Indeed he should have, prior to the Mass, unless he was so busy it just slipped his mind. It’s all very well to say something is in the documents and she should have known, but music directors already carry a lot of “stuff” around in their heads, as do priests and any other busy person and unless this is something that was done recently or regularly, it’s not fair to say, “well it’s in the documents, you should know that”. One of the main tasks of our liturgy coordinator is in fact to keep the priests regularly reminded of what’s in the documents (they can’t walk round with it all in their heads either) and ensure there are no surprises for the musicians, whether or not they “should” know. And priests don’t always do things correctly or consistently anyway and the music director just has to respond the best way they can sometimes. A little courtesy and consideration for a music director tends to increase the mileage you get out of them. My liturgy coordinator and I regularly say to people that we can handle anything except surprises. (Of course we handle them as well, but it’s a point we want to get across.)
 
Digitonomy said:
I’ll take your word on that, but it still leaves open the question of whether there are restrictions on how often and where transitions may be made between English and Spanish, and whether such restrictions are any different from restrictions between English and Latin, as the OP asked about.
Click to expand...
But, as puzzleannie indicated, Latin is the norm and the vernacular is the option.

Now, as for bilingual and multilingual Masses, this is what the Holy Father wrote in Sacramentum Caritatis:
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.
Click to expand...
Iin my diocese, we can (and do) jam about 800 to 1000 folks into the Cathedral for special liturgies where English and Spanish are used. Many parishes also have bilingual Masses (Christmas, Triduum, etc). You aren’t supposed to pray half ot the Eucharistic Prayer in English and the other half in Spansh. It is one complete prayer and should be prayed in one language.

Now, when Cardinal Bertone, the #2 man on the Vatican totem pole, celebrated Mass for the Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus, he used Latin for pretty much the whole Mass. The readings were in the vernacular, as were the General Intensions. But, the prelate preached in Italian. Nonetheless, the Knights were still able to navigate through Latin.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top