Different languages and the Mass

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I have a question. If a priest who is fairly proficient in a second language decided to say Mass in a foreign language, what would the process for this be? Would he have to go back to seminary to learn all about the rubrics etc. in the other language?
 
No, the rubrics are the same, no matter what language they’re in. I say Mass in Spanish and Latin in addition to my native English, and it’s the same Mass regardless. If I were to say Mass in one of the other languages I can read and pronounce, it would still be the same Mass.

And before anyone nitpicks, I’m talking about the Ordinary Form in Latin, I know the rubrics to the Extraordinary Form are different. I offer it too.

-Fr ACEGC
 
May have to get the permission of the Bishop to celebrate a public Mass in another language, it would likely not go over well if the priest decided to change up the 5 PM Mass from English to Finnish if there is not a Finnish presence in the parish.
 
In my part of the world, majority French with a sizeable English minority, many priests (those who can) offer Mass in both languages. Sometimes there are also bilingual Masses but I’m not fond of those. All the people only understand half the Mass… but that’s a product of the priest shortage. Though many of us are bilingual so we do understand the whole Mass but there are still some unilingual people.

Actually I regularly attend a bilingual Mass but it is French… and Latin 😃 (actually trilingual as the Kyrie is in Greek of course).
 
I’ve gone to trilingual Masses. Arabic, Syriac, and English. Greek, Arabic, and English. Korean, Spanish and English, great fun! (and a few more)
 
TheLittleLady said:
May have to get the permission of the Bishop to celebrate a public Mass in another language, it would likely not go over well if the priest decided to change up the 5 PM Mass from English to Finnish if there is not a Finnish presence in the parish.
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Permission isn’t needed but the priest must be able to pronounce the words of the language he’s celebrating mass in. Obviously, it does help if the congregation are familiar with the language.
 
Our Archdiocesan Masses are often trilingual: English, Spanish, and Korean (not counting any Latin/Greek the choir opts for); the readings are done by native speakers of the respective languages and if a priest is available to concelebrate fluently in one of the other languages, his portion of the Eucharistic Prayer will be done in the language. Otherwise, the priestly parts are all English if that’s what the presider knows.
 
Can the Mass be said in sign language? (I realise the sign languages of various countries are not ‘foreign’).
 
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In our parish the priest is polish, so he says a polish mass sometimes, every Sunday at 1 pm is the Spanish Mass, we have a French mass a basque mass, a African mass, all within 20 miles. Rarely a Latin mass though, it’s so divisive and all.
 
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laetatussum said:
I have a question. If a priest who is fairly proficient in a second language decided to say Mass in a foreign language, what would the process for this be? Would he have to go back to seminary to learn all about the rubrics etc. in the other language?
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as long as the priest is proficient in that language, I’m sure he’s fine. A pretty common thing in India, where every state has a variety of languages. From English, Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Konkani, and Tulu. many Indian priests who are proficient in multiple languages, celebrate Mass in various languages.

In fact, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Vailankanni, India - the Mass is celebrated in various Indian languages.
 
TheLittleLady said:
May have to get the permission of the Bishop to celebrate a public Mass in another language, it would likely not go over well if the priest decided to change up the 5 PM Mass from English to Finnish if there is not a Finnish presence in the parish.
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As already mentioned, permission isn’t needed and I doubt that any priest would celebrate a Mass in a different vernacular language unless there were laity attending the Mass who understood the other language.
 
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I ought have been far more specific. In my Diocese, and many years working for parishes in this Diocese, our Bishop has the final say about Mass being said which language(s).
 
OraLabora said:
In my part of the world, majority French with a sizeable English minority, many priests (those who can) offer Mass in both languages. Sometimes there are also bilingual Masses but I’m not fond of those. All the people only understand half the Mass… but that’s a product of the priest shortage. Though many of us are bilingual so we do understand the whole Mass but there are still some unilingual people.
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I’m not fond of bilingual Masses either for basically the same reason. At my parish we used to have two evening Masses on Holy Days of Obligation (one in English and another in Spanish). Our new pastor decided to combine them into one bilingual Mass.

Members of the English-speaking community and the Spanish-speaking community were not happy. As I explained to our pastor, the only people who don’t mind bilingual Masses are those who are bilingual themselves because they can understand the entire bilingual Mass. Those who are not bilingual can only understanding about one-half of what is being said. So I told him, for bilingual Masses it’s important to offer worship aids so everyone can follow along through the entire Mass.

The only Masses that should be bilingual in a parish where parishioners speak two different languages are the Masses that can only be celebrated once and not multiple times like the Holy Thursday Mass of the Last Supper and the Easter Vigil Mass.

For Masses that can be celebrated multiple times, it’s far better to celebrate one Mass in one language and another Mass in the other language than having one or two bilingual Masses.
 
InThePew said:
Obviously, it does help if the congregation are familiar with the language.
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Could be a bit awkward if after, “Dominus vobiscum” you hear,…uhh…crickets. 🙂 tapping microphone Yup, it’s on. Hmm.
 
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