How much Latin to use in the Liturgy?

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David_B

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How much Latin should be used in the sacred liturgy? It was to be given a place of honor according to the Second Vatican Council, but how much would ideally be used in the current missal?
 
I think about the same amount that EWTN masses use is very good. 👍
 
Having studied it in high school and college, and having grown up a good bit before Vatican 2, I guess if you want to have it in the Mass, that’s fine, but I prefer the vernacular. I don’t mind it’s use, but I would mind its constant use.
 
The Novus Ordo Mass I attend is all Latin except for the readings and the prayers of the faithful. I love it! And, I was born in 1962. Go figure.

What’s more is that I’m starting to comprehend many words and recognize them without thinking about their meaning now that I’ve been involved daily for about 6 weeks. The early morning daily mass is in Latin. The books have the translations right across from the page so I look back and forth as we go to make word associations.
 
The people are now accustomed to hearing mass in their own languages.

I don’t think it would be practical to change back to all latin, or even a lot of latin at this point in time. Maybe when the church gets significantly inspirational leadership, it might be possible to latinize, and it might be a good idea, but its premature to go for it at this point in time.
 
Someday, I am sure I will have to attend an indult Mass in the venacular. In the meantime, the new English rite seems a good improvement. I don’t mind Latin, and I was in one of the first groups of post-Vatican II children to have a 1st Communion Mass with the altar facing the congregation. I am just so paranoid about all those people going back to not paying any attention at all, or going off on their Rosaries during Mass, and not paying any attention, should things go back to Tridentine.:confused:
 
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Kielbasi:
The people are now accustomed to hearing mass in their own languages.

I don’t think it would be practical to change back to all latin, or even a lot of latin at this point in time. Maybe when the church gets significantly inspirational leadership, it might be possible to latinize, and it might be a good idea, but its premature to go for it at this point in time.
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It’s not quite an “all or nothing” at my parish. The parish has three weekday masses and there are anywhere between 25-40 people at each on any given day. The 7:30 is Latin, the 8:30 is English, and the 7:00 pm is English. On Sundays, only the 9:30 is Latin and the other two, and Saturday Mass are in English. This means if you like heavy Latin, go to to those masses. If you like the vernacular, there is a bigger selection. This is fine by me.
 
well I say everything but the readings. Maybe even the Psalm could be sung in Latin. Consecration on the other hand does sound a bit better in the vernacular, though only by a bit.
 
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Lux_et_veritas:
The Novus Ordo Mass I attend is all Latin except for the readings and the prayers of the faithful. I love it! And, I was born in 1962. Go figure.

What’s more is that I’m starting to comprehend many words and recognize them without thinking about their meaning now that I’ve been involved daily for about 6 weeks. The early morning daily mass is in Latin. The books have the translations right across from the page so I look back and forth as we go to make word associations.
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Please, please, tell us where this parish is located! 😃
nianka
 
Latin . Try it! You’ll like it !

Used it for thirty years before V2 and with the help of my handy dandy Missal, Latin on one side, English on the other, got great pleasure out of the Mass.
 
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OurLadyOfEfes:
I think about the same amount that EWTN masses use is very good. 👍
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Their Sunday mass says the Creed in Latin. If there is one thing that ought to be in the vernacular, the Creed - the statement of beliefs in the faith - is surely it.
 
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rcn:
Their Sunday mass says the Creed in Latin. If there is one thing that ought to be in the vernacular, the Creed - the statement of beliefs in the faith - is surely it.
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Exactly what the council said, the non-discriminatory presence of Latin as the language of the Roman church, with an openness to the vernacular where it is appropriate.

Pope Paul VI echoed this with his motu propio, going as far as to present a “Jubilate Deo” gregorian Mass as a last-ditch plea to preserve a bare-minimum of what every Roman Catholic should be able to sing and know of liturgical Latin.

I think every Roman Catholic should at least be comfortable when Mass is celebrated either entirely or partially in Latin, as he/she is in the vernacular - children, especially in my experience, are amazingly enthusiastic about this… it appears to be universally “cool” for an 8-year-old to tell friends that they know how to sing in Latin… and can sing along with the Pope during televised Masses.
 
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Lux_et_veritas:
The Novus Ordo Mass I attend is all Latin except for the readings and the prayers of the faithful. I love it! And, I was born in 1962. Go figure.

What’s more is that I’m starting to comprehend many words and recognize them without thinking about their meaning now that I’ve been involved daily for about 6 weeks. The early morning daily mass is in Latin. The books have the translations right across from the page so I look back and forth as we go to make word associations.
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That’s excellent!
 
Being from the post Vatican II generation (born in 1984), I have really missed out on the experience of a Latin Mass. My home parish does not offer the Latin Mass- ever. Even when I left home for college, I’ve found that the Masses offered at local church area also all in English (and Spanish). As a result, I’ve always wanted to attend a Mass in Latin (I’ve finally found a parish nearby that offers it, maybe an hour’s drive from my school), so I may finally get that chance (when I return next fall).
That being said, I’ve found a church that I think (granted, this is only my first impression) has blended the right amount of Latin into the mass. This can be done by such things as taking the psalms, eucharistic prayers, etc. and saying them part in English, part in Latin; alternatively, we sang through the Breaking of the Bread prayer through 4 times: the first time in English, then progressively changing each verse over to Latin.
 
I think having all latin, all the time would be grand. From a practical standpoint, you could go anywhere in the world and understand the mass. It does not take long to become accustomed to the latin. From a spiritual standpoint, the reverence of the mass in latin, especially the Tridentine Mass, is not comparable to that in the vernacular (in my opinion). Moreover, less “liberties” can be taken with such masses.

I attend mass at St. John Cantius in Chicago, which offers mass for the Novus Ordo in latin, as well as the Tridentine Mass: www.cantius.org
 
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twiztedseraph:
well I say everything but the readings. Maybe even the Psalm could be sung in Latin. Consecration on the other hand does sound a bit better in the vernacular, though only by a bit.
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I’m with you.
 
It was to be given a place of honor according to the Second Vatican Council, but how much would ideally be used in the current missal?
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You seem to interpret “place of honor” to mean some quantitative characteristic. I see it as a qualitative characteristic of the liturgy. Thus the editio typica of the Missale Romanum is the Latin, and no other language for the entire Catholic Church, no matter what vernacular the Mass is expressed.
 
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EJ79:
I think every Roman Catholic should at least be comfortable when Mass is celebrated either entirely or partially in Latin, as he/she is in the vernacular - children, especially in my experience, are amazingly enthusiastic about this… it appears to be universally “cool” for an 8-year-old to tell friends that they know how to sing in Latin… and can sing along with the Pope during televised Masses.
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Totally agree with this. Per the GIRM we are supposed to be able to say most of the mass parts in Latin, even if we normally use the vernacular, which would take a little practice. Say maybe during Lent and Advent, to set those seasons apart.

I love being able to understand parts of the Latin masses in Rome, and wish I understood more.
 
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InstaurareSacra:
I think having all latin, all the time would be grand. From a practical standpoint, you could go anywhere in the world and understand the mass. It does not take long to become accustomed to the latin. From a spiritual standpoint, the reverence of the mass in latin, especially the Tridentine Mass, is not comparable to that in the vernacular (in my opinion). Moreover, less “liberties” can be taken with such masses.

I attend mass at St. John Cantius in Chicago, which offers mass for the Novus Ordo in latin, as well as the Tridentine Mass: www.cantius.org
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I have often said that if you want to hear a Mass in Latin and can’t find one nearby, go to one in Spanish, which is closer to Latin than English is. You probably can’t understand them in the sense of being able to speak either language.

and as for the practical standpoint of being able to understand it anywhere in the world in Latin, if you know and understand the parts of the Mass, and can recognize from the timing and position of the priest what part of the Mass he is saying, you can understand it in Swahili or Urdu just as well as you can understand it in Latin, since for almost all people, they cannot speak either Latin or the language (other than their own) in shich it is being said.
 
ewtn type is the best! it is a Novus Ordo mass with Latin Prayers and chants. English readings and homily!

EWTN Mass Simply the BEST!
 
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