Liturgical languages - Catholic experience

[Volodymyr]

GREEK, CHURCH SLAVONIC, LATIN

Two greek mitropolits - bishop Meletios Nikopolis and Mitropolit Paul Stuatict from this year have begun to serve Liturgy in contemporary greek language (dimotik). However Greek Church overall maintains the language of byzantine epoch - from which reason contemporary greek person has great difficulty to understand ecclesiastic services and Holy Scripture. Greek synod has asked bishops to explain their change. «The Holy Synod writes: “Synod preserves faithfulness to that language in which traditionally is completed Holy Liturgy and Holy Mysteries. Any translation of Liturgical texts may create сonfusion in the Church.”

This of course raises issue of Church slavonic in Ukrainian Orthodox and Russian Orthodox church, which may be hard to understand for modern Ukrainian and modern Russian. Many want contemporary language only. Many others believe that beauty and accuracy of Church Slavonic should be maintained and that modern Ukrainians and Russians can learn Church Slavonic as in past.

Problem seem to me similar to Latin usage in modern Roman church. What do Catolics think of liturgical language - I have read many complaints here that modern English not so beautiful as Latin, not as accurate to translate. Did use modern languages create confusion for Catolics??? What have been problems?? I do not hope change will happen complete - but contemporary Russian and contemporary Ukrainian are more widely used in certain Divine Services.

 

[ljubim]

The modern languages can get more mundane, and less sacred at times. Just saying, as long as there is a basic understanding already, it is foolish to ditch this. Then future generations will have to work really hard to gain back this understanding once they realize what they have lost.

 

[gcnuss]

A couple of thoughts from one who doesn’t have a horse in this race –

I think that, for virtually all people, their only understanding of Latin or Church Slavonic or Byzantine Greek is through translations. No one, I think, can claim these as their native languages. One would ask then why it makes any difference whether one follows the liturgy with a parallel translation or if they hear the liturgy in their own languages. Translations may not be perfect but they are the means through which people understand the divine service.

Having said that, I have a soft spot in my heart for the Latin Mass and I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the divine liturgy of the Russian church. I have enough familiarity with the Latin texts to be able to follow most of the Mass. Alas, when faced with Church Slavonic I can only marvel at the wonderful sounds and sense the wonder of God in those rich chants.

A final thought – it is a true gift to hear the liturgy in the language that God has given me.

 

[Jehoshua]

Personally, i prefer the latin mass.

I’ve heard the ordinary form of the mass both in latin and in English and the english mass seems to lose much of the sacredness the divine beauty that permeates the latin mass.

Personally i think its because the language English itself is very mundane, and because when you are speaking in the vernacular you lose the sense of detachment towards the mundane. Using a liturgical language makes it clear that one is looking towards the divine, thus in using a vernacular that sense of sacredness is reduced.

Ang again, itsn ot hard to get an understanding of latin and whats going on, you don;t even need to learn the whole language, so for me personally the use of vernacular was an unnesecary change, although i add that it does not make the vernacular mass or a properly conducted mass of the ordinary form any less valid.

 

[BernadetteM]

The Anglican Use Latin Rite parishes use Elizabethan English. It is beautiful and there are no problems understanding it. There are a few exceptions that were placed in the liturgy from the OF liturgy and although these additions are also in the 1979 BCP, they are from the OF. But the Anglican Use parishes have used these additions in such a way that you don’t notice that they are more of a mundane wording.

Much of the liturgy is sung by both the priest and congregation. Hopefully with the new translation of the OF many will find the beauty in it.

Latin will always be part of the Churches liturgy, whether the EF or the OF. We use latin at certain times of the year in our OF parish. I think during Advent and Lent.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette

 

[gmcbroom]

In my church we use English up to a point. There are a few times during the Divine Liturgy that we speak Syriac Aramaic. To me that helps connect me to the sacred. So my own opinion and we all have’em is that the 2 Greek Mitropolits should be allowed to use their modern dialect in the Divine Liturgy yet during parts of it they should use the Epocic Greek ie during the Consecration etc. That way a sense of the sacred is maintained. If people are complaining that they don’t understand those parts then they can print it out in modern Greek in their books so they can read it.