Praying in Latin

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

Langdell

Guest
I’ve heard it said that the Holy Father has requested or suggested that the faithful should learn the common Catholic prayers in Latin. Is this correct, and if it is, can anyone direct me to the Church document in which this request or suggestion appears?

TIA!
 
Langdell said:
I’ve heard it said that the Holy Father has requested or suggested that the faithful should learn the common Catholic prayers in Latin. Is this correct, and if it is, can anyone direct me to the Church document in which this request or suggestion appears?

TIA!
Click to expand...
Prayer should come from the heart, I question the need for Latin which is likely to be mispronounced and additionally may detract from one’s prayerful state. During Mass I pray along in Latin for those prayers I truly understand and have internalized in Latin; mainly the Pater Noster, Confeteor and Domine non sum dignus…, the rest I follow through the English translation.
 
I don’t know but we learned the sign of the cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, etc. in Latin when I was in school. 😛
 
I’m not aware of any official pronouncement but I think it is a good idea - especially if the prayers were originally written in Latin.

As we have learned with the new translation of the Mass, any translation involves some interpretation. Many times original language meaning and sentence structure does not “work” that well in translation.
Learning the prayers in the original tongue - Latin, can be a wonderful exercise in getting at the deep original meaning and intent of the author.
Of course to do this one must not just learn to “recite” but needs to learn the words and their meanings. In that way you actually pray in Latin and not just roll off syllables by rote.

Peace
James
 
Langdell said:
I’ve heard it said that the Holy Father has requested or suggested that the faithful should learn the common Catholic prayers in Latin. Is this correct, and if it is, can anyone direct me to the Church document in which this request or suggestion appears?

TIA!
Click to expand...
I found this in my notes:
POPE ENCOURAGES THE STUDY OF LATIN
Click to expand...
VATICAN CITY, FEB 22, 2006 (VIS) - At the end of the general audience, the Pope addressed a greeting in Latin to students at the faculty of Christian and Classical Literature of the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome.
Click to expand...
“My predecessors rightly encouraged the study of [this] great language,” said the Pope in Latin, “in order to achieve a better understanding of the sound doctrine contained in the ecclesiastical and humanistic disciplines. In the same way, we encourage the continuation of this activity, so that as many people as possible may perceive the importance of this treasure and attain it.” VIS 060222
Click to expand...
I also found this.

nthposition.com/popebenedictxviamp.php
 
JRKH said:
I’m not aware of any official pronouncement but I think it is a good idea - especially if the prayers were originally written in Latin.
Click to expand...
It came about in +Benedict’s Apostolic Exhoration “Sacramentum Caritas”
  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)
Click to expand...
 
ProVobis said:
I found this in my notes:

POPE ENCOURAGES THE STUDY OF LATIN

VATICAN CITY, FEB 22, 2006 (VIS) - At the end of the general audience, the Pope addressed a greeting in Latin to students at the faculty of Christian and Classical Literature of the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome.

“My predecessors rightly encouraged the study of [this] great language,” said the Pope in Latin, “in order to achieve a better understanding of the sound doctrine contained in the ecclesiastical and humanistic disciplines. In the same way, we encourage the continuation of this activity, so that as many people as possible may perceive the importance of this treasure and attain it.” VIS 060222
Click to expand...
Yes, I suppose this would be a good thing and I understand that Latin is the language of the Church, or am I wrong?
However,is it really that important that we understand what the Latin or any other language means when we offer words of praise up to God? it is after all directed to Him alone who understands all, no matter. The people around us do not need to understand the language being spoken, only that it is worship to God alone.:)🤷
Peace and good will,Carlan
 
Just by looking at the last pages of the printed English edition of the “Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church” I can see that all the major prayers are printed in Latin too, to me that is an implied strong encouragement to keep some Latin handy. Considering that the Compendium of the CCC is even more oriented to a general public than the CCC, I would dare to say that independently of our degree of education all the laity is encouraged to have some knowledge of the major Latin prayers.
 
Carlan said:
Yes, I suppose this would be a good thing and I understand that Latin is the language of the Church, or am I wrong?
However,is it really that important that we understand what the Latin or any other language means when we offer words of praise up to God? it is after all directed to Him alone who understands all, no matter. The people around us do not need to understand the language being spoken, only that it is worship to God alone.:)🤷
Peace and good will,Carlan
Click to expand...
I have a few comments about general use of a different language. First, a language can unite a community and I can see that reflected on why a lot of people would like to have English as the official language of the USA. Second, you learn a new language step by step, by memorizing and using words that do not make any sense to you but you know that when used in a specific context they assume a specific meaning. When I started to study English as a kid it was awkward but then it became quite natural.
Sometime it is good to do something, that appears useless, just to achieve unity. Here in the Southern USA I hear a lop of people complaining that this is the American Catholic Church and that Spanish should not be allowed; however, the same people complain when I say that Latin should be brought into the liturgy because they do not want to make the effort.
When I go to the Maronite Mass I do not complain that the anaphora is in Syriac, as time goes by I just try to learn to separate the different words and see what their meaning is. Do I think that anaphora should be in English? No!
 
Somewhere in this house of mine, I have a newspaper clipping from a few years ago when Pope Benedict stated that we should all know a minimum of Latin for the Mass (I’m assuming he meant the Greek Kyrie as well). I think it referred to the knowledge of parts such as the Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, etc. I’ll try to find it.
 
You know,
As long as someone is an authentic disciple of Our Lord, the rest really doesnt matter…

Which includes whatever language they use to express themselves.

Remember,we are taking about GOD Himself. The CREATOR of ALL language.
 
I pray the Rosary in Latin every day. And while I attend Mass, in the EF, I pray along with the priest. For me, it is an enriching experience.
 
Langdell said:
I’ve heard it said that the Holy Father has requested or suggested that the faithful should learn the common Catholic prayers in Latin. Is this correct, and if it is, can anyone direct me to the Church document in which this request or suggestion appears?

TIA!
Click to expand...
Pope Paul VI (yes "the pope of Vatican II) was alarmed at the wholesale throwing out of Latin and he sent a booklet to all of the bishops in the Latin rite church. The booklet was titled Jubilate Deo and included some basic chants that he said all of the faithful should know so that when there were masses or other services with Catholics from all over, we would still have a common prayer language.

I have a copy of the booklet that the Daughters of St. Paul used to produce, but now, you can find it on-line several places. Here is one. The music and chants are readily available on-line severa places, but I like the Adoremus site as it has Pope Paul VI document as well as links to the music and mp3s.

adoremus.org/JubilateDeo.html

In April 1974 Pope Paul VI sent to every bishop in the world a booklet of some of the simplest selections of Gregorian Chant, much of it drawn from the Graduale Romanum. This booklet, called Jubilate Deo, was intended as a “minimum repertoire of Gregorian chant”. It is, in other words, an official Latin “core repertoire” for the Roman Rite. It was prepared, the Pope said, in order “to make it easier for Christians to achieve unity and spiritual harmony with their brothers and with the living tradition of the past. Hence it is that those who are trying to improve the quality of congregational singing cannot refuse Gregorian chant the place which is due to it” (Voluntati Obsequens).
 
corsair said:
I pray the Rosary in Latin every day. And while I attend Mass, in the EF, I pray along with the priest. For me, it is an enriching experience.
Click to expand...
I like what you do Corsair, and you can count on the Lord liking it too!:):thumbsup:Peace, Carlan
 
I pray the Rosary and the divine mercy in latin and it made me feel that oneness with jesus christ himself. Its a great language to learn, i encourage you to say prayers in latin.

Blessings,
Sir Knight Andrew I
Future Franciscan Brother
 
It is good to have a common prayer language. I also recognise the validity of all the functional arguments for the use of Latin. On the other hand, I don’t see Latin as holier than any other language except perhaps due to a longer period of “getting sanctified” for ecclesiastical Latin than ecclesiastical French or German. And I’m still inclined to view Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek (in this order) as holier than Latin.

For the record, I could probably converse in Latin if hard-pressed. I know the language and have taught it. But I prefer to hear the mass in my own language (Latin being first choice when abroad) and I don’t see the need to pray in Latin. I have no problem praying in a foreign language, such as with people who speak some other language or when I have a foreign language text, but I see no reason to choose a foreign language when I can choose mine (although I’m sure a lot of valid reasons exist).
 
corsair said:
I pray the Rosary in Latin every day. And while I attend Mass, in the EF, I pray along with the priest. For me, it is an enriching experience.
Click to expand...
I have started praying the Rosary in Latin too. 👍
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top