Should we pray in Latin?

[Irishmom2]

That has nothing to do with what language we speak.

 

[phil19034]

Salibi:

notion is borderline idolatrous

I’ve actually made that very Point. By the, I was at a Maronite liturgy here in South Carolina, and the words of consecration were just beautiful, and they were definitely not in Latin. I’m not sure with all these posts about the Latin language are lately. I feel like when you put Latin on a pedestal, and forget there are in fact other liturgical languages, that’s going to make a lot of Eastern Christians feel quite poorly. I feel like when you have that kind of attitude towards Latin, that makes it really hard to be ecumenical with the Eastern Orthodox

Adam,
I’m sorry, but I’ve been viewing these other threads. I have never seen anyone say that Latin is better than the other liturgical languages of the Catholic Church.

To be fair, I’ve only seen people imply that Latin is better than English, Spanish, French, and other non-liturgical languages.

I myself don’t think Latin (or any other liturgical/holy/sacred language) is actually holy in of itself.

However, if you learn a language to pray in, out of pious reasons, then it does bring a little something extra to that prayer. It’s very similar to singing a prayer vs saying it.

I also, don’t think that’s limited to Liturgical languages. If a priest learns Spanish (for example) for the sole reason of ministering to Spanish speaking people, then I think his prayers in Spanish become a little more efficacious than his prayers in English. Why? Because he went above and beyond to be able to pray in that language.

I hope I’m making sense.

God Bless

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

I don’t have any problem with the Eastern Orthodox “putting their languages on a pedestal.” I just think we Latin Rite Catholics should do the same. If the Eastern Christians want to value their liturgical languages, which they should, and are allowed to, why can’t we Latin rite Catholics?

You can “put it on the pedestal” in the sense of recognizing its beauty and unique historical significance for the western Church. You can preserve it as a sign of solidarity with the past and respect for tradition. You just shouldn’t convince yourself that it has any kind of innate divine power. As people have said, that’s borderline idolatry.

 

[phil19034]

Salibi:

You do NOT derive spiritual benefit because Latin is inherently benefit/grace-providing. The notion is borderline idolatrous. Latin is a language, and no undue power should be ascribed to it or to prayers in it.

If you’re focused on Latin as being necessary, go ahead, but it’s more of an identity attachment to the religion than inspiration from the Holy Spirit, who doesn’t care about what language you pray in.

What are your thoughts of the late, great Fr. Gabriel Amorth’s, the Vatican’s top exorcist, statement that “the Devil hates Latin?”

The question is: Why does the Devil hate Latin?

• Does he hate it because of the language’s properties? No.
• Did he hate Latin back during 300 AD? Probably not.
• Did he start to hate it later when people began primarily learning it in order to study theology & pray the Mass? Most likely.

The Devil doesn’t hate Latin because it’s a magic language. He hates Latin for the same reason anyone else learns a liturgical language, which is because they are learning it for pious reasons.

When an exorcist performs an exorcism, the MOST important thing (besides having the Eucharist) is the holiness of the priest. However, today, when a holy priest performs an exorcism in Latin (and other liturgical languages), it really ticks off the devil because it shows that the priest is so pious, he even learned another language in order to pray the prayers.

Think of it like this:

• The prayers themselves (in any language) make the demons “bleed.”
• Praying the exorcism in Latin (or any other liturgical language that is not the exorcist’s first language) is like tossing salt on the open wounds from the prayers.

I pray I’m making sense.

God Bless

 

[fhansen]

It’s alright. God mainly just wants us to ask Him stuff tho, to recognize our need for Him and seek Him with humility and sincerity, childlike.

 

[phil19034]

Not to mention with Saint Louis de Montfort at least, whenever he got passionate about something, or felt the need to emphasize it, he’d put it in Latin, just read True Devotion to Mary, you’ll find it quite easily.

I think he primarily did that to make sure what he stated didn’t get lost in translation.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

I need to ask a few of my fellow-Traditional Catholics

You know we’re not, like, separate religions, right? People can be more or less traditional, but you’re not like a member of a different sect. We’re all just Catholics.

 

[phil19034]

So if an English-speaking priest prays in Spanish, it’ll be more effective?

If he learned Spanish for priestly reasons yes. If he learned Spanish as a kid, then no.

I’ve got to go, I’ll get to all this later. I just want to say that this accusation that we Traditional Catholics view Ecclesial Latin as “magical” reminds me a lot of Protestants blasphemous insisting that we “worship” Our Lady.

Just to be clear, I attend a FSSP parish, so I love Latin. But we need to be very clear when expressing the advantages and piousness of praying in Latin.

Because the Language is not holy in of itself. We make it holy by learning it for pious reasons.

Each of the ancient languages that Mass/Divine Liturgies were written in are equally sacred due to the fact that we study them to preserve our religious traditions & knowledge of God.

It’s important to make sure we are distinguishing between pious traditions vs superstition.

 

[Agnus-Dei]

For private prayer the same, or silent? I am genuinely curious.
Dominus vobiscum

 

[phil19034]

I really want to learn praying in Latin.
Do some of you pray in Latin?

If you want to pray the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, etc in Latin; that’s great. Just make sure you properly learn how to pronounce all the words before you start praying that way. You don’t want to be praying gibberish.

As far as conversational prayer with God, unless you become so fleuant that you can think in Latin or another language, it is best to use your primary language for conversational prayer.

 

[phil19034]

For private prayer the same, or silent? I am genuinely curious.
Dominus vobiscum

I have to imagine that for deaf people, unless they lost their hearing several years after birth, they most likely think in sign language.

 

[Irishmom2]

For private prayer the same, or silent? I am genuinely curious.

I have no way of knowing the answer to that.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

And yet you accuse us of engaging in idolatry and magic

I don’t acknowledge this “you” vs “us” siege mentality you seem to be cultivating. You and I are both Latin Catholics. There’s no separate teams or animosity here. I’m not “accusing” traditionalist Catholics in general of anything.

 

[Agnus-Dei]

I would ask, but the only deaf person I knew left my workplace long ago. I will find out.
Dominus vobiscum

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

I’m not saying the language is Holy, in and of itself.

Then what are you saying? Is an Our Father in Latin more “powerful” than an Our Father in Portuguese, assuming both are said with the same degree of sincerity and devotion? If so, why?

By the way, I’m genuinely asking to try to understand your position. I’m not attacking you.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Amorth has a credibility issue, and it’s all I’ll say

 

[JimR-OCDS]

It’s what comes from the heart, not the language used verberly

In fact, verbal prayer is the first stages of prayer for beginners. Those moved by the Holy Spirit will be drawn to deeper forms of prayer as St Teresa called Mental Prayer.

 

[Shakuhachi]

I pray in :Latin sometimes. But I am 65 and began learning it for Mass, then in high school, so for me it has nostalgic value. And it reminds me of Gregorian Chant which certainly must be considered “Sacred Music”.

 

[MagdalenaRita]

but it’s more of an identity attachment to the religion than inspiration from the Holy Spirit,

In all charity, there is no way that you can be sure to know if the Holy Spirit is leading someone to learn Latin and pray in Latin or not.

He may not be leading you to pray in Latin but that does not mean he isn’t leading someone else.

Hmm, a Catholic mentions he would like to learn Latin and pray some prayers in Latin and other Catholics discourage him. What is wrong with this picture?

 

[JimR-OCDS]

The Devil doesn’t hate Latin, he hates the devotion a person has to God in prayer

Often a person who learns prayer in Latin is taking the time in a devote manor. But this is essentially the beginning level of prayer

People who advance through contemplation as given by grace from God, don’t need words, just being in HIs presence is all that is desired.