The Place of Latin in the Church

[David_GH]

Does the Church hold Latin to be a holy language? Could someone please explain to me how the Church regards Latin?

 

[floresco]

Pope John XXIII answers this in the encyclical Veterum Sapientia: The Pope spoke of the special value of Latin which had proved so admirable a means for the spreading of Christianity and which had proved to be a bond of unity for the Christian peoples of Europe. He continued: “Of its very nature, Latin is most suitable for promoting every form of culture among peoples. It gives rise to no jealousies. It does not favour any one nation, but presents itself with equal impartiality to all and is equally acceptable to all. Nor must we overlook the characteristic nobility of Latin’s formal structure. Its concise, varied and harmonious style, full of majesty and dignity makes for singular clarity and impressiveness of expression. For these reasons the Apostolic See has always been at pains to preserve Latin, deeming it worthy of being used in the exercise of her teaching authority as the splendid vesture of her heavenly doctrine and sacred laws. She further requires her sacred ministers to use it, for by so doing they are the better able, wherever they may be, to acquaint themselves with the mind of the Holy See on any matter, and communicate the more easily with Rome and with one another. The Church - because it embraces all nations and is destined to endure to the end of time - of its very nature requires a language which is universal, immutable, and non-vernacular. Modern languages are liable to change, and no single language is superior to the others in authority. Thus, if the truths of the Catholic Church were entrusted to an unspecified number of them, the meaning of these truths would not be manifested to everyone with sufficient clarity and precision. There would also be no language which could serve as a common and constant norm by which to gauge the exact meaning of other renderings. But Latin is indeed such a language. It is set and unchanging. It has long since ceased to be affected by those alterations in the meaning of words which are the normal result of daily, popular use. Finally, the Catholic Church has a dignity far surpassing that of every merely human society, for it was founded by Christ the Lord. It is altogether fitting, therefore, that the language it uses should be noble, majestic, and non-vernacular. In addition, the Latin language can be called truly catholic. It is a general passport to the proper understanding of the Christian writers of antiquity and the documents of the Church’s teaching. It is also a most effective bond, binding the Church of today with that of the past and of the future in wonderful continuity. There can be no doubt as to the formative and educational value of the language and great literature of the Romans. It is a most effective training for the pliant minds of youth. It exercises, matures and perfects the principal faculties of mind and spirit. It sharpens the wits and gives keenness of judgment. It helps the young mind to grasp things accurately and develop a true sense of values. It is also a means for teaching highly intelligent thought and speech. The use of Latin has recently been queried in many quarters, and many people are asking about the mind of the Apostolic See in this matter. We have therefore decided to issue this document, so as to ensure that the ancient and uninterrupted use of Latin be maintained and, where necessary, restored. So many people, unaccountably dazzled by the marvelous progress of science, are taking it upon themselves to oust or restrict the study of Latin and other kindred subjects. Yet, the greatest impression is made on the mind by those things which correspond more closely to man’s nature and dignity. And therefore the greatest zeal should be shown in the acquisition of whatever educates and ennobles the mind. Otherwise poor mortal creatures may well become like the machines they build - cold, hard, and devoid of love. Bishops and superiors-general of religious orders shall be on their guard lest anyone under their jurisdiction, eager for revolutionary changes, writes against the use of Latin in the teaching of the higher sacred studies or in the liturgy, or through prejudice makes light of the Holy See’s will in this regard or interprets it falsely. Professors of the sacred sciences in universities or seminaries are required to speak Latin and to make use of textbooks written in Latin. If ignorance of Latin makes it difficult for some to obey these instructions, they shall gradually be replaced by professors who are suited to this task. Since Latin is the Church’s living language, it must be furnished with new words that are apt and suitable for expressing modern things, words that will be uniform and universal in their application and constructed in conformity with the genius of the ancient Latin tongue.”

 

[ProVobis]

From Vatican II’s
CONSTITUTION ON THE SACRED LITURGY SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM

1. 1. Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites.

 

[ProVobis]

Paul VI in 1969

"But, in any case, the new rite of the Mass provides that the faithful “should be able to sing together, in Latin, at least the parts of the Ordinary of the Mass, especially the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father” (Sacrosanctum Concilium n. 19).

1. But, let us bear this well in mind, for our counsel and our comfort: the Latin language will not thereby disappear. It will continue to be the noble language of the Holy See’s official acts; it will remain as the means of teaching in ecclesiastical studies and as the key to the patrimony of our religious, historical and human culture. If possible, it will reflourish in splendor."

 

[ProVobis]

Cardinal Arinze in 2006:

"Moreover, the Latin language has a certain stability which daily spoken languages, where words change often in shades of meaning, cannot have. An example is the translation of the Latin “propagare”. The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples when it was founded in 1627 was called “Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide”. But at the time of the Second Vatican Council many modern languages use the word “propaganda” in the sense in which we say “political propaganda”. Therefore, there is a preference in the Church today to avoid the expression “de propaganda Fide”, in favour of “the Evangelization of Peoples”.

Latin has the characteristic of words and expressions retaining their meaning generation after generation. This is an advantage when it comes to the articulation of our Catholic faith and the preparation of Papal and other Church Documents. Even the modern universities appreciate this point and have some of their solemn titles in Latin.

Blessed Pope John XXIII in his Apostolic Constitution, Veterum Sapientia, issued on 22 February 1962, gives these two reasons and adds a third. The Latin language has a nobility and dignity which are not negligible (cf. Veterum Sapientia, nn. 5, 6, 7). We can add that Latin is concise, precise and poetically measured.

Is it not admirable that people, especially well-trained clerics, can meet in international gatherings and be able to communicate at least in Latin? More importantly, is it a small matter that 1 million young people could meet in the World Youth Day Convention in Rome in 2000, in Toronto in 2002 and in Cologne in 2005, and be able to sing parts of the Mass, and especially the Credo, in Latin? Theologians can study the original writings of the early Latin Fathers and of the Scholastics without tears because these were written in Latin."

It is true that there is a tendency, both in the Church and in the world at large, to give more attention today to modern languages, like English, French and Spanish, which can help one secure a job quicker in the modern employment market or in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in their country.

But the exhortation of Pope Benedict XVI to the students of the Faculty of Christian and Classical Letters of the Pontifical Salesian University of Rome, at the end of the Wednesday General Audience of 22 February 2006, retains its validity and relevance. And he pronounced it in Latin! Here is my free English translation: “Quite rightly our Predecessors have urged the study of the great Latin language so that one may learn better the saving doctrine that is found in ecclesiastical and humanistic disciplines. In the same way we urge you to cultivate this activity so that as many as possible may have access to this treasure and appreciate its importance” (in L’Osservatore Romano, 45, 23 February 2006, p. 5).
…

It should be just normal that parish churches where there are four or five Masses on Sunday should have one of these Masses sung in Latin.

1. Did Vatican II discourage Latin?

Some people think, or have the perception, that the Second Vatican Council discouraged the use of Latin in the liturgy. This is not the case.

Just before he opened the Council, Bl. Pope John XXIII in 1962 issued an Apostolic Constitution to insist on the use of Latin in the Church. The Second Vatican Council, although it admitted some introduction of the vernacular, insisted on the place of Latin: “Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites” (SC, n. 36).

The Council also required that seminarians “should acquire a command of Latin which will enable them to understand and use the source material of so many sciences and the documents of the Church as well” (Optatam Totius, n. 13). The Code of Canon Law published in 1983 enacts that “the Eucharistic celebration is to be carried out either in the Latin language or in another language, provided the liturgical texts have been lawfully approved” (can. 928).

Those, therefore, who want to give the impression that the Church has put Latin away from her liturgy are mistaken. A manifestation of people’s acceptance of Latin liturgy well celebrated was had at the world level in April 2005, when millions followed the burial rites of Pope John Paul II and then, two weeks later, the inauguration Mass of Pope Benedict XVI over the television.

It is remarkable that young people welcome the Mass celebrated sometimes in Latin.
…
The Latin liturgy expresses not only facts but also our feelings, our sentiments, for example, in front of God’s transcendence, majesty, mercy and boundless love (cf. Liturgiam Authenticam, n. 25). Expressions like “Te igitur, clementissime Pater”, “Supplices te rogamus”, “Propitius esto”, “veneremur cernui”, “Omnipotens et misericors Dominus”, “nos servi tui”, should not be deflated and democratized by some translating iconoclast.

Some of these Latin expressions are difficult to translate.
…

All of us cannot be Latin speakers, but the lay faithful can at least learn the simpler responses in Latin. Priests should give more attention to Latin so that they celebrate Mass in Latin occasionally.

In big churches where there are many Masses celebrated on a Sunday or Feast day, why can one of those Masses not be in Latin? In rural parishes a Latin Mass should be possible, say once a month. In international assemblies, Latin becomes even more urgent. It follows that seminaries should discharge carefully their role of preparing and forming priests also in the use of Latin (cf. October 2005 Synod of Bishops, Prop. 36).

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20061111_gateway-conference_en.html

 

[Barbkw]

I want to hear this Latin in our Church:

youtube.com/watch?v=uUlFF4A8dm0&feature=related

 

[At_Trent]

Pope John XXIII answers this in the encyclical Veterum Sapientia: The Pope spoke of the special value of Latin which had proved so admirable a means for the spreading of Christianity and which had proved to be a bond of unity for the Christian peoples of Europe. He continued: “Of its very nature, Latin is most suitable for promoting every form of culture among peoples. It gives rise to no jealousies. It does not favour any one nation, but presents itself with equal impartiality to all and is equally acceptable to all. Nor must we overlook the characteristic nobility of Latin’s formal structure. Its concise, varied and harmonious style, full of majesty and dignity makes for singular clarity and impressiveness of expression. For these reasons the Apostolic See has always been at pains to preserve Latin, deeming it worthy of being used in the exercise of her teaching authority as the splendid vesture of her heavenly doctrine and sacred laws. She further requires her sacred ministers to use it, for by so doing they are the better able, wherever they may be, to acquaint themselves with the mind of the Holy See on any matter, and communicate the more easily with Rome and with one another. The Church - because it embraces all nations and is destined to endure to the end of time - of its very nature requires a language which is universal, immutable, and non-vernacular. Modern languages are liable to change, and no single language is superior to the others in authority. Thus, if the truths of the Catholic Church were entrusted to an unspecified number of them, the meaning of these truths would not be manifested to everyone with sufficient clarity and precision. There would also be no language which could serve as a common and constant norm by which to gauge the exact meaning of other renderings. But Latin is indeed such a language. It is set and unchanging. It has long since ceased to be affected by those alterations in the meaning of words which are the normal result of daily, popular use. Finally, the Catholic Church has a dignity far surpassing that of every merely human society, for it was founded by Christ the Lord. It is altogether fitting, therefore, that the language it uses should be noble, majestic, and non-vernacular. In addition, the Latin language can be called truly catholic. It is a general passport to the proper understanding of the Christian writers of antiquity and the documents of the Church’s teaching. It is also a most effective bond, binding the Church of today with that of the past and of the future in wonderful continuity. There can be no doubt as to the formative and educational value of the language and great literature of the Romans. It is a most effective training for the pliant minds of youth. It exercises, matures and perfects the principal faculties of mind and spirit. It sharpens the wits and gives keenness of judgment. It helps the young mind to grasp things accurately and develop a true sense of values. It is also a means for teaching highly intelligent thought and speech. The use of Latin has recently been queried in many quarters, and many people are asking about the mind of the Apostolic See in this matter. We have therefore decided to issue this document, so as to ensure that the ancient and uninterrupted use of Latin be maintained and, where necessary, restored. So many people, unaccountably dazzled by the marvelous progress of science, are taking it upon themselves to oust or restrict the study of Latin and other kindred subjects. Yet, the greatest impression is made on the mind by those things which correspond more closely to man’s nature and dignity. And therefore the greatest zeal should be shown in the acquisition of whatever educates and ennobles the mind. Otherwise poor mortal creatures may well become like the machines they build - cold, hard, and devoid of love. Bishops and superiors-general of religious orders shall be on their guard lest anyone under their jurisdiction, eager for revolutionary changes, writes against the use of Latin in the teaching of the higher sacred studies or in the liturgy, or through prejudice makes light of the Holy See’s will in this regard or interprets it falsely. Professors of the sacred sciences in universities or seminaries are required to speak Latin and to make use of textbooks written in Latin. If ignorance of Latin makes it difficult for some to obey these instructions, they shall gradually be replaced by professors who are suited to this task. Since Latin is the Church’s living language, it must be furnished with new words that are apt and suitable for expressing modern things, words that will be uniform and universal in their application and constructed in conformity with the genius of the ancient Latin tongue.”

Full text here
adoremus.org/VeterumSapientia.html

 

[ProVobis]

Pope John Paul II leading the Rosary prayers in Latin:

youtube.com/watch?v=_OTz_9tnjKk

 

[ProVobis]

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4475099.stm

Latin makes Vatican City comeback
By David Willey
BBC News, Rome

Cardinals and Vatican watchers are having to brush up on their Latin

In the new Vatican of Pope Benedict XVI, Latin is in and Polish, the language of John Paul II, is out. Latin may be considered a dead language today, but for many centuries it was the language of the Catholic Church.

Forty years ago the Vatican decided to drop Latin as the official language of the mass and switch to the vernacular.

In the 1990s, even bishops stopped talking to each other in Latin when they went to official meetings at the Vatican.

When he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI originally supported the idea of dropping the Latin mass.

Now he is Pope, he has apparently had a rethink and Italians are struggling to keep up.

Latin language courses at the Papal University are already oversubscribed.

Italian schools dropped Latin as a compulsory language many years ago and classics pundits are being called in to explain the terminology on television.

Vatican watchers are reaching again for their Latin primers.

 

[MarkThompson]

Does the Church hold Latin to be a holy language?

Since nobody’s answered this part of your question yet, the answer is: No.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

Not holy of itself, that is, of its nature (ontologically), but it has been used for holy purposes, just as Hebrew and Greek were.

 

[GloriousOrder]

I believe the Roman Church is quite patriotic about Latin simply because it is one of the greatest human languages. There is something crystal-clear about it, as our human communication goes. Grammar and syntax in Latin are quite easy to learn, if someone takes the time and makes the effort. Since the Roman Catholic Church exists to glorify God by offering only our very best, it seems logical that we should offer Latin. One agnostic friend of mine said church music doesn’t sound as interesting or clear in English as in Latin, and he is referring to music like Elgar’s hymns. Compare Elgar’s Ave verum corpus (Op. 2, No. 1) to his Great is the Lord (Op. 67).

Latin offers only our very best effort of language to God, for His glorification. No language is so beautiful as Latin, and I say that with my own deep love for English, German, and Italian. Why do you think traditionalists wear suits to church? God wants the best we can muster - and all our effort, not what is easy. I wear a suit to Church because wearing shorts and a t-shirt would make it out to be my sitting room couch, not God’s mansion, into which He has invited me. The language and the clothing are connected in that they are not immediately comfortable.

We must be aware of arguments for the use of Latin which are spurious or silly, of course. I once heard a priest in an interview say we must use Latin because “it’s a language God understands”, as if God wasn’t the omnipotent Father of consciousness.

 

[ProVobis]

I believe the Roman Church is quite patriotic about Latin simply because it is one of the greatest human languages. There is something crystal-clear about it, as our human communication goes. Grammar and syntax in Latin are quite easy to learn, if someone takes the time and makes the effort. Since the Roman Catholic Church exists to glorify God by offering only our very best, it seems logical that we should offer Latin. One agnostic friend of mine said church music doesn’t sound as interesting or clear in English as in Latin, and he is referring to music like Elgar’s hymns. Compare Elgar’s Ave verum corpus (Op. 2, No. 1) to his Great is the Lord (Op. 67).

Latin offers only our very best effort of language to God, for His glorification. No language is so beautiful as Latin, and I say that with my own deep love for English, German, and Italian. Why do you think traditionalists wear suits to church? God wants the best we can muster - and all our effort, not what is easy. I wear a suit to Church because wearing shorts and a t-shirt would make it out to be my sitting room couch, not God’s mansion, into which He has invited me. The language and the clothing are connected in that they are not immediately comfortable.

We must be aware of arguments for the use of Latin which are spurious or silly, of course. I once heard a priest in an interview say we must use Latin because “it’s a language God understands”, as if God wasn’t the omnipotent Father of consciousness.

Nice post.

I agree with most of what you say. I enjoy Italian operas and Bach’s cantatas. My first language is Polish, and while I think the Polish Mass is quite pleasant to the ears, I’ll go with the Mass in the language of the Church. You can’t beat it for its poetic beauty.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

I believe the Roman Church is quite patriotic about Latin simply because it is one of the greatest human languages. There is something crystal-clear about it, as our human communication goes. Grammar and syntax in Latin are quite easy to learn, if someone takes the time and makes the effort. Since the Roman Catholic Church exists to glorify God by offering only our very best, it seems logical that we should offer Latin. One agnostic friend of mine said church music doesn’t sound as interesting or clear in English as in Latin, and he is referring to music like Elgar’s hymns. Compare Elgar’s Ave verum corpus (Op. 2, No. 1) to his Great is the Lord (Op. 67).

Latin offers only our very best effort of language to God, for His glorification. No language is so beautiful as Latin, and I say that with my own deep love for English, German, and Italian. Why do you think traditionalists wear suits to church? God wants the best we can muster - and all our effort, not what is easy. I wear a suit to Church because wearing shorts and a t-shirt would make it out to be my sitting room couch, not God’s mansion, into which He has invited me. The language and the clothing are connected in that they are not immediately comfortable.

We must be aware of arguments for the use of Latin which are spurious or silly, of course. I once heard a priest in an interview say we must use Latin because “it’s a language God understands”, as if God wasn’t the omnipotent Father of consciousness.

While I agree with you that we need to give the Holy One our best, it is subjective opinion that Latin IS that. It is subjective opinion that “Since the Roman Catholic Church exists to glorify God by offering only our very best, it seems logical that we should offer Latin.” It is subjective opinion that “no language is so beautiful as Latin.”

Language is about communicating meaning. Words are symbols. Symbols convey meaning. “Crux” is not more beautiful that “cross” or “croix” or “cruz.” “Dominus” is not better than “Lord,” except in the realm of subjective opinion.

Now, does the Church need a language of its own? Certainly, and having had one for one and three-quarters odd millenia, it would seem foolish to abandon it, for encyclicals, other Church documents, things pertaining to the government of the Church, instruction, etc. I think the Holy Father’s request that we learn the common prayers for international gatherings strikes the right balance between the vernaculars and Latin. In my own parish, we sing the ordinaries of the Mass in Latin.

 

[ProVobis]

From the 1983 Code of Canon Law:

Can. 249 The program of priestly formation is to provide that students not only are carefully taught their native language but also understand Latin well and have a suitable understanding of those foreign languages which seem necessary or useful for their formation or for the exercise of pastoral ministry.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

From the 1983 Code of Canon Law:

Absolutely. The abandonment of priestly instruction in Latin was a bad idea. They need it even more than they need Greek and Hebrew (unless a priest is specializing as a Scripture scholar), in my opinion.

 

[ProVobis]

NEED FOR LATIN REMAINS UNCHANGED
Pope Paul VI​

On 26th of April the Holy Father received in audience the prize winners of the 11th “Certamen Vaticanum”. Also present were the members the Editorial Board of the review “Latinitas”, with the president, Mons. Amleto Tondini.
Distinguished Gentlemen,

We are honoured today to welcome to Our house this elect group of Doctors and scholars of the Latin tongue, who form here a noble crown around the winners of the Certamen Vaticanum XI. We Ourself desired this meeting, as We wish to express to you our sincere esteem and encourage you who excel in the knowledge, study and spread of the Latin language.

Latinists cannot but feel at home in the house of the Pope, because as expert, intelligent, versatile collaborators in the composition of the noble, important documents of the Apostolic See, they are, so to speak, in their own house. We lack time for what would be an “excursus” of historical erudition. It would be most interesting to see how our Predecessors favoured Latin in every way, enhanced its splendour and promoted its advancement. Moreover, they encouraged its experts and established the foundations of its literary and artistic development which reached heights of splendour in history and art. It is sufficient to recall Saint Jerome’s place beside Pope Damasus, and the admirable flowering of illustrious ecclesiastical personalities during the humanistic period and the Renaissance.

Not Strangers and Foreigners

Our intention here is not to dwell on the resplendent hours of a past which was characteristically bound to a particular historical and literary pattern. Today, as We welcome you, We only wish to stress that, you as Latinists, are not strangers nor foreigners to the Holy See, but are, by right, its citizens.

The name of Rome has rendered and still renders to the Church a service of incomparable value. First, the organization of the Roman empire was providentially preordained to lend the highroads of the world subjugated by it to the messengers of the meek, liberating, humble, triumphant, hidden. priceless Good News. Afterwards, it offered the infant Church, as it emerged from the terrible bloody ordeal of persecution, the bond of the Latin tongue for the new liturgy, for ecclesiastical law and as a means of communication between peoples of different origin and culture, making them all one by the use of the same language, in the profound reality of a mysterious unity.

The Latin language contributed largely to the achievement of this marvel of unity. It is an indisputable, historical fact that the language of Rome became that of the Church of the Latin rite, as Our Predecessor, Pius XI, affirmed: “Embracing all nations and destined to subsist till the end of the world, the Church needs a universal language, immutable and not a vernacular” (Pius XI, Epist. Ap. Officiorum omnium, 1 aug. 1922: A.A.S. 14, 1922, p. 452). Our immediate Predecessor, John XXIII, while recalling and summarizing the merits of Latin in the magnificent document Veterum Sapientia, commented at length and lovingly on the three above mentioned effective attributes (cfr. A.A.S. 54, 1962, pp. 129-135).

(continued)

 

[ProVobis]

(continuing)

Popes Uphold Latin

We, Ourself, have not only openly confirmed these noble documents of Our Predecessors, but We have instituted, with a Motu Proprio, Studia Latinitatis (cfr. A.A.S. 56, 1964, pp. 225-231) the Pontificium Institutum altioris latinitatis, for the correct and complete formation of professors of Latin in our Seminaries and Religious houses, and We have again confirmed these directives for these same Seminaries in Our Apostolic Letter Summi Dei Verbum (cfr. A. A. S. 55, 1963, pp. 979-995), given upon the occasion of the fourth centenary of the institution of Seminaries by the Council of Trent: “that the study of various languages be placed in the curriculum of the Seminaries and above all Latin, especially for priests of the Latin rite”.

For all these reasons, We wish to repeat here and now before this distinguished assembly, that Latin must continue to be fostered, above all, in our Seminaries and in the houses of formation of the Regular Clergy, because it is essential to the mental formation of their students, as well as to the study of the classics and of the Fathers of the Church and, particularly, it will enable them to appreciate the treasures of the Sacred Liturgy. Without Latin, their higher and complete intellectual, theological and liturgical formation—which the modern world demands of priests—would be minimized. The Ecumenical Council Vatican II, in the Decree, Optatam totius on the formation of priests, in the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium on the Liturgy and in other documents, has repeatedly advised and inculcated the necessity of this study and use of Latin. It is precisely for its educative and formative value that We desire that Latin should continue to hold a place of honour in our midst.

Formative Value

It is known, besides, that We have encouraged everywhere the use of the vernacular in the Liturgy, acceding willingly to the clear indications of the Council. This attitude was not dictated by a lessening of Our esteem for Latin, but by an acute consciousness of the necessities of the pastoral ministry. The bread of the Word of God, as it is given in the Liturgy, must he broken by pastors of souls in large and generous handfuls, so as to make it intelligible and accessible to all, enabling the faithful to taste its beauty and participate more easily and actively lively in its sacred rites.

It is evident and, may it be said openly to them who, perhaps with a certain levity, desire to experiment with new ways and who believe that the Church should, from now on, abandon Latin,—We repeat that it is evident that Latin must be kept in honour in the Church, for the lofty and grave reasons already mentioned. But We must not forget to speak also to those who, by an excessive cult of the past, for purely esthetic motives or opposition to anything new, have criticized the authorized innovations. We must not forget that Latin must also be put in the service of the pastoral ministry, and it is not an end in itself. Whilst defending these claims for the recognition of Latin in the life of the Church, we most avoid the danger of paralysing or checking the pastoral renewal ordered by the Ecumenical Council. In this field, as in all others, the salvation of souls remains the supreme law.

Spiritual and Cultural Heritage

This, beloved sons, is what We desired to impart to you in this meeting graced by your culture and courtesy. We rejoice with you for your passionate, tenacious ardour as students and masters of the Latin language, and We encourage you to continue, even if your path be devoid of consolation. May your joy and solace be that of forming minds and souls, especially of the young, to the study of the ancient classics and of humanistic culture, without which scientific progress can only harden into cold aridness, which is harmful to mankind. May you enrich man with true self-knowledge and the appreciation of his past and present grandeur, in the light of the eternal values of the spirit. May you pass on intact, to future generations, this spiritual and cultural heritage, from which modern civilisation still draws life and which it still needs. The Church has used and uses Latin as a precious vehicle and instrument for the fusion of souls and for communication between peoples.

May you be encouraged to this by Our Apostolic Blessing, which We impart from Our heart to you, to your families, and to your cherished studies

---

Taken from:
L’Osservatore Romano
Weekly Edition in English
9 May 1968, page 7

 

[ConstantineTG]

Not holy of itself, that is, of its nature (ontologically), but it has been used for holy purposes, just as Hebrew and Greek were.

God has been praised from every tongue on this earth

 

[ProVobis]

While I agree with you that we need to give the Holy One our best, it is subjective opinion that Latin IS that. It is subjective opinion that “Since the Roman Catholic Church exists to glorify God by offering only our very best, it seems logical that we should offer Latin.” It is subjective opinion that “no language is so beautiful as Latin.”

Not that subjective. Sound waves are very important to the human ear. Ask anyone who is familiar with physics or Transcendental Meditation. Sanskrit mantras are given based on what effect they have on the human neuorological system, similar to resonant frequencies having an effect on an electronic circuit filled with capacitors, inductors, and resistors. Over sixteen hundred years of Latin (and you can make a case for Greek too) have managed to convert many to the faith; I would say it has been time-proven to be most effective if not the most beautiful.

If you think language is not that important, ask yourself if Hitler would have been the leader he was if he had spoken a language different than German. (Not knocking German; it is beautiful too as is Elizabethean English.)

I’m not saying you can’t pray in English but modern (conversational) English vernacular has a lot of problems, especially with translations. It has too many homophones and its second person pronoun weakness makes it a poor choice of the most effective communication. And its meanings change so quickly and so many idioms (“kick the bucket,” “raining cats and dogs” etc) just don’t make any sense. Most can’t understand Shakespeare and many can’t understand the U.S. Constitution, even though they were written in English too. Things have to be repeated and paraphrased so that people can understand them. And this is among mostly literate people using the language. Look how many different versions of the English Bibles there are, each one claiming it is better than the others. Presidents and politicials and elites are further butchering the language and it is quickly deteriorating. Grammar rules are laughed at and yet a lot of places want to make it their official language. Well, good luck with that.

It seems as if there is a lot of misconceptions about learning Latin (or any other language for that matter.) It doesn’t need to be translated for you to understand it, and it certainly shouldn’t be like a sudoku puzzle to try to figure out what a prayer says. Exposure is most necessary though. Memorize a few lines, repeat a few cadences, and after a while you won’t have look at the right side of your missal to see what “per omnia saecula saeculorum” means as it will have its own meaning to you. Same with the other prayers. And that’s what we’re talking about for the most part, not major Church documents.