Sorry but Canon 249 speaks for itself : 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.” and the Latin requirement was also included in the American Bishops norms. See 162, 172, 182 and 189 of those norms.
C.
This was said, but what you do not find in the Code of Canon Law is the request from the Sacred Congregation for Religious (at that time) to dispense with this requirement for members of religious orders who were studying to be priests as well as religious.
Religious superiors asked for this, because the Holy See approved the constitutions of all the religious orders as they were submitted, after they were renewed. Many had taken the Latin requirement out of the Constitution. These constitutions existed before the Canons of 1983. There was a problem. The Holy See was saying one thing in the Canons but saying another in the constitutions of religious orders, secular institutes and societies of apostolic life that it was approving.
To fix the problem, the request was granted. Those religious orders that have priests, which is about 60% and those priests in these orders, must form according to their constitutions, unless one of two things happens:
a) The pope overrules all of the constitutions, which he can do.
or
b) The General Chapter of each community amends the constitutions.
To do this, the community must get permission from the pope to have a special chapter to amend the Constitution. Once the amendment is voted on and approved by the community, it still has to be approved by the Sacred Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. If it passes mustard there, it must be sent to the Holy Father for approval. Then a reasonable period of time must be allowed for implementation. Finally, the amendment only binds those who enter from that point forward, because you cannot go backward and undo degree programs. These graduate schools only apply changes in the graduation requirements going forward, not backward.
That’s why the new directive has a much softer tone on the Latin requirement. Rome has to navigate around that one with care not to cause chaos and not to cause these men to lose time in school.
This is another glitch. Religious orders of mixed life, also called fraternal orders, have men who are going to be priests, but have many men who are not going to be priests. However, they all have to go through the same program of studies. Those men who are not going to be priests, but are going for a theology degree would be required to study Latin as part of their graduation requirement for what purpose? It is much better for the religious community to allow those men who want to learn Latin to do it on their own or to take it as an elective, rather than as a degree requirement. Even if you’re going to be the brother who answers the door, you have to get that degree. It’s part of your formation program.
This is not as easy as it sounds when you’re dealing with thousands of men in different countries, different religious communities, with different needs, and different budgets. Education is not free. Some religious communities struggle to educate their men, especially outside of the USA. Religious communities in the USA have more resources.
We have to understand these things the way that the Holy Father does.
If I may make one suggestion to the laity, tread lightly on the religious men and the Latin. We are very fortunate in the USA that the Council of Major Superiors of Men and the USCCB get along well. They agree on most things, including the education of priests and brothers. To push an agenda that would create a rift is not worth it. We need both authority figures working together.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
