I thought Latin had words ending in um, us and a (plurals being a, i, and ae, respectively).
I know Latin wasn’t the first language of the Church, but we had future saints ensuring common sense Catholicism was used in translating from Aramaic, to Greek to Latin. Besides, there were rites still using that (or something very close, referring to hearing of Syro-Chaldaic being as close to the Lord’s Aramaic as we have) after the central language became.
I do understand that praying in your own language feels more meaningful, but the Jews probably prayed on their own in Aramaic and used Hebrew for synagogue praying. I don’t know if that, like the unremovable Bibles not being moved, was due to a lack of a printing press in those days, though. I think, though, like the children praying from the Torah at 13, our kids could learn Latin by a secular teacher, nun or priest–that is, unless they’re of another rite. The Latin Rite is the biggest and it would be unifying for all Latin Rite Catholics, anyway, to know it. It would be deeper than holding hands at the “Our Father”. The Church is free for all, so why should Church Latin have this stigma of elitism? I just read about Vivaldi teaching orphans the violin so well, the pope had to stop rich families from dropping their kids off at the place–well, same thing. If you start 'em with Church Latin, Greek, or Aramaic at the same time as the common language or dialect, it would be just as meaningful, I’d think.
I just think I heard on EWTN radio how the word, “slave” was softened to “servant” in America to bring up bad memories in America. If true, this sentimentalism is not a good thing. It should be explained instead. It should be said we should choose to be slaves of another (so long as the other doesn’t ask something inherently evil of us) and offer ourselves as slaves of God to be as humbling as the woman who compared herself as a dog eating scraps from its master’s table, even though we are required to make good with gifts God gives us and still see ourselves as loved children of God at the same time. A couple orders call themselves “The Slaves of…”–but I digress.
I’m just saying that English, in America, at least, is getting dumbed down in dictionaries with slang abound. When people want to pray as they speak, are they going to start thinking as ignorantly as they are speaking? It’s fine for the uneducated to pray how they talk, but middle-class suburban people and I think even the non-nouveau-riche wealthy, use slang-ridden English as well in casual talk (trying EFL for the first time, I realize how much proper American English I’ve forgotten while bemoaning textbooks making kids learn how we use grammar incorrectly). Should we start forming Church vernacular around that? What if educated English starts sounding out of touch with the masses (no pun intended)?
I think if you commonize the Mass too much, you’ll empower the closet communists the TLM kept in their place by not making it a stage show defrocked in the Puritanical cultural revolution after V2, for the ignorant (who, as I said, could be educated about it instead). The same could be said of the architecture of new museums, capitol buildings and banks in cities, depriving us of appreciating what’s inside (what if dumbed-down language was used in those places because noone talks like that anymore?). I think, for the sake of society and imagination, we may need to turn back the clock at least to the way vernacular was written before V2, if not going back to Latin, as the official Church language, or a well-done hybrid, like EWTN’s.
It can be done. We need it. We need to be appreciative of our Church’s and nation’s heritage and language, art, and architecture can do that, not primarily serving as eye candy, when its made to give glory to God (which says something powerful, even to the one who says the money should go to the poor) and not to the masses, but as instructive symbols.
Well, I’m sure there are snobs who’ll think I’m ignorant for a badly written essay (though it’s really a train of thought spaced out by a tired man, one possibly dumbed down more by hearing educated people say or write in books, “It is him” and end sentences in prepositions, as a post-production). Sorry if I have contributed to it, but I think the collapse of a civilization is in progress and some clerics have attached most churches on that runaway train, practically, but not essentially, speaking–about the Catholic Church, that is.
As for St. Francis. I forgot about plain chant and that would be just as good. Did St. Francis advocate complicated instruments and/or orchestras at Mass? They probably played simple melodies on simple instruments. Classical music is beautiful, but Mass music was not entertainment for the churchgoers–it was just extremely pleasant and moving.
) whole edifice down. However, I’m not sure that Latin is part of it. As important as Latin is to the Church, it’s not one of her foundation principles.
