Will Learning Latin Make Me More Catholic?

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One guy I knew told me that Latin was a holy language, and that it was part of our heritage, therefore, it is very important that we Catholics learn it, I have been taking lessons from a children’s book on learning Latin. Will learning Latin make me more Catholic?

SPQR Forever.
 
No.

Though it would be useful if you want to read original sources instead of translated versions.
 
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No, Latin in Italy is mandatory in several high schools but I don’t see the students getting holier or better Catholics.
 
Probably because you will have to practice the virtue of patience a lot and offer up your frustration as a sacrifice… :hugs:
 
No.
If you want to learn Latin, go for it.
But learning Latin will not make you more Catholic than those of us who do not know Latin.
 
Learning Latin is likely to give you a greater appreciation for the Church and her traditions, and therefore may help you to become a more faithful Catholic.
 
God’s language is “silence,” according to the mystics of the Church.
 
Learning Latin will not make you any less Catholic, I’ll put it that way. Traditionally, it was the hallmark of an educated person to know Latin. I am ashamed to say that I have never formally studied it — informally, yes, in bits and pieces, some review of grammar, a lot of osmosis. Many of my friends in college, Catholic as well as non-Catholic, took Latin but I chose not to. One nice feature of Latin is that very often, you can summarize very profound ideas in a few words, whereas in a vernacular language the same idea would take many more words. Examples: mutatis mutandis, mirabile dictu, and even et cetera
 
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Jovian90 said:
it was part of our heritage
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It is part of the Latin Church’s heritage. Not mine. Being Maronite, I consider Classical Arabic (which I know fluently) and Aramaic (which I don’t know fluently but understand certain prayers in) to be my liturgical heritage.
 
Possible. Depends on how you use it. On my list of things to do to be a better Catholic, it does not appear.
If I was studying for the priesthood, it would be on the list.
 
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If Latin doesn’t what does? Church documents are written in Latin, the official Bible is in Latin, the early Church fathers adopted the moral code of Cicero, the traditional Roman Canon is in Latin, etc etc etc. Greek and Hebrew are good though for more serious Bible study.
 
Well, I would say, in no particular order:
Frequent confession,
Daily mass,
Frequent Almsgiving,
Adoration if the Blessed Sacrament,
Daily rosaries,
Reading the Bible often and regularly,
Studying the faith
Doing my work to the best of my ability
Loving those around me

Some of these may be helped by Latin, but to answer your question: if Latin doesn’t, what does? I would answer that the above list will make one a better Catholic more than learning Latin. And I am a big proponent of Latin.
 
You say you are an admirer of the Roman Empire. Then learning Latin will definitely make you happier. God understands all languages, you don’t have to pray in a certain language. Just make sure you understand what you pray.
If it increases or decreases your faith is strictly up to you, how you use that extra knowledge.
I would like to.add that “more Catholic” is illogical. You cannot be “more universal”. You are either Catholic or you aren’t.
If it brings you closer to God that is strictly up to you. If you want to one day research more about the Roman Empire then Latin will definitely give you an advantage.
 
I would suggest taking that time and effort to pray a rosary, for yourself and for the conversion of sinners, would be more profitable. As our Blessed Mother asked at Fatima. That is how the ordinary Catholic can impact the world for good.
 
Jovian90 said:
Latin was a holy language, and that it was part of our heritage,
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Well, it’s part of our heritage, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt to learn it. But it’s not a “holy language” – it’s the vernacular of the Roman Empire at the time of the founding of the Church.
 
Yes for one big reason - the devil hates Latin since “King of the Jews” was inscribed in the blood soaked Crucifix in Hebrew, Greek and Latin and since the Crucifix is the symbol of the devil’s defeat if you pray in Latin demonic demons will be far more repelled from you
 
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