Sunday 21 February 2016

The Glory and Power of Latin Liturgy

I believe that every person, man woman or child, can be at ease with the Latin parts of the Mass which pertain to them, such as the Confiteor, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Pater Noster and Agnus Dei. By reciting these every Sunday at Mass (as required by Vatican II, in fact) with an accompanying English translation, they easily get to know what they are saying. They do not need to know Latin Grammar. They do not even need a word-for word translation; many of us happily sang Frère Jacque in primary school without knowing its translation, and at a recent Christmas Carol Concert by primary school children they sang one Carol with a different language for each verse: German, French, Spanish, Italian and English. No Latin of course -this was a Catholic school.

The New Liturgical Movement posted an article of great interest the other day by David Clayton. It was entitled ‘ The devil Hates Latin, says Exorcist’ (see here).  it is worth a read. Yesterday I came across a post by an anonymous Caremlite nun on the Usus Antiquior site entitled ‘Why Latin?’ (see here). I was struck by the simplicity of Sister’s words, and have already put them into the Bulletin. Sister begins by asking,

Question: “Does the Devil hate Latin?
 Answer: Yes.
Question: Why?
Answer: Because Latin is inherently divine? No, it’s a human tongue. Because it is intrinsically superior as a language?  Maybe not.  It is certainly beautiful in its unique way, and there are prayers, hymns and sequences that are only as effective as they are because of the succinct Latin drumbeat in which they are composed (e.g., Lauda Sion Salvatorem, Dies iræ, Victimæ paschali laudes, Corde natus ex parentis), to say nothing of the mind-opening secular works of Cicero, Ovid et al.

Here is the section I quoted and noted in the Bulletin:

I quoted: 'Satan hates Latin because Latin promotes unity, especially the unity of the Church, Christ’s mystical Body.  Unity among the members of His Body on earth, yes, but also unity of the past, the present and the future—in fact the whole Communion of Saints.  Disunity is what the Devil is all about: he divides, scatters and confuses.  His very title means just that (devil, diabolo, from the Greek dia ballein, “to throw apart”). As Screwtape might have taught, anything that serves the principle of unity, especially unity of faith, should be resisted, opposed, undermined..” 
I noted: Let us not resist, oppose or undermine Latin then,  it is for the sake of our unity in God that we should value, support and promote Latin, not side with the devil by opposing and resisting it.

Sister also says, “As members of secular society, we are willing to put tremendous effort into learning second languages, or requiring our children to learn them, and for the sake of mere commerce and recreation. But we are members of Christ’s Body first, and the unity for which He prayed does not exist where His members do not—because they cannot—worship together.”

I recommend readers to read sister’s post and to reflect upon its insights.

I am no Latin scholar. In fact, in our seminary in the 1980s/90's we went through six years of seminary without any training in Latin (contrary to the teaching of Vatican II in Optatam Totius and to the Code of Canon Law, Canon 249). In order to celebrate the Usus Antiquior I and Andrew McDowell, the ‘tie’ of this blog, attended a one year course in Latin basics so as to become at least ‘idoneous’. 

8 comments:

  1. How truly right Father Gary. I have spoken to priests who 'cannot celebrate' the EF Mass because they 'don't know Latin'. As you rightly say one doesn't need to know the nuances of the language to use it. How many of us when young boys served Mass without knowing word for word what we were saying (how many still serve in that manner)? The ideal of the Latin language used within the worship of the Church is to promote & celebrate the unity of the Church.
    Going to Mass abroad used to present no problems (a former canon called this the 'Cooks Tour argument) but nowadays you don't need to go abroad to find yourself lost when there are so many options available & even some priests who make up the Mass as they go along. How sad & worrying for the future of the Church

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    1. Thank you David. If people do not know they are saying the Creed after the homily, or the Glroia after the Kyrie, or the Sanctus after the preface, they are not aware of the liturgy and its parts -and they have been celebrating them in those places in the vernacular for the last 50 years. The use of the vernacular in places like Lourdes does not show the universality of the Church but the nationalism of various Churches as each language group wanders off to their own place for the very celebration that unites us all in God: Holy Mass. Such a sight is reminiscent of the tower of babel in my opinion.
      God Bless.

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  2. Excellent post.

    Disunity is particularly acute at the major shrines. Whenever I've been to Medjugorje or Lourdes, I've often thought it a shame that pilgrims have to be divided into their own language groups for Mass, rather than being united at a Latin Mass (although I appreciate multicast translations would still be needed for the readings and homily). Even when an "international rosary" is prayed or an "international chant" is sung at these places, you never hear any Latin. They just take turns praying or singing in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and one or two Eastern European languages... all of which can be rather patronising and defeatist.

    Paul H

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    1. Thank you Paul. The major shrines are ideally suited to the use of Latin liturgy. the International Mass at Lourdes was nicknamed by some pilgrims I met (including fellow priests) as the 'International Mess'. Shortened versions of the Gospel in several languages does not to enhance the liturgy and is contrary to the very idea of Vatican II that duplications be avoided. My stand is 'One faith, one language'.
      God Bless.

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  3. Hear hear Father. It'a sad to see 4 votes disliking your post.

    You mentioned Lourdes and their 'International Mass' which I stopped attending on my annual visit due to the interminable additions in half a dozen languages. (I asked myself do I stand for the Gospel read in French which I understand; do I remain standing for the English version a repeat of what I have just heard; and how about the Italian which I can get the gist of and the German which I do not understand at all?) I usually had to sit down anyway before the Gospel has been finished in allthe chosen languages of the day.)

    I am sure I have read somewhere that the new Bishop of Tarbes et Lourdes has referred to this as the Tower of Babel and is going to work on this and I have noticed since his arrival more Latin being used especially in the processional chants.

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    1. Thank you Pelerin.
      The dislikes are to be expected; their is a massive resistance to anything that requires effort in today's Church, which thinks it can convert and retain by the feel-good factor. Precipitous lapsation demonstrates that this is not the case, but many are blind to it (or close their eyes to it) because it asks things of them, I think; first being effort; the second an admission that their direction over the last 50 years has more than failed: it has been damaging.
      God Bless.

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  4. People eschew Latin and want their own language, yet then complain that non-Latin rites, or variations, such as that of the Ordinariate, are "divisive".

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    1. Thank you, vetusta ecclesia.
      People will complain about anything in the liturgy that is not pedestrian, I think, as long as liturgy is seen as something to affirm the people rather than the adoration, propitiating and petitioning of Almighty God.
      God Bless.

      Delete

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