Learning Latin, how?

[chrispillertkd]

The few Catholic masses I've attended the last few years were all in English. I did ask a priest recently if they ever did masses in Latin any more and he said rarely as most people couldn't follow them.

Most masses offered in the ordinary form are done entirely in English (which is not actually what the Vatican wants). If you attend mass celebrated in the extraordinary form (the "Tridentine Rite") it will be entirely in Latin. High Masses will include Gregorian chant and possibly hymns. Low Masses will not.

As for people understanding Latin or not, with all due respect to the priest you spoke with (and many that I have spoken to myself) it's not like people are incapable of reading a Missal. "Latin on one page and English on the facing page? What? How will I ever crack this code!"

I mean, really.

Pax (That's "peace" for all you Latin illiterates! See how hard that was?),

Chris

 

[jks9199]

The few Catholic masses I've attended the last few years were all in English. I did ask a priest recently if they ever did masses in Latin any more and he said rarely as most people couldn't follow them.

Some parishes have Latin Masses regularly (often once a month). A few parishes or special churches, like the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, or Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land may have them more regularly.

The simple truth is that the movement of the language of the Mass has been more toward the vernacular language so that the members of the congregation can actively and intelligently participate, rather than simply be spectators responding by rote.

 

[granfire]

The few Catholic masses I've attended the last few years were all in English. I did ask a priest recently if they ever did masses in Latin any more and he said rarely as most people couldn't follow them.

They never could follow them, that was the whole point!

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I've thought about Esperanto when I was younger, but didn't really see the point.

There doesn't always have to be a point. I just like the idea, is all.

 

[Big Don]

There doesn't always have to be a point. I just like the idea, is all.

That is true for so many things.

 

[Blade96]

Here's some help for Bob:

Avoid me, because I have only studied 4 years of Russian. :uhyeah:

 

[Bruno@MT]

The few Catholic masses I've attended the last few years were all in English. I did ask a priest recently if they ever did masses in Latin any more and he said rarely as most people couldn't follow them.

Those masses are usually held by smaller congregations which reject the 2nd vatican council. The reasons are religious in nature. It's not because the laity understands Latin. I assume the clergy would understand what they are saying.

 

[Big Don]

Here's some help for Bob:

Avoid me, because I have only studied 4 years of Russian. :uhyeah:

My little sister took 4 years of Spanish in High School augmented by a Spanish speaking boyfriend, followed by 4 years of Spanish in college and a Spanish speaking husband. She has perfected the dumb, uncomprehending look when people speak Spanish in front of her, then when she answers in perfect Spanish, she blows their minds. Everyone needs a hobby...

 

[granfire]

My little sister took 4 years of Spanish in High School augmented by a Spanish speaking boyfriend, followed by 4 years of Spanish in college and a Spanish speaking husband. She has perfected the dumb, uncomprehending look when people speak Spanish in front of her, then when she answers in perfect Spanish, she blows their minds. Everyone needs a hobby...

LOL

but helpful sometimes.

 

[chrispillertkd]

Here's some help for Bob:

Avoid me, because I have only studied 4 years of Russian. :uhyeah:

Russian was the worst. But it helped me figure out Latin in that it was a cased language like Latin.

Pax,

Chris

 

[chrispillertkd]

Those masses are usually held by smaller congregations which reject the 2nd vatican council. The reasons are religious in nature. It's not because the laity understands Latin. I assume the clergy would understand what they are saying.

Yes, quite a few of the people who attend the Tridentine Mass do so at chapels or churches run by the Society of St. Pius X, or the Society of St. Pius V whicgh are groups which reject the validity of Vatican II and, somewhat ironically, end up rejecting the authority of the pope in favor of their own judgements about doctrinal and non-doctrinal matters. A growing number of Catholics are availing themselves of validly celebrated Masses in the extraordinary form (the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass) through groups which are in full communion with the Church such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.

That all being said, the Catholics I have met who attend the older rite of the Mass all have at least a passing understanding of ecclesial Latin. And my parents have both told me it was uch the same back in the 50's. Go figure. As I said before, it's not rocket surgery to open up a Latin-English Missal :lol:

The whole criticism of people not understanding anything during the Mass back in the day is mostly a bogey man conjured up by people who should've known better. One doesn't need to be a latinist to understand the ordinary of the Mass (those parts that remain the same in every liturgy). Heck, I could prayerfully participate in prayers such as the Agnus Dei, the Credo, the Pater Noster, the Sanctur, the Gloria, and the Kyrie (in Greek) before I ever took a single class in Latin. As for the propers, you can follow along in the Missal for those and still have a very prayerful experience.

The people sitting in the pews today listening to Mass in English are, in general, woefully catechized and have little understanding of what's actually occuring when the priest confects the Eucharist. Celebrating the Mass in English has a less than stellar record when it comes to the people actually understanding the faith. In a religion which holds to lex orandi, lex credendi that is a huge probelm.

Pax,

Chris

 

[Sukerkin]

My little sister took 4 years of Spanish in High School augmented by a Spanish speaking boyfriend, followed by 4 years of Spanish in college and a Spanish speaking husband. She has perfected the dumb, uncomprehending look when people speak Spanish in front of her, then when she answers in perfect Spanish, she blows their minds. Everyone needs a hobby...

:chuckles: Whilst I did not have the degree of fluency your sister clearly has, I used to get the same startled response with Welsh in times gone by ... especially if they were in the middle of saying something derogatory about the English :lol:.

 

[Blade96]

My little sister took 4 years of Spanish in High School augmented by a Spanish speaking boyfriend, followed by 4 years of Spanish in college and a Spanish speaking husband. She has perfected the dumb, uncomprehending look when people speak Spanish in front of her, then when she answers in perfect Spanish, she blows their minds. Everyone needs a hobby...

Hahaha. thats cute.....

Russian was the worst. But it helped me figure out Latin in that it was a cased language like Latin.

Pax,

Chris

cases are annoying....pretty much everything cased in russian even counting.