| Why the Latin Mass? |
|
| I have been asked why I prefer Mass in Latin. I usually ask to hear why they think the language Mass is said in matters. The answer I usally get is canned: "The Mass is in the vernacular so that we can understand what is going on." My first thought is, that missals have almost always been printed in both Latin and the vernacular for years. With these missals people were able to follow the written venacular translation of the Mass as it was said by the Priest in Latin. So I feel that the excuse of being able to understand the mass is not a valid point.. The reason I prefer my Mass in Latin because then the people must turn to the authentic authorities to find the true understanding of the Mass, and they cannot rely on their own interpretations. And since Latin is a dead language, there is no fear of ever losing the meaning of the Mass. For Christ promised to be with his Church till the end of time. Pre-Vatican II you could go to any Mass given anywhere in the world with your missal, and truly participate with the congrgation. You would all know what was happening in Mass, even though you may not be able to speak with the person standing next to you afterwards. Now you will need to purchase a missal for every parish you visit. And how will our priests who are no longer trained solidly in the Latin language perform their duties when they become Bishops and Cardinals. Some will have to meet in huge Councils with Bishops from other countries. Some will have to meet in Conclaves to elect the next Pope. How will the Bishops and Cardinals from all these diverse countries be able to even communicate to do the Church's business without a common language? Pope Pius IX had it right when he said in Officiorum Omnium: "For the Church, precisely because it embraces all nations and is destined to endure until the end of time... of its very nature requires a language which is universal, immutable, and non-vernacular." And so was Pope Pius XII, when he wrote in Mediator Dei: "The use of the Latin language prevailing in a great part of the Church affords at once an imposing sign of unity and an effective safeguard against the corruption of true doctrine." |
 |
| "The day the Church abandons her universal tongue [Latin] is the day before she returns to the catacombs" Pope Pius XII |