[Polycarp]

"No one wants to touch something in two dead languages. They think I'm insane, maybe I am," joked Gibson, who was born in New York but grew up in Australia.

The abolition of the Latin mass was one of the key reforms adopted in the 1960s by the Second Vatican ( news - web sites) Council, which sought to bring the liturgy closer to ordinary people.

But Gibson is very much of the old school, and a Latin service is still held at the private chapel of his California home.

He also had some sharp words for the modern-day Catholic Church, rocked this year by allegations of child abuse.

"It's very easy to be shaken these days faith-wise. All this kind of paedophilia stuff in the United States, it's hard to hang on to a foundation with this stuff going on," he told Reuters.

[dodger]

Good on ye, Mel.

[Darth Sidious]

Mel's crossing a terrible, terrible line here. Good lord man, use subtitles!! Heck "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" used them, and it didn't hurt THAT any.

[DSHambone]

Mrs. Velders should have lived so long!!! For a zillion years she taught us nutheads Latin in a Florida Public School. Great teacher - lots signed up for Latin just because of her.

Way to go Mel!

[hosepipe]

Gibson must be a catholic...
Others might of liked it in ancient Greek.
You know, the language the scripts that the bible was translated from, mostly.
The whole thing seems silly to me, however.

[Highway55]

Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur.

[goodieD]

Interesting, gutsy, financial suicide..but Mel can probably afford it.. his career is far enough along to be allowed an eccentric vanity now and again. I'm behind him!

[kstewskis]

gotta love Mel.

All the more reason to get out and learn the lost language. Perhaps the DVD version will have the subtitles?

[Dajjal]

Mirabilis notio!!!

[Antoninus]

The abolition of the Latin mass was one of the key reforms adopted in the 1960s by the Second Vatican

Now there's some good reporting for you. I wonder what percentage of Catholics actually believe that VII "abolished" the Latin Mass?