Oh sure - post this in the vernacular....
At my parish, we have a Latin mass monthly. Reminds me of when I was a kid.
If you want to live in this country you should learn to speak the damned language. This is a prefect way to tear our society apart. Speak English or get the hell out.
When I was confirmed in Nova Scotia, the mass was performed in Latin.
Infortunately I was too young (14) and immature to appreciate it.
I know that the perform the occasional LM in a couple of the Boston parishes, I would like to attend one someday.
I learned Latin from my brother — when he was an altar boy, Masses were still said in Latin. He had to practice all the prayers and responses, and just from listening to him go through them over and over again, I picked up the language. It may be a “dead” language, but it is the basis for a number of languages. I know it helped me learn French and Italian...well, at least enough to be able to ask where the nearest lavatory is. :)
Dominus vobiscum :-]
Yawn.
The prayers basically say that non-Catholics believe the wrong things and ask God to convert non-Catholics to Catholicism.
No Catholic complains when Jews recite the traditional Shemonah Esrei.
Intribo ad altari dei, ad deum qui latificat juventutem meum.
Next, I hope he brings back kneeling for those who are able. I know Benedict is a big fan of it. Our diocese does this “standing during communion” thing. It feels weird. So I kneel. People must think I’m nuts.
I wonder how common this standing deal is?
Here’s Benedict on the theology of kneeling:
http://www.tldm.org/News8/PopeBenedictXVITheologyOfKneeling.htm