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The Extraordinary Feature of Pope Francis's Mass: Latin
The Atlantic ^ | September 23, 2015 | Emma Green

Posted on 09/23/2015 2:54:03 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o

As a visitor to the United States, Pope Francis faces a minor challenge: His English isn’t so great. Over the course of the trip, he’ll give 18 speeches, and only four of them will be in English; he’ll mostly use his native language, Spanish, to give homilies and addresses.

But at Wednesday’s mass in Washington, D.C., at which Francis will canonize Father Junipero Serra, he’ll add another linguistic twist. The main prayers of the service, along with the celebration of the Eucharist—the part of the service when people take communion—will be in Latin.

Latin! This is an exclamation-mark-worthy fact for a few reasons. “It’s very unusual,” said Father John O’Malley, the Georgetown University professor and author of What Happened at Vatican II. “It’s not unheard of, but it doesn’t make much sense, if you’re in an English parish, or a Spanish parish, to do it in Latin.”

[big snip]

...That’s why it’s so interesting that Francis has chosen to include Latin in his D.C. mass:... “He’s the first pope in 50 years not to have participated in the Council,” O’Malley said. “That’s good, because he’s not fighting the battles of the Council.”

The mass that will be celebrated in D.C. on Wednesday is not the pre-Vatican II mass. The service will include English, Spanish, and several other languages, according to a Vatican spokesperson, and the pope won’t be following the Tridentine liturgy....

More likely than not, the decision to use Latin in the mass is a matter of comfort: The pope isn’t very good at English and he’ll already be speaking a lot of Spanish, so the mass offers an opportunity to incorporate another language into this visit. But it’s a small reminder that no move the pope makes come without complicated history—and symbolism—attached.

(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Prayer; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: english; latin; serra; spanish
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Makes sense. Instead of doing it in language (English) or in "HIS" language (Spanish, Italian) "THEIR" language (Polish, French, Portuguese, German, Tagalog, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Bantu, Swahili, Aleut, Yupik, whatever)--- how about "OUR" language?

Deo gratias,

1 posted on 09/23/2015 2:54:03 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Yes, because as we all know, both the Old Testament and the New Testament were written in Latin. It’s God’s language, right?


2 posted on 09/23/2015 2:56:39 PM PDT by Eccl 10:2 (Prov 3:5 --- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding")
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To: Eccl 10:2
and why would someone who doesn't speak Latin WANT a service said in a language they don't understand ?

A radical priest could be up there calling everyone all KINDS of butthole ... and y'all'd respond; Thank You, Lord for Your Mercies

3 posted on 09/23/2015 3:02:36 PM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true.)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Tower of Babel.

I remember when we all listened to the Mass in Latin. Not very difficult because the Mass is not too difficult. At least, when I was first taught it as an eight year old.


4 posted on 09/23/2015 3:04:09 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: I'd like to drive away not only the Turks (moslims) but all my foes.")
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To: Eccl 10:2

It’s called the ROMAN Catholic Church for a reason.


5 posted on 09/23/2015 3:04:17 PM PDT by Argus
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To: Eccl 10:2

I was watching the mass on Fox News, seeing all the unintelligible pageantry that the humble man raised by a carpenter would have abhorred.

And I thanked God that, in his good time, he gave us Martin Luther to straighten out this mess.


6 posted on 09/23/2015 3:04:33 PM PDT by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: Eccl 10:2

What language would you suggest it be in? Ebonics?


7 posted on 09/23/2015 3:05:09 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: I'd like to drive away not only the Turks (moslims) but all my foes.")
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To: Mrs. Don-o

...or what happens when you don’t make it a caucus...


8 posted on 09/23/2015 3:05:53 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: I'd like to drive away not only the Turks (moslims) but all my foes.")
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To: Eccl 10:2

Uh, it’s all Greek to me....


9 posted on 09/23/2015 3:06:17 PM PDT by Paladin2 (u)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

It’s a bit ironic. I remember when the Church changed from Latin to English and the Catholics were up in arms because they wanted their Latin mass!


10 posted on 09/23/2015 3:06:47 PM PDT by JJ_Folderol (Just my opinion and only worth what you paid for it.)
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To: Eccl 10:2
Vere, frater. You got it! My priest-on-a-skateboard picture!


You are so silly!

11 posted on 09/23/2015 3:07:06 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (Semper Fi.)
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To: Eccl 10:2
It’s God’s language, right?

Yes.

12 posted on 09/23/2015 3:07:32 PM PDT by jtal (St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle ....)
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To: miss marmelstein

Maybe he could try Hebrew.... or Arabic?


13 posted on 09/23/2015 3:08:19 PM PDT by Paladin2 (u)
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To: miss marmelstein
Push 1 for Latin

Push 2 for Spanish

Push 3 for English

Push 4 for whatever language the Mooselimbs speak.

Push 5 to be removed from this list.

14 posted on 09/23/2015 3:08:19 PM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: JJ_Folderol

Because it was gorgeous and we all understood the Latin phrases - is that so hard to understand?

By having it in one language - throughout the planet - made it the CATHOLIC Church. Getting rid of Latin made it the Tower of Babel.


15 posted on 09/23/2015 3:08:41 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: I'd like to drive away not only the Turks (moslims) but all my foes.")
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To: knarf

You are apparently unfamiliar with the nature of liturgical worship.

BTW a radical priest is much more likely to engage in what you describe in English (or whatever his native vernacular tongue is.)

At least with Latin he is much more likely to stick to the liturgical texts as given.


16 posted on 09/23/2015 3:09:03 PM PDT by jtal (St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle ....)
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To: Eccl 10:2
Your post is incoherent.

Are you saying that Catholics believe that the Scriptures were written in Latin? If so, that's an embarrassing mistake on your part.

Or are you saying that God has a language instead of being above all languages? That's perhaps more embarrassing for you.

Or are you saying that liturgies must be performed in Biblical Hebrew or Koine Greek? That doesn't make much sense.

Essentially, you are somehow upset or threatened by someone worshipping in a language that is the common heritage of the entire Western world and the language which more Christians wrote or read than any other for more than a thousand years.

Is it because you know you lack the wherewithal to learn it?

17 posted on 09/23/2015 3:09:26 PM PDT by wideawake
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To: Bryanw92
And I thanked God that, in his good time, he gave us Martin Luther to straighten out this mess.

Why did he wait 1500 years?

18 posted on 09/23/2015 3:10:17 PM PDT by jtal (St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle ....)
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To: knarf
It's not difficult at all to follow or understand. Attending the Latin Mass every week, I know the prayers just from following along for a while in one of the missals provided at every pew.
19 posted on 09/23/2015 3:10:27 PM PDT by Wyrd bið ful aræd (Exsurge, Domine, et judica causam tuam)
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To: Paladin2

Latin is the language of the Roman Catholic Church. We have forgotten that in the last 40 years but the world will teach us about it, as Scott Fitzgerald might have said, with a whip.


20 posted on 09/23/2015 3:10:33 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: I'd like to drive away not only the Turks (moslims) but all my foes.")
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