Not a Latin Lover
...by Jerry Benitz
The staff of Latin Mass Network has decided to open up the discussion to opposing views with the hope that a charitable exchange will prove both interesting and instructive. We begin with a comment received awhile ago from a reader calling himself, "Saint Stephen." It will be obvious why we were reluctant to post this:
The commenter wrote:
When I was a boy, I used baby talk to communicate when I was at the table. Certainly the sounds meant something to me. But I don't use them anymore, because as warming as the memories of that time may be, I'm dealing with adults who speak English now. I can express my emotions in a way everyone fully understands and with which they can interact too. The obsession with the "latin mass" is more about idolatory than ideal. It is more about catering to individuals immature comfort with a religious sounding babble than a genuine thanksgiving celebration....
signed: "Saint Stephen"
It's not clear whether the author is Catholic or not. Comments like "idolatry," "babble," and a sentence we have chosen to omit, all have a Protestant ring to them. However, "genuine thanksgiving celebration" definitely sounds like the new Mass theology promoted in recent decades. In any case, putting the invective aside, the author raises issues that our readers may wish to address.
For my part, I'll look at "The obsession with the 'latin mass' is more about idolatry than ideal." To the author, the Latin Mass is not the ideal "thanksgiving celebration." My first inclination is to say, "To each his own. I'm OK, you're OK. Be cool." After all, if the Mass is merely a thanksgiving celebration, what's the fuss if some of us prefer "Deo gratias" over "thanks, Big Guy?"
So, are we idolizing Latin? Let me utter what might sound like heresy on a Latin-Mass blog, but it's not about Latin. It about Our Lord's command to His apostles, "Do this." Does anyone imagine that this command is somehow less than absolutely essential for our salvation? Does anyone imagine that the apostles failed to fulfill this command?
Our Lord's imperative, "Do this," was faithfully implemented by the apostles, the only men who knew what to do, and the only authorized to do so. This was, and remains, essential for our salvation, no? Does anyone imagine that he could "do" something else, yet still bend the Divine Ear? That would be presumptuous folly.
Where do we find the apostles' implementation of "Do this?" In each of the apostolic rites of the Holy Mass. For us westerners, it is the traditional Latin Mass. If not, Holy Mother Church would not have preserved it for two millenia. This doesn't constitute immaturity, but rather the humble sanity of men who dared not presume to contrive their own "thanksgiving celebration."
Comments (6)
"I can express my emotions in a way everyone fully understands and with which they can interact too." One thing I notice when I attend the Novus Ordo Mass is that the prayers of the priest sound as if they are said to the people, although the words are addressed to God. If the people were the object of the prayers I might agree with "Saint Stephen". However, the real object is God and God understands Latin better than any of us.
Posted by Oliver McMahon | September 16, 2007 12:19 PM
Posted on September 16, 2007 12:19
Jerry, I like that translation of Deo gratias. And even though the Mass is not about Latin, once it was dropped, we ended up with those cool translations, more understandable perhaps, but hardly appropriate to the deserved dignity of the Sacrifice of the Mass. If the Mass had been faithfully translated only, the resistance shown to the Novus Ordo would never have developed to the extent it did. Instead, we were given a New Order of Mass which hardly resembles the Traditional Mass—kind of like that translation of Deo Gratias.
Posted by Cornelius | September 16, 2007 2:13 PM
Posted on September 16, 2007 14:13
According to Steve we have “Religious sounding babble.” One thing Latin is not is “babble.” Latin is a highly developed language. It has the precision necessary to formulate dogmas and discuss intricate doctrines of Theology. It is used today in the field of Law as well as in fields of Medicine, and science. It served well the Roman Civilization for more than a thousand years along with some of the greatest orators and statesmen. And for two thousand years it kept the Church from becoming a veritable Babel in its Liturgy by unifying all with one voice
Posted by Cornelius | September 16, 2007 7:28 PM
Posted on September 16, 2007 19:28
Stephen,
The Latin that is used in the Classical Rite Mass is the sacred language of worship that is addressed to God,not us.
That is what the Sacrifice of the Mass is: an apropriate offering of Christ Himself to the Blessed Trinity, that Christ Himself demanded of us.
The Sacrifice of the mass is not for us, rather it is for God.
Deo Gratias!
Posted by Dan Hunter | September 17, 2007 2:57 PM
Posted on September 17, 2007 14:57
My suggestion is to retain the Latin Tridentine Mass as the Norm with then having the Latin Tridentine Mass in the vernacular as a replacement for the Novus Ordo completely. This will then regulate liturgical norms on both masses and retain the traditional prayers with both.
Posted by ED | September 27, 2007 11:48 AM
Posted on September 27, 2007 11:48
Ed,
I agree. Some form of the vernacular Mass will remain. Eliminating it would disrupt the faithful yet again. This needs to be handled gently, especially for those like Stephen who abhor a reversal. It would be nice to keep the Canon in Latin, though.
Posted by Jerry | September 27, 2007 8:52 PM
Posted on September 27, 2007 20:52