(Photo By Pieter Brueghel the Elder)
One of the things most “hidden” from Catholics today is the Latin language. We are spoon-fed the following challenges against Latin:
Latin is difficult,
it is unnecessary, and
it is a dead language.
About five years ago, in December 2019, my family and I attended our first Latin Mass; it was a Christmas Mass in a small inconspicuous chapel at an inconvenient time (4 PM). This is generally the case for Latin Mass Catholics, we are “allowed” to attend our Latin Rite in some unknown place at some unknown time, because apparently no Latin Rite Catholic wants to attend the Latin Mass.
As a robbed-from-my-cradle Latin Rite Catholic, I would like to counter these challenges:
Challenge #1: Latin is difficult
Great, I agree, we didn’t know Latin when we went for our first Latin Mass, so it was a little difficult to understand, but we could follow what was going on at Mass. The New Mass is carved out from the rock of the Latin Mass, they are not identical twins; but they are the same Sacrifice of Calvary. You can see that the Vetus Ordo or Ancient Mass is much richer in its prayers and expressions than the Novus Ordo. To put it differently, the Novus ordo is like a short summary of the Ancient Mass.
Another problem, that I can put forward is the difficulty to learn Latin. But, do you know what else each of us first found difficult? We didn’t know any language when we were born, so we couldn’t express ourselves when we were hungry, tired, cold, scared, etc.…neither could we understand what people were saying to us. Gradually, over a period of a year or so, we as babies learned one or more languages from our parents and those around us.
For most of us in India, we learn at least 5 languages while growing up, (India has approximately 22 languages) Each person learns their mother tongue; and as children we need to know the languages that our friends speak; for the practical reason that we want to play and communicate with them. Then almost everyone learns English; because schools are largely English language-based and it’s easier to get a job if one has at least a basic knowledge of English. If we as children can learn 5 languages, then Latin is a human language, it can’t be that difficult to learn. (Maybe, that’s one reason why, the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to little children: they don’t complain about learning things.)
Challenge #2: It is unnecessary
Some may say, that the Novus Ordo Mass has done away with the need to pray in Latin. We have masses in the vernacular, so why take up an old language that no one can understand? Good, valid challenge. We should use our intelligence to pray and not simply make sounds from another language. (Of course, praying or speaking in tongues (incomprehensible sounds) is considered legit in Catholic charismatic groups, but I digress)
A trick to very easily understand the Latin at Mass is to follow along in your hand Missal. For English speakers, there is the English translation on the opposite page, for Tamil speakers, Hindi speakers, and every other language, the Missal has the translation on the opposite page. Once, you have attended a few masses, and because of the Novus Mass, we already know and comprehend all these prayers and responses in our own language. Therefore, comprehension cannot be an excuse. As long as you can understand other human beings, (verbal and non-verbal communication) you will be able to follow the Latin Mass.
Furthermore, we are not learning Latin to speak to each other but to speak to God. Yes, God can understand us when we speak our own language, but if you recall the incident at Babel — the multiplicity of languages was a punishment from God for people’s pride. When we Catholics travel for work, holidays, pilgrimages, we would not have to wait for a Mass in our own language, if there was only one language for the Mass. We could follow along in our hand missals and understand everything. Priests would be able to travel and serve the Catholic community internationally because we would all be united in one language. With Latin, everything would be as familiar as it was on the day of Pentecost, when people of different ethnicities and languages came together and understood the preaching of St. Peter. Latin is to the Church a kind of Pentecost or a reversal of Babel.
Another plus point to “going back” to Latin is that there are only that many Mass prayers and responses that we ought to know, so as to participate in the Mass. Prayers like the Our Father, Hail Mary, Apostles Creed, and the I confess are the most important prayers to learn by heart. The hand missal contains these and many more prayers and hymns (with notations). We as a family have learned these prayers by simply reciting the Rosary. The repetition of the Rosary helped us to memorize these essential Catholic prayers. You can use the hand missal or get these prayers printed out and use them to pray until you just remember them. The best part of knowing these prayers in Latin — exorcists say, “the devil hates Latin.” It was one of the three languages on the Cross of Christ, so it is a Sacred language. What better way to keep temptations and attacks at bay! Use Latin like a sacramental (like you would a St. Benedict medal), ward off the devil with it.
Challenge #3: Latin is a dead language
I don’t understand what people wish to convey with this assertion. If Latin is dead because it doesn’t take in more words or doesn’t change their meaning as time goes by; I would assume, Latin to be a superior language worthy of trust. Why not simply say, Latin is unchanging instead of declaring it a corpse? Latin is used in the medical and scientific field all the time, because of its changeless character; so, it is still in use, therefore, it cannot be declared dead.
If people are restricted from attending the Latin Mass, then a false “disuse” has been created and so, the argument presented that people don’t want to attend Mass in a dead language, is a deceitful argument. Just 55 years ago, Catholics with a limited education prayed in Latin. My own grandparents prayed in Latin, they could explain what they were praying and I would assume almost everyone understood what they were praying. If people need Latin lessons, I would assume them to be short and easy. Learn the prayers and responses and understand their meaning, it’s not like the homily is being given in Latin – its not! So, there’s no reason to avoid Latin, rather, there’s good reason to return to Latin because in today’s world, we can travel so easily that we need a common language to unite us in prayer.
In conclusion
Latin unites us with not just those around us, but also with those who have gone before us. This is one Church, one in prayer and one in its prayer language. Latin spans across time and place to unite. These same Latin prayers and responses were prayed by saints and saintly Catholics who have gone before us. The saints in Heaven and the souls in purgatory can pray with us or have prayed these same prayers – this is the unending Sacrifice, offered from the rising of the sun unto its going down. Unfortunately, if Catholics have to search for some hidden location and an inconvenient time to attend the Holy Sacrifice that God gave them for the salvation of their soul, then they have been robbed. The food of the children has been withheld from them and they are not to blame, but have to be made aware of it. This was a free gift of God, given for their salvation and it has been hidden from them. If they themselves have to choose, then the choice of the Vetus Ordo and Novus Ordo both has to be given to them. Then using their God-given free will let them choose how they wish to nourish their souls. I think those who restrict the Latin Mass already know the answer to what they would choose, but let THEM choose.
Few Resources to get you started to learn Latin:
Wheelock’s Latin Online Resources (Free resource)
Udemy course: An Introduction to Classical Latin
YouTube channel: EASY LATIN (Free resource)
Website: www.Latinitium.com (Free resource)
Beautiful explanation, I hope people get a perspective after reading this sis!