Is This It? Changes in the Text of the Roman Catholic Mass?

[sherminator505]

My deacon tells me that the changes entail a newer, presumably more accurate translation from the Latin, but it will still be in the vernacular.

[ASM915]

As a fench jumper, I remember sitting through a wedding Mass back in the 70's when I was a young teen. Interesting to say the least, especially to a non-Catholic, but had a hard0 time figuring out what the Priest was saying. Loved the traditions of the Mass though.

Jump forward about 8 years. By the time I started attending Mass with my wife when we were dating, it was being said in the Vulgate. Loved the fact that now I understood what was happening and why. By the time we had to take those lovely premarital classes with the priest, they were all surprised that I knew more about their faith then the others in their class. Granted, the only traditions I know are post Vatican 2

 

There is a parish in our area where they priest stops as he moves into different parts of the Mass, and explains what the reason for why it is done the way it is. He then proceeds to the next part, and repeats the process. This way everyone understands the "Why" to the Mass.

 

Oh yeah, I hope National starts sticking up on those "Latin Interpretor" strips. There might be a resurgance in applications, especially from the alterservers/Scouts who will have to learn enough Latin to stay on que with the Priest during the Mass. LOL.

[evmori]

Tradition should never be more important than why we are in church in the 1st place.

[packsaddle]

I got a chuckle out of Beavah's comments about the dead language and all. I've thought similar things except with regard to the requisite Latin description for any new species description. What...a...pain!

I do need to add though, to reassure Beavah, he has nothing to worry about from OGE. Hell is a myth and Satan doesn't exist. Have a nice day.

[OldGreyEagle]

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

[packsaddle]

So....you dream of being Hamlet?

[TNScoutTroop]

"Hell is a myth and Satan doesn't exist. Have a nice day."

 

On being told that something similar had been placed on the tombstone of a recently deceased atheist who was a mutual acquaintance, CS Lewis remarked, "Bet he wishes that was so!"

[SSScout]

Latin... Ms Fitch, my HS Latin teacher, would be proud. Latin is again a language of choice in our local school system, after being dropped for some years.

 

It sure is good that God doesn't have a required/favorite language.

 

Ever watch babies interact/play before they "learn" the language of their parents? I sometimes think they have their own inherent language.

 

HABETIS BONA DEUM

 

[Mr. Boyce]

The older I get, the more I appreciate the reasons that went into old-fashioned education in Greek and Latin. . . it's so clearly a font of linguistic ideas as well as much of our vocabulary.

 

As a linguistic ancestor, Latin doesn't seem as challenging as other languages. With its use by the Church, it's clearly a potent sign of the Church's universal character---it extends around the globe.

[packsaddle]

I'm curious. How is it that insistence on the use of a language that no group, no country, no nation of people on the planet use as an everyday way to communicate in their society...how is that evidence of universal character? I could just as well make the argument that it is evidence of universal obscurity, or perhaps universal lack of relevance. Please explain.

[Eagle92]

Actually Vatican City does use Latin today. Grant you they also publish stuff in Japanese, English, Italian, Spanish, French ,etc.

 

http://www.vatican.va/latin/latin_index.html

 

Again

Latin non es mortalis, es immortalis.

[RANBOW]

I believe the reference Mr. Boyce is making, is to the fact that many of the languages spoken throughout the world today are derived from the ancient languages. IE: latin. This includes the one you are speaking now. For example: the word agriculture comes from the root word agricula which is latin for farmer. The word undulate comes from the root word unda which is latin for wave and so on.

 

Another good example is the root word amo. amore in italian, amour in french, amo in spanish and in english we can arrive at love. This in english is very different but, from the root word amo meaning love we get our english word "amorous". I hope this was helpful.

 

See you on the trail, ----RANBOW----

 

[packsaddle]

Yes, yes, I suppose you understand that Latin is not the base for the African, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. Indian (for that matter Native American as well). That combined with the fact that, like I mentioned before, almost no one uses it anymore in everyday use...hardly qualifies Latin as imparting "universal character", whatever that is.

The fact that a few people in Vatican City use it, to me emphasizes how limited it actually is. Italy, the most Catholic country on the planet, speaks....Italian. I can walk around Rome and quickly identify a huge majority of non-Latin-speaking Italians. Sure they listen to the Pope. But they refer to the translation if they want to actually understand what he said.

I am still waiting for an explanation of how the use of Latin is a "potent sign of the Church's universal character".

[Trevorum]

This thread cracks me up.

 

I have a friend who is something of a nerd (or is it geek? ... I'm never sure). Anyways, he attends these SF and fantasy conventions. Often in costume, "Live Long and Prosper" stuff. He tells me that his liturgical language is Klingon.

 

 

 

 

oops, typo(This message has been edited by Trevorum)

[Trevorum]

Not that I have anything against Latin ...

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrML6s1wNHk