Why the Latin Mass when some people don't know Latin at all?

Question

I've been to some Roman Catholic Churches here in the U.S. and in Mexico and they had have the Traditional Latin Mass the day i went. but even the people there admitted they did Not understand a thing! They just sit through a Latin Mass service and wonder what is going on.
Does this contradict the Inspired Word of God?

"in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in an Unknown tongue." 1 Corinthians 14:19

Answer 1

Why the Spanish or Enlgish mass when some people don't know those at all?

Est Lingua Secunda Mea, but I speak it atrociously.

By the way, I don't see why Christians bother calling themselves devout if they don't bother to learn AT LEAST Latin.
If I was one, I'd learn Latin, Greek and Hebrew.

Answer 2

When Latin was the language of the Roman Empire, and Constantine was Emperor, all educated people spoke the language. Constantine declared Christianity the religion of the Empire; Latin was the lingua franca of the day, so nearly everyone understood enough to participate.

Until very recently, all classically educated people in Western Civilization were taught Latin; it remained the language of science and learning and scholarship until the middle to late part of the last century.

Why the Mass in Latin? Because Latin is one language which many believers in the Church share. . . regardless of their country of origin, their native language. So, although it requires some effort, many people prefer celebrating the universal action of the Church in a Universal language.

There is also a beauty and power to the Latin words, as they have been shared by the body of the Church for nearly 2000 years now, and when one prays 'in union with the whole church'. . . that includes all who have come before and all who will come in the future. Latin provides the link between the past, the present, and the future.

If someone is attending the Latin Rite Mass who does not speak the language, it should be the responsibility of the Church to provide appropriate translations so all can participate in the liturgy.

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. . . in your native tongue or in Latin!!

Rev. Neroli Brewer, Ph.D.

Answer 3

If you were taught in a Catholic school and went to mass regularly you would know what the Latin meant. I was taught my Christmas carols in Latin and English so I knew what I was singing. Although it is many, many years since I went to a Latin mass I watched a Google Video of a Latin mass last week and was still able to sing the responses in Latin. You must also remember that the clergy all over the world can talk to each other with Latin.

Answer 4

The Tridentine Mass is the common term used to refer to the Roman Rite Mass of the Catholic Church as contained in the successive editions of the Roman Missal promulgated from 1570 to 1962. Because the last edition of the Tridentine Roman Missal was issued by Pope John XXIII in 1962, it is sometimes referred to as the "John XXIII Missal"[1] or "1962 Missal."[2] Its most distinctive feature is that it is celebrated in Latin, and therefore it is also referred to as the "Latin Mass."

In his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum of July 7, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI clarified that the Tridentine Mass was never abrogated but remains in effect as the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite.

Answer 5

I don't know but I think it's one of the weird things the new Pope has done. Why bring back the Latin Mass when very few people are actually going to understand it?

Answer 6

The reason for the Latin mass is because that's the way it had been done for ages. In the 1960's, one of the Popes decreed that masses could be read in English, Spanish and other languages, but originally, all masses were done in Latin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tridentine_Mass

Answer 7

I would love to goto a Latin Mass.

Since the reformation has Mass in native languages, well, I'd like to goto a Latin one at least once. I think I'm missing out. I don't want to get ride of Mass in English ... but I would love to goto a Latin Mass once in my life before I die.

Answer 8

The mass has been in English, for a long time it used to be in Latin, some countries
are a bit slow in catching up I think.

Answer 9

originally they used latin b/c it was the universal language. it was the only language understood thru0out most the world.

but today there are very few people that use it. you have to remembr tho that the roman catholic church values church tradition almost as much as the Word of GOD. so it's mostly for the tradition.

Answer 10

I don't understand the reasoning for the Traditional Latin mass. What benefit is received from listening someone say things you don't understand? They could be saying anything.