How many of my fellow Catholics have known priests who can speak fluent Latin?

Question

I've only known a few,and they were elderly. Is the Church letting Latin die out? What is the common language used at conclaves? Also,what do you think about reviving Latin as a global language,at least for Catholics? (The priests i mentioned could talk conversational latin - pretty amazing).

Who said anything about the Latin mass? Can't you people even read? The question was reviving it as a global language for Catholics.

Answer 1

I've only known a few,if you're talking conversational Latin - where they can actually just sit and converse. And they were quite old,plus they were German and very traditional. Members of a small German monastic order called the Divine Word Society. I would be very enthusiastic about developing Latin as a global language for Catholics. Jews have done it with Hebrew. It is the first step to creating a real Catholic culture. I don't know if they use it in conclaves.

Answer 2

To the first poster. . . I speak Latin very well and am only a Catholic Convert - go figure.

As for Latin being a "revived" language, I think it would be great, no need to translate the Vatican documents into several languages, a better understanding of language in general (many have Latin roots).

I know several (4 or 5) priests that can speak Latin very well and several religious Brothers and Sisters who do even better.

Answer 3

I heard that they are bringing the Latin Mass back. They would of course still keep the English Mass as well. When I was still Catholic, I took my husband to mass. He asked "when do they start speaking English?" I replied "in about an hour dear". I always thought the Latin Mass was beautiful and would love to attend one again.

Answer 4

I serve Mass for a Priest who celebrates the Latin Mass at my old parish. He's my Father Confessor. He's not bad...he can do the Mass and converse a little bit. English is used at most conclaves...but I think documents are still written in Latin

Answer 5

i only know one that is in his late 30's. however Latin is still taught throughout the Catholic schools in the archdiocese of Detroit. we use the Latin for the Agnus Dei and maybe a couple other prayers but generally it's English or Polish (due to my ethnic background). i truly wish i could have actually learned Latin in stead of just a few prayers and the Ave Maria.

Answer 6

approximately 2 many years in the past (so, positioned up-1960's) I had a Latin professor chum who became invited to an adventure on the Vatican -- and he or she became advised beforehand of time that *in straightforward terms* Latin would be spoken, even in informal communication, for the duration of the entire quite a few-day era of the form. All invited persons, from in spite of united states of america, regardless of their community language, would be conversing Latin with one yet another. On yet another occasion, a pair of profs have been asked to translate into Latin each and every of the records on the subject of a criminal case which in contact a community priest. ALL documentation, all pleadings, all appellate filings, and so on. had to be in Latin with a view to be submitted to the Vatican. those issues strongly advise to me that, a minimum of in the Vatican, or a minimum of on some greater ranges, a radical know-how of Latin is needed.

Answer 7

A better question is how many catholics understand Latin?

The recently the pope came out and said he would like see more of the old traditional Latin masses. every better go get a Latin dictionary.

BTW, I didn't know Christ spoke Latin.

Answer 8

I do not know a priest who can not speak Latin?

Answer 9

having the mass said in latin was to bring in the rich and elite. the church stopped it so they could market their services to everyone. cut off your customer base you lose money. make the masses in latin people stop going, the church loses what it cares about and then goes broke because it can't pay out to it's rape victims.

Answer 10

In nuce, me.
May they bring it back to mass.