Reason for the use of Latin in the Catholic Church?

Question

Thoughts and explanations from Catholics are appreciated.

Answer 1

1. The mass is the same everyone for everyone, no matter what language they speak. Dutch, Asian, American, French......Latin is a truly "universal" language that unites us all

2. Latin is not widely spoken, therefore its purity is preserved, therefore doctrinal integrity is preserved. This is important for all the places Latin is used - the Mass, the papal documents that come from Rome, etc.

3. Historically, it was the language of the Western Church which was the largest rite.

For those who claim the Church used Latin to keep people in the dark that is HOGWASH.

Catholics learn about the faith in their own language (English, French, etc). Priests don't go around speaking Latin all the time to keep secrets. In the Middle Ages, the laity was taught Latin so they could understand it in the Mass, and if they didn't have an education, they could get a translation. When you attend Mass from birth, believe me you learn quickly what everything means.

And for those, like Pastor Art, who claim that Christians couldn't read or understand the Bible before the Reformation, with all due respect that is also HOGWASH.

The Mass is FULL of Scripture and so is the Catechism which every Catholic was taught.

The reason so many embrace the Protestant heresies was because of abuses in the Church that needed correcting and that were causing scandal, and also for political reasons (i.e. many princes and kings used the Protestant revolution as a chance to seize power and their people followed them).

Pax Vobiscum+

Answer 2

It has been the language of the liturgy because of the Church's universality -- so that a Mass can be the same everywhere. It was only in the 20th century that man (not the Church) became too lazy to learn Latin and therefore Mass was translated into the vernacular -- but Scripture was translated long before then.

The "laity" of centuries past were far more inclined to be multilingual, if not literate, than we are today.

Many remained illiterate even after the Bible was translated into major languages -- there was certainly no sudden mass exodus out the doors of the Church on this account.

It wasn't translating the Bible into the vernacular that the Church objected to historically but the accuracy of the translations. Many prior to the 15th century (and some after) were abysmal and frankly heretical.

Pope Leo X would have conceded to the necessity and desirability of convening Vatican II, had he been present, right along with the 20th century popes.

Born-Again Catholic -- also a Bible-believing Christian.

Answer 3

Latin was first used because it was the universal language on earth, and Catholic means "universal." Universal language for a universal church.

It made perfect sense because that way, more people would be able to understand and participate in Catholic worship (Mass) and read Catholic teachings (Catechism).

However, there came a time when most people didn't know Latin any more. It was falling out of vogue to study it. So the Church wisely adjusted and said, "Since Latin is no longer universal and since there no longer is any universal language, use the most common language of your country."

Then everything was translated into approved versions in English, French, Spanish, German, etc., etc., etc.

Now our current pope, who is a great scholar, thinks that since people are so well-educated these days, it would be great if everybody studied enough Latin that we could all worship in the same language. It's a cool idea -- he has suggested that we start by teaching our family simple prayers like this one:

In nomine Patris
et Filii
et Spiritus Sancti. Amen

(Pronounced: In NO-min-ee PAH-triss, et FILL-ee, et SPEER-it-us SANK-tee. AH-men.)

(Translated: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.)

Even my 8-yr-old and 5-yr-old have learned and understand this one.

At first, I thought it would be impossible for myself to learn enough Latin to understand Latin Mass, because I'm such a dunderhead at foreign languages. But taking it a little bit at a time and learning with my kids, it seems a lot more doable. And I have to agree that it would be awesome to think of Catholics all around the world worshiping in the same language, in one voice. That would be way cool.

Answer 4

automated excommunication is needed for here 9 strikes. bear in mind, merely a Roman Catholic could be excommunicated, so Muslims, Jews, Protestants, and all different faiths are not lined. a million. Apostasy 2. Heresy 3. Schism 4. Desecrating the Eucharist 5. actual rigidity against the Pope 6. tried sacramental absolution of an considerable different in adultery 7. Ordination of a bishop devoid of Papal mandate 8. a clergyman's or bishop's direct violation of sacramental seal of confession. 9. ending up an abortion in any way. 10. appearing as an confederate in a million-9. even although, excommunications are merely required in those circumstances if the guy is satisfactorily previous, knowledgeable sufficient, and loose sufficient to renowned the load of this style of penalty for those numerous strikes. *Edit* Lengths of excommunication variety on the act which introduced approximately excommunication. as an occasion, a heretic could now not be in excommunication in the event that they found out the wrongness of their heresy and confessed. even although, i'm undecided approximately abortions, that could't be reversed.

Answer 5

it was a common bond/entity. this allowed ALL to be able to understand and participate. i'm thankful we still have some of the traditional music in Latin. this was the one language that, no matter what ethnic background you were, all understood.

to the dolts that said it kept people in the dark - nope, only those that were not Catholic and learned in the ways of the mass. I do NOT know much Latin, barely any save for a few liturgical pieces and attended and understood the entire Tridentin mass. while i had not been taught it, they had missals -- something the Rcc has always done.
grow up!

Answer 6

The official language of the Roman Empire.
Something few people get is that the Roman Empire never actually ended. It declined in power, yes. The Church was the power in the Roman Empire after 314AD. Only two or three Emperors after that were pagan and they were rapidly deposed or killed by the Church.
When you are looking at the Catholic Church you are looking at the last remaining part of the Roman Empire. It is still a very powerful organization, even though it only officially owns a small piece of land in Rome.

Yes they speak Latin, they need to be able to read their library. It was also the only written language during much of Europe's history and the only language that could serve internationally. It remains, because of the fact that it is a dead language, the most stable of the available languages. It, like Ancient Greek, is used in the sciences and in the Church for that reason.

Answer 7

There are several rites of the Catholic church (you can think of rites as differing strains of Catholicism, each with their own liturgies, vestments and decorations, architecture styles, etc.)

Some of these rites include:

Byzantine, Armenian, Chaldean (used in Iraq), Coptic (used in Egypt), Ethiopian, Malabar, Maronite, Syrian, and the Latin rite.

In most of the western world, Catholics belong to the Latin Rite, that is to say the rite that until 1962 involved having the liturgy entirely recited in Latin.... because the countries of the rite in question had all once been Latin speaking.)

Latin is just one of the characteristics of this rite - it isn't really much more complicated than that.

Answer 8

I am a Roman Catholic

The reason is because it Latin is a language that is not liable to change for it is not used any longer.

This makes the celebration of the Mass less in threat to the way things were said to be changed

Look at how many versions of the Bible there are After King James version

His was in the old English language

Answer 9

Catholic is merely another word for "Universal". Catholicism is actually more accurately named the Roman Christian Church. The Catholic Church had it's success and proliferation in the capital of the Roman Empire, so it's Church structure and fathers all grew up in a Latin environment, speaking and teaching in Latin (the language of Rome). Even after the breakup of the Empire, the tradition of doing Mass in Latin continued.

Answer 10

I'm not a Catholic, but I do know Latin.

In the case of the gospels, it's really easy to translate from Greek to Latin. The difference between EST and ESTIN is fairly negligible.

If you look at the Protestant's spawning of non-demoninational groups like Westboro Baptist, the Branch Davidians and Jim Jones' People's Temple, does saying translating is a bad thing really a bad thing? All these groups based their wackiness on translations.

Latin's really easy to learn at the level of the Vulgate. I think it's easier than learning Greek and Hebrew if you HAVE to choose.