Traditional Mass goers have been confronted at some time or the other by someone with the above question. Let our refuge be as follows:-
Just as it is fitting to change out of one’s work-clothes for an important ceremony, it is likewise most fitting that the language of sacred liturgy be different from that of everyday life. Thus, the vernacular is not apt for the sacred action. The establishment of a fixed liturgical language while the common language evolves seems to be a constant of mankind. The Schismatic Greeks employ ancient Greek in their liturgy; the Russians use Slavonic. At the time of Christ, the Jews already utilized the ancient Hebrew for their liturgy, which was no longer the common language and neither Jesus nor the Apostles criticized this. The Muslims use Arabic and the Hindus use Sankrit.
But Why a Sacred Language?
Man naturally has a sense of the sacred. He understands instinctively that the divine worship does not depend on him, that he must respect it and transmit it as he has received it, without allowing anything to disrupt it. The use of a fixed, sacred language in religion is in conformity with human psychology as well as the immutable nature of divine realities.
Will not the Vernacular help people to understand?
The Mass works ineffable mysteries that no man can perfectly understand. This mysterious character finds its expression in the use of a mysterious language that is not immediately understood by all. It is for this reason that some parts of the mass are recited in a low voice.
The vernacular language, on the contrary, gives the superficial impression of a comprehension which in reality does not exist. People think they understand the mass because it is celebrated in their mother tongue. In fact, they generally understand nothing of the essence of the holy sacrifice.
Doesn’t Latin leave faithful in ignorance of the Mass?
The Council of Trent imposed upon priests the duty to preach often about the mass and to explain its rites to the faithful. In addition, the faithful have missals in which the Latin prayers are translated so they can have access to the beautiful prayers of the liturgy without the advantages of Latin being lost. The demand it makes on their attention fosters the faithful’s genuine participation in the liturgy; that of the mind and will; whereas the vernacular language, on the contrary, is likely to encourage laziness. (cf. The Catechism of the Crisis in the Church –Fr. Matthias Gaudron)
If one opens the Epistle to the Hebrews V,1 one finds, “Every Priest is ordained for men in the things that pertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins.” A Priest therefore has two chief duties: to offer sacrifice to God and to sanctify men by his teaching and instruction. Now, when a Priest if speaking to God in the name of men, he speaks in the language of the Church i.e. in Latin – a language God certainly understands as does the Priest. When on the other hand he speaks to the faithful he speaks in their own language.(cf Radio Replies Vol. I – Fathers Rumble and Carty q. 1392)
It has been said that the use of any language in itself was immaterial but in its consequences, or in view of the commands of the church, it is by no means immaterial. The Church has wisely ordered the Latin tongue only to be used in the mass and in the administration of the sacraments for several reasons:-
Latin was the language used by St. Peter when he first offered Mass in Rome. It was the language in which that Prince of the Apostle drew up the Liturgy which, together with the knowledge of the Gospel, he or his successors the Popes imparted to the different peoples of Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Hungary and Poland.
The vernacular language, on the contrary, gives the superficial impression of a comprehension which in reality does not exist. People think they understand the mass because it is celebrated in their mother tongue. In fact, they generally understand nothing of the essence of the holy sacrifice.
Doesn’t Latin leave faithful in ignorance of the Mass?
The Council of Trent imposed upon priests the duty to preach often about the mass and to explain its rites to the faithful. In addition, the faithful have missals in which the Latin prayers are translated so they can have access to the beautiful prayers of the liturgy without the advantages of Latin being lost. The demand it makes on their attention fosters the faithful’s genuine participation in the liturgy; that of the mind and will; whereas the vernacular language, on the contrary, is likely to encourage laziness. (cf. The Catechism of the Crisis in the Church –Fr. Matthias Gaudron)
If one opens the Epistle to the Hebrews V,1 one finds, “Every Priest is ordained for men in the things that pertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins.” A Priest therefore has two chief duties: to offer sacrifice to God and to sanctify men by his teaching and instruction. Now, when a Priest if speaking to God in the name of men, he speaks in the language of the Church i.e. in Latin – a language God certainly understands as does the Priest. When on the other hand he speaks to the faithful he speaks in their own language.(cf Radio Replies Vol. I – Fathers Rumble and Carty q. 1392)
It has been said that the use of any language in itself was immaterial but in its consequences, or in view of the commands of the church, it is by no means immaterial. The Church has wisely ordered the Latin tongue only to be used in the mass and in the administration of the sacraments for several reasons:-
Latin was the language used by St. Peter when he first offered Mass in Rome. It was the language in which that Prince of the Apostle drew up the Liturgy which, together with the knowledge of the Gospel, he or his successors the Popes imparted to the different peoples of Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Hungary and Poland.
From the time of the Apostles down, Latin has invariably been used at the altar though the inhabitants did not understand. The Catholic Church, through an aversion to innovations, carefully continues to celebrate her liturgy in that same tongue.
Unchangeable dogmas require an unchangeable language. The Catholic Church cannot change because it is the Church of God, who is unchangeable. Consequently the language of the Church must also be unchangeable.
Mass is said in Latin because a universal church requires a universal language. The Catholic Church is the same in every clime, in every nation and consequently by its language must be always and everywhere the same to secure uniformity in service.
Variety of languages is a punishment, a consequence of sin; it was inflicted by God that the human race might be dispersed over the face of the earth. The holy Church, the immaculate Spouse of Our Lord Jesus Christ has been established for the express purpose of destroying sin and uniting all mankind. Hence she must everywhere speak the same language. (cf The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass –Fr. Michael Muller C.S.S.R. Ch.37)
An immutable faith requires a proportionate linguistic instrument; namely, a language that is as immutable as possible and which can serve as a reference. Latin, which is no longer a modern language, no longer (or rarely) changes. In a modern language, on the contrary, words can rapidly undergo significant changes of meaning or tone they can acquire a pejorative or derisive connotation which they formerly lacked. The usage of such a language can thus easily lead to errors or ambiguities, while the use of Latin preserves both the dignity and orthodoxy of the liturgy. For e.g.. In the good old days a good teacher was known as the one who gave good aids to his students. But today the word aids has a very bad connotation.
Used in the liturgy for nearly two thousand years, the Latin language has been, as it were, hallowed. It is a comfort to be able to pray with the same words that our ancestors and all the priests and monks have prayed for centuries. We feel concretely the continuity of the Church through time and we unite our prayer with theirs. Time and eternity converge.
Latin not only manifests the Church’s unity in time but also in space. Favouring union with Rome (its usage kept Poland form the Slavic schism) it also unites all Christian nations with one another. Before the Second Vatican Council, the Roman-Rite Mass was celebrated everywhere in the same language. On five continents, the faithful would find the Mass as celebrated in their own parish. Today, this image of unity has been shattered. There is no longer any unity in the liturgy, neither in language nor in rites. This is true to such an extent that someone attending a mass celebrated in an unfamiliar language has a hard time even distinguishing the principle parts of the mass.
Since the twelfth century the use of Latin in the Liturgy has been frequently made the subject of attack. Such attacks originated principally in a heretical, schismatical, proudly national spirit hostile to the Church or in a superficial and false enlightenment, in a shallow and arid rationalism entirely destitute of the perception and understanding of the essence and object of the Catholic liturgy especially of the profoundly mystical sacrifice. In the attempt to suppress the Latin language of the liturgy and to replace it by the vernacular there was a more or less premeditated plot to undermine Catholic unity, to loosen the bond of union with Rome, to weaken the Catholic spirit, to destroy the humility and simplicity of faith. Therefore the Apostolic See has resisted such innovations. The Church, when introducing the Roman liturgy among newly converted nations, for many centuries has permitted only the Latin language. She excommunicates all those who presume to declare the vernacular to be the necessary or the only permissible language for the liturgy. (Trid., Session XII, can. 9) For, as St. Augustine remarks, to question what the universal church practices is insolent, (St. Augustine, Epist., 54, ad Januar.) In all such general usages appertaining to divine worship, the Church is directed and preserved from injurious blunders by the Holy Ghost. In all things relating to divine worship, St. Thomas makes use of the prescription and custom of the church as a conclusive argument to refute various objections. (IIIa, q.83,a3 & 5)
In India, the school children before beginning their classes sing the National Anthem – Jana Gana Mana. It is sung in a language which is not even the national language of India. And to this no one objects!!! It is sung in Bengali (written by Rabindranath Tagore, winner of the Nobel Prize in 1913) for it was written in Bengali originally. This anthem though not understood by many is sung by many for the prime reason of manifesting one’s unity towards the nation. If we can do such for our nation whose capacity ends with death then how much more should we manifest our unity towards our religion which binds us to God for all eternity.
Conclusion
The Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. The Latin language in its way contributes to each of these characteristics. By its native genius it’s an imperial language, it’s a dead language and especially, the consecration it received together with Hebrew and Greek on the titulum of the Cross, it perfectly serves the holiness of liturgy, by its universal usage it is no longer the language of any one people, it manifests catholicity; by its living link with the Rome of St. Peter and with so many of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church who were both the echo of the Apostles and the artisans of liturgical Latin. They brought forth not only its prayers, hymns and responses but Christian Latin itself, which is in many aspects, a complete renewal of Classical Latin. It is the guarantee of its apostolicity; by its official usage, lastly which makes it the language of reference for the magisterium, canon law, bulletin, liturgy,etc. It contributes efficaciously to the Church’s triple unity: unity of faith, unity of government and unity of worship.
Finally, The use of the Latin language, customary in a considerable portion of the Church, is a manifest and beautiful sign of unity, as well as an effective antidote for any corruption of doctrinal truth. (Pius XII: Encyclical Mediator Dei, 20-11-1947)
InOur Lord and Lady,
Fr. Gregory Noronha, FSSPX.
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