Association for Latin Liturgy
Under the patronage of the Bishops' Conference of England
and Wales.
Founded in 1969 to encourage and extend the use of Latin in the liturgy of the
Catholic Church.
The Roman Church has special obligations towards Latin . . . and she must manifest them whenever the opportunity presents itself.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
III
A. There are many reasons why Latin may still play an important part in the liturgy of today's Church. Vatican II itself envisaged the continued use of Latin:
"The use of Latin is to be preserved in the Latin rites." (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 54)
Latin has been used in the rites of the Western Church since at least the fourth century, if not earlier. It is not surprising therefore that the Novus Ordo introduced by Pope Paul VI in 1970 was composed in Latin.
Vernacular translations followed, rather than preceded, the Latin original. The use of the Church's traditional language of worship has the following important benefits:
- It is a sacral language, associated with the single, exalted purpose of the worship of God. The use of Latin in this way should not surprise us for a sacral language is a feature of all the major world religions: classical Arabic in Islam, Sanskrit in Hinduism and of course Hebrew in Judaism-the language in which Our Lord would have prayed.
- Latin helps us overcome limitations of time and place, and helps us participate in the universal reality of the Catholic Church, linking us with the generations who have worshipped before us.
- The use of Latin in all countries and across the centuries is a powerful symbol of the Church's unity.
- The use of Latin
enables also the use of the great liturgical music of the Church,
particularly plainchant and polyphony. Vatican II said:
"The treasury of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care." (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 114)
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