25 August, 2011

Latin: "I'm not dead yet!"

As a former Latin student it was neat to see this article up at Slate in which the author describes a spoken-Latin summer course he took in Rome. I also learned that one Friar Reginald Foster, a.k.a. - Reginaldus, offers classes in spoken Latin over in Milwaukee over the summer.

Shortly after reading that, I find out that a growing number of Madison-area Catholics are pushing for Latin masses. My high school Latin teach just excoriated the Second Vatican Council for allowing mass in the vernacular. Didn't Joseph Campbell rail against it as well? Use of the local language took the mystery out of it. The article also notes "Priests began facing the people instead of the altar" and I believe Campbell also took issue with this. The priest became of the focus of the proceedings instead of the communal pursuit of transcendence. Or something like that.

Vivat Latinitas!

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