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To: mike182d; marshmallow
Be careful. If you believe certain folks on this site, Jesus spoke Latin.

As an outside observer, there is NOTHING SPIRITUAL about the LANGUAGE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE! If Catholics want a universal language, they can always opt for Aramaic (the language He spoke) or English (the most commonly spoken and understood language on the planet).

80 posted on 10/14/2005 10:58:55 AM PDT by Clemenza (Gentlemen, Behold!)
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To: Clemenza
Be careful. If you believe certain folks on this site, Jesus spoke Latin


It's not just the use of the vernacular that's being objected to, the whole mass was changed. However if you are interested to know the benefits of retaining Latin, here you go:

Mass in Latin? ...Why in Latin?

82 posted on 10/14/2005 11:11:02 AM PDT by murphE (These are days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed but his own. --G.K. Chesterton)
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To: Clemenza
Be careful. If you believe certain folks on this site, Jesus spoke Latin.

No one made such a claim. Latin is still used as a working language of the Catholic Church is because it is a dead language, meaning the definition of its words are fixed, helping to communicate precise theological terms and concepts.

83 posted on 10/14/2005 11:12:58 AM PDT by Pyro7480 (Blessed Pius IX, pray for us!)
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To: Clemenza
As an outside observer, there is NOTHING SPIRITUAL about the LANGUAGE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE!

You're right. But Church Latin isn't the language of the Roman Empire any more than English is the language of Germany. Latin was adopted by the Church but made a child all its own. In fact, there's a committee whose task it is to add words to the Latin dictionary to accomodate words like "internet" or "computer." Latin is very important to the Catholic Church because that is her history. Its why Hispanics will still talk Spanish with their family members even though they speak English here in America. We can never forget our heritage as Roman Catholics (emphasis of course on "Roman," as opposed to Greek Orthodox).

The definition of holiness is "to be set apart" or "seperate." What makes something holy in this world is its disconnect with the physical world while being present in the physical world. Its where we get the phrase "in it, not of it." With the use of Latin in the Sacred Liturgy for certain prayers, it emphasizes the disconnect between the holy Sacrifice of the Mass and anything else you will encounter in this world.
89 posted on 10/14/2005 11:31:50 AM PDT by mike182d ("Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?")
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