My first language is Spanish. Amazingly, after spending a week in Romania, I could understand about 80% of what was said to me because of it’s common Latin base. Italian is much more similar, but it just goes to show how strong the language skills stuck throughout the Roman Empire.
Even after two Millennia.
I know what you mean. My church Latin and my high school Spanish allows me to understand the Holy Father (at least the major points when he speaks). Also I can kind of half read Italian.