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We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin

ustc.ac.uk

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Re: We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin

#11

Post by alexdbird »

tecleandor wrote: post #9
comrade1234 wrote: post #3

My grandfather emigrated from Vilnius (was polish at the time) to the USA as a teenager and managed to find a church that did their mass in Latin, and still does to this day. I assume he understood it but I'm not sure - he was well-educated and spoke a few languages.

Giving the mass in Latin wasn't (generally) done because people understood Latin, but because of a traditionalist sense. The Second Vatican Council stated (among other things) that the mass could be done in other languages apart from Latin, and that it was a good thing to use local languages, so people could understand it better. After that Council some excisions appeared, like the Society of Saint Pius X, that recla…

You can't deny it, mass is much more stylish in Latin ;)

Re: We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin

#12

Post by lifestyleguru »

I even have some medical diagnosis from Poland of a family member in Latin from the early 1990s. Weird elitist way of saying "you have cancer and our healthcare is one big corrupted ruin so you will suffer". The doctor was probably smoking a cigarette while typing it.

Re: We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin

#13

Post by kmac_ »

snowpid wrote: post #6

As a side note I do think Latin language should be become the official language of the EU. It's dead so - its a compromise for all member staes - you can change as you like - it was used millennials as a law language so it fits

Or Esperanto. But Spanish or Italian would also be great as they sound so nice.

Re: We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin

#14

Post by graemep »

tecleandor wrote: post #9
comrade1234 wrote: post #3

My grandfather emigrated from Vilnius (was polish at the time) to the USA as a teenager and managed to find a church that did their mass in Latin, and still does to this day. I assume he understood it but I'm not sure - he was well-educated and spoke a few languages.

Giving the mass in Latin wasn't (generally) done because people understood Latin, but because of a traditionalist sense. The Second Vatican Council stated (among other things) that the mass could be done in other languages apart from Latin, and that it was a good thing to use local languages, so people could understand it better. After that Council some excisions appeared, like the Society of Saint Pius X, that recla…

Historically Latin was also a common international language. Educated people could understand Latin across much of Europe. Not so great for the majority of people, of course. The article seems to indicate that in some places it was pretty widely understood.

I think some rites of the church did use other languages such as Syriac.

I knew about SSPX but not the Palmarians. They seem to be even odder and a cult. Interesting in the same way I find conspiracy theories interesting, so thanks.

Re: We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin

#15

Post by graemep »

snowpid wrote: post #6

As a side note I do think Latin language should be become the official language of the EU. It's dead so - its a compromise for all member staes - you can change as you like - it was used millennials as a law language so it fits

I think that is a reason the catholic Church still uses it for things like papal encyclicals. It puts different groups on a more equal footing.

Far more people understand it than things like Esperanto. Quite a lot of people know it a bit. I did it at school. My kids learned some (their choice to do it up to GCSE level).

That said, in practice, English is the international language. It is what is most likely to be used at an international conference in most fields, or when people with two different native languages speak.

Re: We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin

#16

Post by kjs3 »

bombcar wrote: post #5
comrade1234 wrote: post #3

My grandfather emigrated from Vilnius (was polish at the time) to the USA as a teenager and managed to find a church that did their mass in Latin, and still does to this day. I assume he understood it but I'm not sure - he was well-educated and spoke a few languages.

The church Latin used in “the Latin Mass” is relatively simple and pretty easy to learn; and it’s very rare to find one that does the readings and homily in Latin; most of those are in English (or the local language) even at an FSSP parish. Of course if it’s “really” done in the ancient way then it’s done at such a high speed that you need five or six Jesuits and advanced recording equipment to even figure out what i…

I recall some of the Orthodox denominations still do mass in Latin. I visited an Antiochian Orthodox Church for a class where this was the case. I think (it has been a long while) the key phrase you'd look for is 'Western Rite'.

Re: We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin

#17

Post by somenameforme »

graemep wrote: post #14
tecleandor wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Giving the mass in Latin wasn't (generally) done because people understood Latin, but because of a traditionalist sense. The Second Vatican Council stated (among other things) that the mass could be done in other languages apart from Latin, and that it was a good thing to use local languages, so people could understand it better. After that Council some excisions appeared, like the Society of Saint Pius X, that recla…

Historically Latin was also a common international language. Educated people could understand Latin across much of Europe. Not so great for the majority of people, of course. The article seems to indicate that in some places it was pretty widely understood. I think some rites of the church did use other languages such as Syriac. I knew about SSPX but not the Palmarians. They seem to be even odder and a cult. Interest…

Not just Europe. Well into relatively modern history educated individuals in America were expected to have fluency in Latin and frequently Greek as well. This [1] Harvard admission exam from 1869 immediately comes to mind. Applicants were expected to be able to pass that test, and the overwhelming majority did.

[1] - https://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/education/harvard...

Re: We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin

#18

Post by bombcar »

kjs3 wrote: post #16
bombcar wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The church Latin used in “the Latin Mass” is relatively simple and pretty easy to learn; and it’s very rare to find one that does the readings and homily in Latin; most of those are in English (or the local language) even at an FSSP parish. Of course if it’s “really” done in the ancient way then it’s done at such a high speed that you need five or six Jesuits and advanced recording equipment to even figure out what i…

I recall some of the Orthodox denominations still do mass in Latin. I visited an Antiochian Orthodox Church for a class where this was the case. I think (it has been a long while) the key phrase you'd look for is 'Western Rite'.

Latin (and other "old" languages) can still be found in various ways and places, though that starts to get deep into it, as the "New Catholic Mass" can be said in any language, one of which is Latin.

Re: We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin

#20

Post by asibahi »

Tade0 wrote: post #7

I'm Polish and my father (boomer generation) attended a boys-only high school, where Latin was part of the mandatory curriculum. He managed to use it once when we were living in Kuwait and he had to arrange for my sister to get baptized - he knew that there were two missionaries visiting the local Cathedral - one Spanish and the other Polish but as he didn't know who was who, he started the conversation in Latin and…

I’m confused. Why not start the conversation in Polish?
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