Latin Liturgy - Words of Dissent

Words of Dissent

The language used in the liturgy has often been a source of spirited debate in the Church. Numerous books and homilies have been written to address this issue, and it is one that is still in contention for many Roman Catholic Christians. Opinions range from employing an all-Latin ritual, an all-local-language ritual, or even a mix of these languages.

The use of the Latin Liturgy began to see diminished use in the latter half of the twentieth century as certain bishops and priests considered it more beneficial to conduct ceremonies in modern languages, so as to render the content of the liturgies more understandable by the congregations. Such a strategy contradicted the Vatican II document on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, which clearly states that Latin liturgy should be norm. Further, John XXIII's Apostolic Constitution, which carried the highest papal authority, affirmed the importance of Latin in the Church.

Many Churchgoers consider the use of Latin in the Church liturgy as having greater solemnity and inspirational qualities. The use of the Latin liturgy is currently experiencing a resurgence in many Catholic congregations, and various organizations are actively promoting this reform within the Church, such as Adoremus, Una Voce and the Latin Liturgy Association.

Many consider Latin to be the Church's traditional language of worship, and they espouse the use of this language in liturgy for various reasons. For example, they say that the consistent use of Latin in all countries, and across the centuries, can be considered a symbol of Church unity. Also, many consider Latin to be a sacral language, associated with the worship of God. The use of a sacral language is a feature of many world religions: classical Arabic in Islam, Sanskrit in Hinduism and Hebrew in Judaism. In addition, for many, the use of a sacral language lends solemnity and otherworldliness to religious proceedings; use of an original liturgical language can also be considered to overcome limitations of time and of place, linking modern-day worshippers with their earlier counterparts. Finally, the proponents of Latin liturgy say that the use of Latin further enhances the rendering of certain liturgical music of the Church, such as Gregorian chanting, which is also referred to as plain chant, or plain song.

No issues related to liturgical change have affected the Eastern Orthodox Church, which did not experience a reformation. There have been no councils to modify form and music. The Eastern Church still consistently uses the early Christian forms and includes the use of the Greek language consistently in its liturgical forms. This practice has contributed to a high level of uniformity in the liturgies offered in the Eastern Orthodox congregations.