Why the Church Uses LATIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 16, 17 April 1902, Page 29

Why the Church Uses LATIN.

Why does the Church use the Latin language ? For these reasons, sa.\ s a writer m an American exchange — Because a universal community requires a unnersal language. The Church of Christ is universal.

Because it does not change. If, for example, the Church should use French in one of her formulas alone, that of Baptism she would have been obliged to change it over 60 times. In the so-called Anglo-Saxon of 3 000 years ago she could not be understood now except by experts Because nothing can eq,ual the dignity of the Latin language, its clearness or its beauty. H is the language of science and civilisation and deserves to be the language of an unchangeable religion.

Because it lifts the liturgy of the Church abo"\e that of everyday usage of words, which alters 1 hensenses and debases it by licentiousness. This misfortune has actually befallen the English liturgy of the Anglo-American Episcopalians.

Finally, a universal language speaks of a universal brotherhood and makes a Catholic at home in all the Roman Catholic Churches of the world. Besides, he understands the language, though unlearned, by the ceremonies of the Church or' from his prayer book, which contains its entire meaning in his own tongue