"The decline in Mass attendance is more surely attributable to the cultural changes seen since the "60s" than to the Liturgical changes. Otherwise, there would be an even greater decline in numbers."

In many parts of France and Switzerland the new Mass was never introduced and in those areas Mass attendance remained high. In the diocese of Campos in Brazil the entire diocese retained the Tridentine Mass and Mass attendance remained at over 80% while in the rest of Brazil it delined sharply.

Louise, Edinburgh, Scotland

To lana, maidenhead,

I have Latin translations of the Vulgate and the Nova Vulgata. I read the Nova Vulgata every day.

Steve, New York, NY

I grew up with the Tridentine Mass, unquestionably it elicited greater reverence and holiness, I welcome it's return. We should judge the Novus Ordo by it’s fruits, it often trivialized worship, trying to ingratiate itself to the world rather than leading it to holiness and higher moral standards.

LASZLO KROMPECHER, WINTERSVILLE, USA

Sir,

Latin is not a dead language in the United States. It is making a come back. A good third of English words, I would guess, are Latin derivatives. Taking Latin improves our English and is helpful in learning other Latin languages and the sciences.

I do not think the Catholic Mass should be only in Latin since many people still cannot read in some of the poorer sections of many countries and could not use the Missals. Many of these people rely on memorizing what they hear. Nevertheless, the English liturgy used in the United States unquestionably needs to be improved -- using words such as "consubstantial" and "omnipresent" instead of the grammar school English that is now in our standard Mass.

Diane, Milpitas, United States

25 or so years ago, Pope John Paul II authorized the "Pastoral Provision for the Anglican Use" in the USA for former Anglicans/Episcopalians to regain full communion with Rome while respecting and keeping their liturgical culture and patrimony (the marvelous 1940 Hymnal, the Catholic version of the Book of Common Prayer, called "the Book of Divine Worship"). I, a "cradle Catholic" am lucky enough to live in an "AU" Catholic parish, and enjoy ravishingly beautiful liturgy in English which is a superb translation of the majestic Latin Mass I grew up with in the 1950's. The Anglican Use Liturgy perfectly fulfills the psalmist's exhortation "to worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness" The AU Liturgy has profoundly enriched my interior life of prayer, and a new understanding of how to live the Gospel in my daily life. Essentially, the AU enjoys the status of a "Rite" with its historical, cultural integrity; which belongs by right to the English-speaking Catholics around the world.

Raven Wenner, Houston, Texas

English speaking people usually think that the world revolves around them. Many languages, including Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and even French, come from Latin, so there are a lot of common and peple who speak those languages can understand Latin easily if they put a little bit of an effort into it. It's sad that, if I don't speak Japanese and go to Japan, I won't be able to participate in the Mass, whereas if it were prayed in Latin all over the world, then we'd have the whole sense of the world Catholic (universal). And, as many said here, there's a TRANSLATION right beside the Latin text in any missal. It's always an enriching experience to learn more and more languages, I don't know why some people are so against it (as I said, especially the English speaking people...)

Maria, Rio , Brazil

"...Latin is a dead language, whereas Hebrew is still in use..."
- Barry Hyman, Bushey Heath

I suppose it depends on how you define the adjective 'dead' in
this context, Mr Hyman. Many thousands of Christians all over the world use Latin as a means of communicating in a multi-racial, multi-national faith. Hebrew, on the other hand, is
restricted to one race and one nation. However, a guttural, Semitic language like Hebrew can hardly be equated with such a beautiful mellifluous language like Latin.

Geoffrey Smith, m,

I grew up with the Latin Mass in the Roman Catholic Church and I loved it. I love it even more now that it is in my own language. I am fully engaged in the prayers and hymns. I am not put off by the prayers as they are currently prayed. (NOTICE, I said "prayed" not recited. Prayer comes from the heart, recitation can be very rote.) The great mystery of the Mass is the fact that bread and wine are transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Jesus. That cannot and will not change. Those who prefer to celebrate the Liturgy in Latin should be able to do so. But for those of us who are being nurtured and awestruck by the love of God Who continues to give Himself to us in the Eucharist, celebrated in English (French, Italian, Japanese, whatever), we too should be allowed this preference.

The decline in Mass attendance is more surely attributable to the cultural changes seen since the "60s" than to the Liturgical changes. Otherwise, there would be an even greater decline in numbers.

Judy Kallmeyer, Whitestone, NY, USA

You can't run or hide at the TLM, one has to humble themselves and face who you are before God. It is an intimate meeting with God.

maureen, kennesaw,

It is about being Catholic in our language, which for some will mean a little sacrifice while they read along in the venacular column. If by a little sacrifice we can begin a return to pre-Babylon laguage then the gain is worth the pain. With so many bi-lingual people in the world today, why can't Catholics soar above the lingual mire of self gratification and expand their vocabulary a little bit? I believe that according to the Second Vatican documents on the Liturgy the Church Fathers explicitly called for Latin to be retained, and for that matter that Gregorian Chant was to have "pride of place" in the Mass. For those people who have demanded the fulfillment of Vatican II over the years, now is the time for them to quit complaining and DO what they said they wanted to do. It is also all about following the Holy Spirit that led the Council, and that calls for fidelity and obedience. Put up or shut up. I'm sick of the rationalizations. Let's start using reason born of love!

Mark Andreas, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

The Rev Wilkinson obviously does not understand the Eucharist as the Anglican ' Eucharist ' which is only symbolic is nothing like the Catholic Eucharist where the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of The Lord Jesus Christ is truly present.
I suggest the Canon rereads Holy Scripture and see the full truth. Also it is not the language that makes the Eucharist holy but the Eucharist that makes the language holy when it is said and celebrated in proper order.

alan, perth, australia

Actually, the language is not the problem, but The Latin Mass does facilitate Catholics being at home in any church where it is being celebrated throughout the world, hat is the problem is the different emphasis/underlying theory of the New Mass. Not to mention that, in few churches, is it celebrated true to the published rite - ad lib ad infinitum!

Michael, Bridgwater, UK

I believe God calls us wherever we are in our spiritual journey. For some, the novus ordo Mass is an uplifting and interactive experience, for others, the Latin Mass is a revervant and comptemplantive encounter with the Almighty. Where God wants us, hopefully he willl lead us. Giving the faithful the choice to worship our Lord in the manner best suited to their spirituality is the best answer. Let the Holy Spirit move people where he may, and let us not stand on one side or the other feeling threatened or angry.

S.Hoffman, Missoula,

The Rev. canon may have a point about the use of Latin in Anglican Cathedrals. But Catholics don't have faith in the smells and bells, and the language we worship in. Our Faith is built on Truth. And the Truth of the matter is that no matter how beautiful the service, at the end the bread is still bread and the wine still wine and not the Body and Blood of Christ in an Anglican service.

Deacon John M. Bresnahan, Lynn, Mass. U.S.A.

Mr. Hyman, Latin is not more a dead language than Hebrew is to you. Just as you see and hear the beauty of your faith when it is celebrated in the ancient text so will any Roman Catholic who allows their spirit to be lifted to God by the beauty of our beloved Latin. One other, and I think very important point that is missed by those who resist the change is that just like Hebrew unites Jews and Islam is united by its language so will Catholics (those who wish) will also feel united and connected to the past by Latin. If you reflect on it you will see that language is what unites a people. When, unfortunately, those who sought to modernize the Catholic Faith by ignoring the "pride of place" for the Mass to be celebrated in Latin the result was a complete destruction and division that the faithful suffer from to this day. As you enjoy going to your synogagues anywhere in the world and feel at home so should a Roman Catholic be able to do so as once they could before Vatican II.

Stella, Austin, United States, Texas

Being a liturgical musician/pianist, I think that the English songs touch the heart since we do understand their meaning at the exact time we hear the words. However, I grew up singing the Mass in Latin and would love to have the choice of attending a Latin Mass or English.
However, the most important element that is missing in our Catholic liturgies in America is awe and respect for the Holy Eucharist which is housed in the Church tabernacle....whether it be in the main body of the church or a side room, our children should be taught by Catholic school teachers to enter a church in SILENCE........we should all come in silence before the Lord so that we can hear Him speak to us. Education of our Catholic youth to the REAL PRESENCE is of the upmost importance and photos of EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES throughout the world should be seen by all CCE students and those in Catholic schools.
Even if tabernacles are not in the main body, we should enter HIS HOUSE IN FEAR AND AWE OF HIS PRESENC

Jerilyn Gravois, Cypress, TX

"...the modern Anglican Eucharist is almost identical in structure and language with the modern Roman Catholic Mass".
- Canon Alan Wilkinson, Portsmouth

"Almost" being the operative word. Bearing in mind Apostolicae Curae, I suppose one could say that chalk is almost identical to cheese.

Geoffrey Smith, Manchester, England

Why not have Latin Mass in some churches and see what happens.....there clearly aren't enough priests with Latin to make it universal.

Oscar, Harlow, UK

Latin connects us with our past. With the near abandonment of ecclesisastical use, there is much less motivation to learn it. Thus we've got the paradox of more and more people taking arts course at university, and more and more ignorance of even the basics.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

Never mind Latin - let's go for Cranmer. Heretic, maybe, but most Catholics I know yearn to be allowed to use the BCP. Once, teaching in a Catholic school where we were expected to start and end the day with a prayer, I told my class they could, for once, join in a heretic prayer: before registration "O Lord, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of a new day...." and at 3.30 on a dim winter evening, "Lighten our darkness..."

More than half asked me for copies. Scrap the Latin. Bring on the BCP. Magic.

Michael Bruce, Selby, Yorkshire

An incomprehensible passtime in an incomprehensible languauge. Go for it.

james richard, london,

Sir, only those who appreciate unselfish love, meaning giving oneself, will appreciate the beauty of the Tridentine Mass because it is an expression of giving ourselves in worship and prayer to the God that we love so much.

Mike, Sacramento, USA

How ignorant and blind can one be?
God has given us His Word to speak to us and guide us, the Bible is his manual for His creation, if we follow the instructions, we CANNOT go wrong and vice versa.
I wonder how many of the Latin advocators can read the Bible in Latin and how many have one at all?

lana, maidenhead, uK

Sir, only those who appreciate unselfish love, meaning giving oneself, will appreciate the beauty of the Tridentine Mass because it is an expression of giving ourselves in worship and prayer to the God that we love so much.

Mike, Sacramento, USA

"However, Latin is a dead language, whereas Hebrew is still in use and Jewish children learn it from the age of 5."

Of course, it should also be stated that until the late 19th century, Hebrew was as dead as Latin.

David Richards, Witham, United Kingdom

Surely the language "fits" the music written. A lot of chants used were written to reflect the Latin verse.
Try singing the Latin and then the translation and see which fits better. No contest.
If any church service needs "updating" then at least let's have some decent grammatical language and be able to put any new service on the level of the perfect combination of the old.

jackie, london, uk