05-26-2026, 05:41 AM
Mgr. Louis de Ségur: Short Answers to Common Objections Against Religion - 1908
THIRTY-EIGHTH OBJECTION. WHY IS LATIN THE LANGUAGE OF THE CHURCH? WHY USE AN UNKNOWN TONGUE?
Answer. Because, for unchangeable dogmas, is required an unchangeable language, which should guarantee from all alteration, even the formula of those dogmas.
Because, for a universal community is required a universal language, which should maintain, preserve, and proclaim aloud the unanimity of the faith, and the universal fraternity of the true Religion.
Protestants and all the enemies of the Catholic Church have always made the use of the Latin tongue a subject of bitter reproach to her. They are conscious that the immobility of this cuirass marvellously preserves from all alteration those ancient Christian traditions whose testimony crushes them. They desire to break the form, in order to strike at that which it covered. Error willingly speaks a variable and changing language.
If this reproach is closely scrutinized, however, it will be found to have no foundation. Are there not innumerable persons who understand Latin? Are not all sermons and instructions, that is, all those parts of divine worship which are addressed directly to the faithful, conveyed in the vulgar tongue? Are not great numbers of the prayers and other services of the Church translated? What Christian is there who is prevented from following the office because of the mysterious language of the altar? Do not certain ceremonies, certain sounds, as that of the sanctuary-bell, acquaint all who are present with what is going on, and what the priest is saying? If they are distracted and inattentive, is it not their own fault?
Besides, nothing can equal the dignity, grandeur, clearness, and beauty of the Latin language. It is the language of the conquerors of the world, the Romans; it is the language of civilization; it is the language of science. This language is the queen of languages; it deserved to become the language of Religion.
Besides the great changes which alter fundamentally the living languages, there are many others which appear only slightly important, but are really very important, indeed. Thus everyday usage alters the sense of words, and often debases it by licentiousness. If the Church spoke our vernacular, it would be in the power of every shameless wit to render the most sacred words of the Liturgy either ridiculous or indecent.*
Under every imaginable point of view, the language of religion should be taken out of the domain of human caprice and human mutability.
This is why the Catholic Church speaks Latin.
THIRTY-EIGHTH OBJECTION. WHY IS LATIN THE LANGUAGE OF THE CHURCH? WHY USE AN UNKNOWN TONGUE?
Answer. Because, for unchangeable dogmas, is required an unchangeable language, which should guarantee from all alteration, even the formula of those dogmas.
Because, for a universal community is required a universal language, which should maintain, preserve, and proclaim aloud the unanimity of the faith, and the universal fraternity of the true Religion.
Protestants and all the enemies of the Catholic Church have always made the use of the Latin tongue a subject of bitter reproach to her. They are conscious that the immobility of this cuirass marvellously preserves from all alteration those ancient Christian traditions whose testimony crushes them. They desire to break the form, in order to strike at that which it covered. Error willingly speaks a variable and changing language.
If this reproach is closely scrutinized, however, it will be found to have no foundation. Are there not innumerable persons who understand Latin? Are not all sermons and instructions, that is, all those parts of divine worship which are addressed directly to the faithful, conveyed in the vulgar tongue? Are not great numbers of the prayers and other services of the Church translated? What Christian is there who is prevented from following the office because of the mysterious language of the altar? Do not certain ceremonies, certain sounds, as that of the sanctuary-bell, acquaint all who are present with what is going on, and what the priest is saying? If they are distracted and inattentive, is it not their own fault?
Besides, nothing can equal the dignity, grandeur, clearness, and beauty of the Latin language. It is the language of the conquerors of the world, the Romans; it is the language of civilization; it is the language of science. This language is the queen of languages; it deserved to become the language of Religion.
Besides the great changes which alter fundamentally the living languages, there are many others which appear only slightly important, but are really very important, indeed. Thus everyday usage alters the sense of words, and often debases it by licentiousness. If the Church spoke our vernacular, it would be in the power of every shameless wit to render the most sacred words of the Liturgy either ridiculous or indecent.*
Under every imaginable point of view, the language of religion should be taken out of the domain of human caprice and human mutability.
This is why the Catholic Church speaks Latin.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre