Petition for Pope Benedict XVI to offer TLM

Dear Supporters,

I was in Rome from Oct 1st to Oct 8th. I had meetings with important
prelates, but I was unable to obtain a bacciamano invitation to give
the petition to the Holy Father. I was received by a pro-TLM prelate and
had a meeting in the Papal Household Prefecture. Although I could not give the petition to the Holy Father myself, he agreed to make the petition be delivered
in the hands of the Holy Father. Please, I ask you to promote the petition
because of this good news.
In Oct 19 it is printed and posted. Regardless of it, the petition (supplica) in canonic law terms, will be opened to receive signatures. Thanks,
Demasi

Pope Benedict XVI Faces Challenge In Trying To Resurrect Latin
Religion News Service | By Alessandro Speciale
Posted: 11/15/2012 9:14 am EST




VATICAN CITY (RNS) Reviving a long-dead language might sound like a tall order for a church that's already weakened by
"VATICAN CITY (RNS) Reviving a long-dead language might sound like a tall order for a church that's already weakened by widespread secularization and the fallout from decades of a painful child abuse scandal.

But Pope Benedict XVI seems convinced that revitalizing the study and use of Latin among priests and seminarians is a necessary step for the church's future.

On Saturday (Nov. 10), Benedict established a "Pontifical Academy of Latinity" tasked with "promoting the use of Latin" inside and outside the Catholic Church.

Ever since its earliest days, the church "has spoken and prayed in all the languages of humanity," the pope wrote in the letter announcing the creation of the new Vatican department.

But, he added, the church "has assiduously promoted the knowledge and diffusion" of Latin throughout the centuries, singling it out as "its own language, capable of universally transmitting the message of the gospel."

In fact, even as the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s authorized the translation of Mass and other church rites into local languages, Latin remains the official language of the church. The official version of papal documents and Catholic liturgical texts is still the Latin one, and cash machines inside the Vatican Bank still greet customers in the language of ancient Rome.

For Benedict, knowledge of Latin language and culture is "necessary" for those who want to study theology, liturgy or canon law. But among today's priests and seminarians the study of Latin is "more and more superficial," he denounced.





Benedict's push isn't just about being able to read the founding texts of the church's history and doctrine in their original versions, said the Rev. Roberto Spataro, the secretary of the newly founded Academy.

He is convinced that a perceived crisis in Catholic theology is in part consequence of abandoning a thorough study of Latin.

"Ever since the knowledge of Latin got weaker among theologians, in the last 50 years, theologians have become more and more verbose. They can go on for pages and pages without actually saying anything, or even contradicting themselves," he said.

According to the scholar, studying the language of Cicero leads to a "discipline and a clarity of thought that is indispensable for theological reflection and liturgy."

He added that the church will not risk appearing anachronistic by pushing for a resurrection of Latin. "The church has always defended culture, every culture, throughout history. Why should it renounce tapping the vast heritage of Latin wisdom?," he asks...."

tornpage wrote:

Good news about the pope and Latin.

I don't know about that Mark.

The use of Latin in Cash Machines within the Vatican could do more to profane this consecrated language than encourage respect for it.