The Hermeneutic of Continuity

The other day, I posted a video of the Commencement Speech given in Latin by Mary Ann Marks. Many thanks to Gillineau in the combox for passing on the news from the Harvard Gazette that Mary Ann is entering the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist . It is wonderful to hear this: please say a prayer for Mary Ann. Here is the text from the Harvard Gazette: Queens, N.Y., native Mary Anne Marks is a classics and English joint concentrator who fell in love with the Latin language by studying Cicero’s Catilinarian Orations. “The links between Latin and Romance languages are fascinating, and, at the same time, Latin has the ability to say things in ways that are not available to Romance languages or to English,” said Marks. “I mused about ideas for the speech for weeks before setting pen to paper, and, once I’d picked a topic, I consulted with friends and acquaintances from various departments to make sure it spoke to their experiences at Harvard.” In the fall, Marks is head...

Mary Anne Marks delivers the Latin salutatory at Harvard's 2010 commencement ceremonies. I was worried at first with the number of saluETE's and the arm waving, but it gets better and is a good oration. It is good to see such a tradition maintained. The pronunciation is that favoured in English and US classical faculties and schools rather than the Italianate imposed by Pope St Pius X. I don't really think there is a good reason for that uniformity; and neither did Fr Adrian Fortescue. H/T Thomas Peters at Catholic Vote Action

Many old Romans studied Latin with Fr Reginald Foster - those who didn't, missed out. A remarkable teacher, he always inspired his students with enthusiasm and a lifelong affection for him and for Latin. I was very pleased to read news of him in the Milwaukee Catholic Herald which tells of his stay at Clement Manor, Greenfield, where he is receiving physical and occupational therapy after a variety of medical problems. He has made a big impact on the medical staff - nobody who knows him will be surprised at that. See: 'Don't waste a moment being upset'

I was just delighted to see this YouTube video clip of Reggie Foster in classic form, filmed by his nephew, greeting his students. It is so heartening to see him in such good humour. Looking at the whole video, I am struck by Fr Foster's transparently genuine and charity and concern for his students. He just wants to be back in Rome helping them to know and love the Latin language.

Many years ago in Rome, I studied Latin with the great Fr Reginald Foster. I have studied under some very fine teachers but Reggie was undoubtedly the best teacher of anything that I ever had. He is not by any means a "traditionalist": for example he never wears his habit, and does not like the extraordinary form of Mass. His love of Latin is entirely based on the beauty of the language itself. His enthusiasm is infectious but enthusiasm is not enough to learn Latin. He demanded hard work and application, but those students who stayed with him (and there were always large numbers) did the work because he communicated his own zeal for the language. Everyone who studied with Reggie has their own memories from his classes - you need to conjure up the gravelly Milwaukee accent - here is one example. Foster : What's the dative doing there in that sentence? Student : Oh Father I thought it was just like, kinda ... floating. Foster : [ with trademark snarl ] NOTHING FLOATS...

Athanasius, who writes the blog Suffering World , is an Oxford D.Phil student researching ancient Greek literature. He has a very good post on the use of Latin in the Liturgy, correcting along the way, the misconception that Latin was introduced into the Liturgy because it was easier for the people to understand. See: Is there anything special about Latin? . A few months ago, he also had an article on the resurgence of interest in Latin among young people. See: The language of all ages .

At Aylesford there is a reliquary containing the skull of St Simon Stock whose feast was celebrated last Saturday in the Archdiocese of Southwark. Here is the proper collect for his feast as found in the Southwark supplement to my old breviary: Plebs tibi, Domine, Virginique Matri dicata, beati Simonis solemnitate laetetur: et sicut per eum tantae protectionis signum obtinuit, ita praedestinationis aeternae munera consequatur. O Lord, may the community dedicated to You and to the Virgin Mary rejoice at the solemnity of blessed Simon: and just as it obtained through Him a sign of such great protection, so may it gain possession of the gifts of eternal predestination. The "sign of such great protection" is a reference to the brown scapular. When Our Lady appeared to St Simon, giving him this distinctive Carmelite clothing, she said that whoever died devoutly wearing it would not suffer the fire. Promises such as these are never intended to be a "get out of jail free" ...

Fr Z seems to have got into polls of late. They are fun - I must do one or two. He has recently asked readers about cheeseburger/hamburger and about which refreshing beverage they prefer. Today he has asked which language you prefer for Holy Mass. There are two options: Latin or "My mother tongue or daily language". (Go over and vote at: Really... admit it... ) The combox is quite fun. the first comment by "Jon" earns its own comments in red: this is a really dumb idea. we all know how the readers of NLM are going to answer? [Not as dumb as you not knowing that this isn’t NLM! o{]:¬) ] "Paul the Other" starts off Cerevisia bibo. Oops! Wrong poll. Slightly more attentive, Daniel Muller says Latin. So much easier than the pickle question. One good question was raised by a psychiatrist locally in a discussion of this issue: "In what language does God speak to you?"

Sorry to have been quiet - the Conference here at Merton College has been quite intensive for me the past couple of days with many participants both in my group and as individuals learning to celebrate the usus antiquior . The conference is also an unparalleled opportunity to meet priest from all over England and further afield to chat about pastoral matters. Just before I go to bed (I will be saying my Mass early then helping someone else) here are a couple of photos from the Solemn High Mass on Monday. I will ask permission to attend as photographer for tomorrow's High Mass so as to take some more photos and perhaps some video. This really is a great conference, full of genuine gaudium et spes .

I was hoping to post some photos that I took today but the one piece of equipment I forgot to bring was a mini-USB lead so I'll have to pick one of those up later. (Actually I also forgot to bring a cotta but Richard Luzar has kindly lent me one from his fine collection.) Above is an older photo that I have of the Merton College Chapel where the conference began with Solemn High Mass. Celebrant was Fr Anthony Conlon, Deacon was Dr Laurence Hemming, and subdeacon was Fr Andrew Wadsworth. The Schola Sainte Cecile sang Mass XI ( Stelliferi Conditor Orbis ) and the propers partly in simple Gregorian chant and partly in the wonderful faux-bourdon which is a trademark of theirs. The Latin Mass Society has not only arranged the course but have arranged provided each priest with a copy of the new Libreria Editrice Vaticana edition of the 1962 missal. The texts and chants for all the liturgical functions are printed in a hardbound book with ribbon markers, a copy being given to each prie...

The website " Latin Mass in the Ordinary Form " is dedicated to the Latin Mass celebrated every Sunday at 4pm at St Patrick's, Anderston in Glasgow. There are also photos up of their recent Corpus Christi Procession . If you are in the area, you might like to join the Schola Glasguensis which is directed by Fr Gerard Byrne.

The Vatican website has a new section Documenta Latina . H/T Fr Ray Blake

A few weeks ago I mentioned about the Latin Novus Ordo Mass that is sung every Sunday at 4pm. ( Gregorian chant in Glasgow ) There is now a website for the schola . They practice on Wednesday evenings and would welcome new members.

My good friend Fr Gerard Byrne says a Latin ( novus ordo ) Mass every Sunday at 4pm in the beautiful late Victorian gothic Church of St Patrick's, Anderston in Glasgow. The Mass is a model of good practice for the ordinary form of the Roman rite - celebrated ad orientem , with the parts of the Mass all properly sung in Latin. A small schola sings the parts of the Mass. Once a month, they sing the full chants from the Graduale Romanum and on the other Sundays, they use the Graduale Simplex . New members for the schola would be warmly welcomed. This would be a good opportunity if you would like to learn to sing Gregorian chant. The practice each week is on Wednesday evening from 7.30-9.30pm. Contact email is: schola_glasguensis@hotmail.co.uk .

... is not knowing Latin. A gem for fans of Reggie everywhere:

Thanks to the New Liturgical Movement for the link to the Ecclesiastical Latin site. I am delighted to see that there is a "Dictionary of the Psalter". I often speak to students and priests who want to start saying the hours in Latin and I have thought that some time I ought to compile a vocabulary list. It is a great relief to find that this has already been done. Another suggestion that I make is to have a copy of the Douai Rheims bible to hand, open at the book of Psalms. The Dr gives a very literal translation of the Vulgate so it will be helpful for those learning to say the psalms in Latin. There are many other useful books at Ecclesiastical Latin and some interesting studies such as Christine Mohrmann on the Latin of St Patrick. As a graduate of Reggie Foster, I would add one cautionary note. Do not get carried away by the idea that there is a separate language called "Church Latin" which will suffice instead of something called "Classical Latin"...

There will be a Sung Mass, ad orientem , with Gregorian propers and ordinary (sung by Fr Gerry Byrne's Schola Glasguensis) for the Solemnity of St Andrew in the Glasgow University Memorial Chapel at 6pm on Friday 30th November. (I presume that this is in the "ordinary form")

Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, recently gave an interview to Fides , the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Here is a taster: Your Excellency, what is in your opinion the deep significance of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum? I see in this decision not only the solicitude of the Holy Father to open the road for the reentry into the full communion of the Church of the followers of Archbishop Lefebvre, but also a sign for all the Church on some theological-disciplinary principles [which must] be safeguarded for its deep renewal, so much desired by the Council. It seems to me that there is a strong desire by the Pope to correct those temptations [which are] visible in some circles which see the Council as a moment of rupture with the past and of a new beginning. It is enough to recall his speech to the Roman Curia on December 22, 2005. Oh yes! We know all about that speech on this blog, don't we re...

La Tunica Stracciata has put up a podcast with the sung propers (Classical Rite) for next Sunday's (Mass 9th after Pentecost). Presumably this is updated each week. There is also a link to a pdf of the relevant pages of the Graduale Romanum which can be printed off. I think that the mp3s of the chants together with the pages from the Graduale would be very helpful for a choir starting out on singing the propers. Many thanks to Mike for sending me the links.

Thanks to Ecce Agnus Dei for finding Te igitur, clementissime Pater in which Fr Phillips comments on an article in the Guardian "Latin leaves priests at a loss". They dug up an article from La Stampa which quoted a priest from Ancona saying "I am absolutely incapable of saying mass in Latin, [...] and I would actually be ashamed to do so". Ashamed??!!! Fr Phillips makes an apposite comment about the priorities of priestly ministry: I’m assuming most priests aren’t born knowing how to play golf any more than they’re born knowing how to speak Latin. But if their presence on the golf courses is any indication, most priests are willing to put hours of practice into something they love to do. Ecce Agnus Dei also has this motivational poster which I found amusing - it works best with the American pronunciation of baroque: