Fr. Seán Connolly Remembers Fr. Reginald Foster

CWR: Ad Memoriam Maximi Magistri Latinae Linguae: Fr. Reginald Foster (1939-2020) by Father Seán Connolly

Fr. Daniel McCarthy, OSB speaks about the life and legacy of Fr. Reginald Foster, OCD, our generation’s foremost expert, teacher and champion of the Latin language.

I'd Rather Not be Honored by Parolin

What a nice touch. And they even wrote V instead of U, until Secretarius Status. Rest in Peace, Fr Reginald. pic.twitter.com/FZ9TxYA4st

— Bernard Mulcahy OP (@FrBMulcahyOP) December 27, 2020

Lost in Translation?

The fact that Christ's first disciple is a Jewish man with a Greek name foreshadows the universal mission of the Church. Specifically, it signals how the first Christians will fuse the intellectual cultures of Jerusalem and Athens in their earliest preaching of the resurrection.

— Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, OP (@FrAquinasOP) December 1, 2020

Was there a problem when Apostolic Christianity, which was primarily expressed in Greek, was translated into Latin?

Is This Agape?

Our love for others, for who they are, moves us to seek the best for their lives. Only by cultivating this way of relating to one another will we make possible a social friendship that excludes no one and a fraternity that is open to all. #FratelliTutti

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) October 9, 2020

Let's check the Latin.

Amor in alium sicut ipse est nos impellit, ut optimum requiramus pro eius vita. Hanc huius generis tantum colentes necessitudinem, socialem amicitiam efficimus, quae neminem depellit et fraternitas omnibus patet. #FratresOmnes

— Papa Franciscus (@Pontifex_ln) October 9, 2020

Not helpful. The lack of precision surrounding "love" in Western European languages is a fact, regardless of whether I like it or not. But to avoid precision in the Latin? Why wouldn't his ghostwrter use caritas instead? Then again, amor is used all over Caritas in veritate and Deus Caritas Est. Would we find the same sort of verbal imprecision in a Greek Father or bishop? Do we need a new word or a neologism to replace "love" that is identified with agape or caritas?

The Unique Advantages of Latin and Greek

The Unique Advantages of Latin and Greek (essay by Austin Hoffman) https://t.co/lOxyn54Lr2

— ImaginativeConservat (@imaginativecons) August 21, 2020

Imaginative Conservative

What happened to Canon 249?

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://t.co/1P4WdL7zBz (2/2)

— Bishop Robert Barron (@BishopBarron) July 28, 2020

Stubborn Latin Traditionalism

Kwasniewski:

It is true that a concession for some use of the vernacular was sought by some missionaries (although we may note that a large number of bishops at Vatican II spoke up against vernacularization), and there is no particular reason to think that this concession is necessarily a bad idea. However, there is much in the Catholic liturgy that remains constant from day to day; that content should certainly remain in Latin (for further argumentation, see, e.g., here, here, and here).

Two on Classical Education

And one surprisingly from America Magazine: Classical education is countercultural. It’s time to bring it back. by Matthew D. Walz

And a caution: Why A Classical Education Is Almost Impossible Today by Shawn Barnett
Of course, I'd prefer my child read classic literature and learn history than sit around reading propaganda on an iPad, but we can't return to a classical education in the truest sense of the phrase.

A true classical education that emphasizes fluency in Latin and/or Greek would be beneficial to the "cognitive elites," the intellectually gifted, but the number of such students is small. Consequently, mass-marketing "classical education" can only mean that standards or goals are modified accordingly. Instead of trying to sell classical education to all Catholics in an area, those who are trying to provide some sort of Catholic education to their brethren should match the plans of education to the students. If there aren't enough resources to start two schools, then other solutions have to be found. Some are needed to preserve high culture during this age of collapse, but not all require that sort of education, and they are not called to it either. The education, paideia, that should be common is moral, political, and cultural (the culture of the community, broadly speaking), and not necessarily intellectual.

Latin...

Latin: Living Language, Ancient Rite by Jerry Salyer
If we seek a restoration, it is necessary to promote a renewed appreciation of the ancient liturgy and a revival of Latin-centered education.

For his part, Professor Owens emphasizes that Catholics seeking an explanation for how and why we have moved so far away from this state of affairs should resist the temptation to hastily scapegoat the councilors of Vatican II, as the rise of the modern, centralized nation-state played a role by displacing Latin in favor of national languages. A vicious cycle ensued, for as fewer teachers were able to teach Latin well, fewer teachers were able to, well, teach Latin well.

Was the rise of nation-states in Europe a problem? Yes. But was the second millenium papacy a solution to that problem? Or an ecclesial monoculture? Could the Germanic tribes have developed a different culture and received their own patriarchate(s) in due time? What could the Church have done to preserve the independence of European polities in the face of nationalism and centralization of power?

Duolingo Latin

CWR: Language learning app takes Latin from ‘dead’ to said (CNA)

https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2019/08/28/language-learning-app-takes-latin-from-dead-to-said/
Duolingo
Hebdomada Papae
Paideia Institute

Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School

in San Francisco this past weekend.

Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School in California

I'm going to ignore the Crystal Cathedral performance, though the schola dignified the place with their artistry.

Salve Regina

Greek and Latin and a Classical Education

The Great Gildersleeve’s Fight for the Classics by E.J. HUTCHINSON
The idea that we can appreciate ancient Greece and Rome without learning their languages was once unfathomable.

Latin Catholic Identity

Latin. @RobertSRoyal opines while Fr. Z rants.

A Living Legend: Fr. Reginald Foster

One of the Greatest Things That Ever Happened (via Fr. Z)

De oppresso liber

wiki

Fr. Reginald

From the Vatican Radio Archive

Fr. Reginald on Shakespeare