Power of God

⚜ Power of Latin Prayers

THREE POPES ON WHY WE SHOULD ALSO PRAY IN LATIN

(5-min read)

“𝙇𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙, 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 … 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙮. 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨.”
⚜ 𝙁𝙧 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙍𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙧, 𝙀𝙭𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙩

⚜ Pope Benedict XVI,
Presentation of the Compendium, 2005:
“Precisely in the multiplicity of languages and cultures, Latin, for so many centuries the vehicle and instrument of Christian culture, not only guarantees continuity with our roots but continues to be as relevant as ever for strengthening the bonds of unity of the faith in the communion of the Church”.

⚜ Pope Benedict XVI,
Sacramentum Caritatis, 2007:
“Similarly, the better-known prayers of the Church’s tradition should be recited in Latin and, if possible, selections of Gregorian chant should be sung. I ask that future priests, from their time in the seminary, receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin, and also to use Latin texts and execute Gregorian chant; nor should we forget that the faithful can be taught to recite the more common prayers in Latin, and also to sing parts of the liturgy to Gregorian chant.”

⚜ Pope Paul VI, Sacrificium Laudis, 1966:
“The Latin language is assuredly worthy of being defended with great care instead of being scorned; for the Latin Church it is the most abundant source of Christian civilization and the richest treasury of piety… we must not hold in low esteem these traditions of your fathers which were your glory for centuries.
“We cannot permit something that could be the cause of your own downfall, that could be the source of serious loss to you, and that surely would afflict the Church of God with sickness and sadness…. The same Church gives you the mandate to safeguard the traditional dignity, beauty, and gravity of the choral office in both its language [Latin] and its chant…. Obey the commands that a great love for your own ancient observances itself suggests….”

⚜ Pope Pius XII, Mediator Dei, 1947:
“The use of the Latin language prevailing in a great part of the Church affords at once an imposing sign of unity and an effective safeguard against the corruption of true doctrine.”

⚜ Pope Pius XII, a few days before his death, 1958:

“The day the Church abandons her universal tongue [Latin] is the day before she returns to the catacombs.”