Pope establishes new Pontifical Academy for Latin

Pope establishes new Pontifical Academy for Latin

Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday issued the Motu Proprio Latina Lingua, which establishes the new Pontifical Academy for Latin. The Academy is meant to promote the knowledge and study of the Latin language and Latin literature, from classical times to the present day.

“The Latin language has always been held in high regard by the Catholic Church and the Roman pontiffs,” writes Pope Benedict.

He pointed out Latin and Greek were used in the early Church, being the universal languages of the time, and since then the Church has made Latin “her own language.”

The Holy Father writes, “After the demise of the Roman Empire, the Church of Rome not only continued to make use of the Latin language, but also became in a way its guardian and promoter, both in theology and liturgy, and in formation and the transmission of knowledge.”

Pope Benedict said a good understanding of Latin is more necessary than ever in the Church, due to its importance in studying Theology, Liturgy, Patristics, and Canon Law.

He said a “superficial” knowledge of Latin can be detrimental to the philosophical and theological training of future priests.

However, the Academy is also meant to serve the wider society.

“in our own times…there is a renewed interest in the Latin language and classical culture, and not only on those continents that have their cultural roots from the Greco-Roman heritage,” Pope Benedict writes. “Such interest is all the more significant because it involves not only the academic world, but also young people and scholars from very diverse nations and traditions.”

The new Pontifical Academy will be under the Pontifical Council for Culture, and replace the Latin Foundation established by Pope Paul VI. The President of the Academy will be Professor Ivano Dionigi, while the Secretary will be Father Roberto Spataro, S.D.B.

Its mandate includes producing publications, hosting conferences and seminars, and promoting Latin in the new media.

Listen:
http://en.radiovaticana.va/articolo.asp?c=637567

Vatican congregation to emphasize liturgical music, art

n his letter, the Pope wrote that these all must be in accord with the Second Vatican Council's “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.” Overlooking that 1963 document has allowed for the post-conciliar trend of building unedifying churches and filling them pop-influenced music.


http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vatican-congregation-to-emphasize-liturgical-music-art/

Children's schola: Dec. and Jan.

First Friday Mass at OLPH
Dec. 7  8:15 AM (Warm-up starts at 7:45 AM)

Kyrie XVI
Alleluia
Offertory: Veni, Veni, Emmanuel

Sanctus (English, ICEL)
Mysterium Fidei (English, ICEL)
Agnus Dei XVIII
Communion:  The Lord will Bestow His Loving Kindness (Simple English Proper)

O Salutaris

First Friday Mass at OLPH
Jan. 4  8:15 AM (Warm-up starts at 7:45 AM)

 

Kyrie XVI
Alleluia
Offertory: Adeste, Fideles (1. in Latin and 2, in English)

Sanctus (English, ICEL)
Mysterium Fidei (English, ICEL)
Agnus Dei XVIII
Communion: Puer Natus in Bethlehem

O Salutaris

 

QUAERITUR: Why He “rose again” in the Creed when we know Christ only rose once?

For some reason I have received questions similar to this one several times, so I will drill into the matter anew… again… um…
From a reader:

Why do we say “rose again” in the Creed when Christ only rose from death once.

In the Creed of the Mass we say resurrexit.  This is translated “rose again”.
Remember: LATIN is the official language of the Roman Rite.  Also, our Latin liturgical texts (e.g., the Creed) is founded on Greek texts/symbols.

That said, the “again” confusion is again understandable in this age when English is devolving.  If you “rise again” you must have already previously risen.  Right? But we know our Lord rose only once.  Right?  So the translation is heretical.  RIGHT?

In the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed we say or sing during Mass, Latin resurrexit is a compound of re- and surgo. The prefix re- conveys “again”.
In English “again” can mean more than mere repetition. Check a good dictionary of English and you will find “again” as “anew” without the concept of repetition.
In our Creed, “He rose again” means “He rose anew”.

So, resurrexit does not mean Jesus rose twice or more. He returned to life “anew”.

A reader once provided an example of a kid who falls while riding his bike.  He gets up again and rides off.  That “again” doesn’t mean that he repeatedly gets up before riding off.  That “again” means “anew”.

“Rose again” for resurrexit is acceptable.

However, in our Latin liturgical worship we also use simple surgo, surrexit for the Lord “rose”.  At Easter, and in the Octave, Holy Church sings “Surrexit Christus spes mea” in the sequence Victimae paschali laudes.
I hope that helps.

Related...

 http://wdtprs.com/blog/2012/10/quaeritur-why-he-rose-again-in-the-creed-when-we-know-christ-only-rose-once/

 

Baronius Press beautiful new edition of the Knox Bible

Some very smart people I know use the Knox translation often, even daily. As a matter of fact, two of the smartest people I know use it all the time. One of them told me “It’s THE most beautiful translation of the Bible in the English language.”  Fulton Sheen used the Knox version when quoting.

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2012/10/baronius-press-beautiful-new-edition-of-the-knox-bible/

Singing the Theology of Christmas

Dr. Bert Polman, Ordinary Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Department at Calvin College, writes

...If you take a few moments to page through the Christmas carols and hymns in almost any hymnal, you’ll find that narrative and folksy, sentimental lyrics easily outweigh songs with a theological treatment of the meaning of Christ’s incarnation. We’re served with “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night,” “Silent Night, Holy Night,” and their many equivalents, for better or for worse. The theological profundity of “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is rare among our Christmas songs.

After you’re done paging through the Christmas section of your hymnal, I invite you to take a look at the Easter section too—just for comparison. In that section you’re likely to find numerous theological convictions about the resurrection of Christ, relatively few narrative Easter hymns, and no sentimental ones. While you’re at it, recall the kinds of Christmas cards you receive and send out, and contrast those with the Easter cards you may have seen. Most likely you’ll notice a similar pattern there: the Easter cards are far more likely to focus on theological themes than are the Christmas cards.

I believe we could use a few more theologically exact lyrics for Christmas...

 Posted by Kathleen Pluth
 http://www.chantcafe.com/2012/11/singing-theology-of-christmas.html

Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles: Amazing Music

Contemplative Nuns Secure Worldwide Distribution with Decca Classics through De Montfort Music for Advent Album

16-track CD available Nov. 20

ATLANTA, OCT. XX, 2012 – They are young. They are hidden. They are extremely musical. And now they have a worldwide album distribution deal. But they don’t set foot beyond Northwest Missouri’s rolling farmland. Why? Because they are contemplative sisters who live an austere yet joyful life set apart from the world.

But on Nov. 20, Decca and De Montfort Music will release their voices to the world in ADVENT AT EPHESUS. The album features 16 tracks – a dynamic variety of traditional English and Latin hymns, polyphony, Gregorian chants and medieval harmonies. The album also includes Adjuvabit Eam, an original work of the sisters.

http://www.chantcafe.com/2012/10/benedictines-of-mary-queen-of-apostles.html

Worship God in Song

 Vivace! 108 November 2012 


... A people united in prayer is wonderful to behold and this is what music, far more than words, can achieve. There are many fine hymns with inspirational texts - but many parishes are content with pap and nursery rhyme ditties. Appropriate seminary education is once more the key. The young priest should have at his/her fingertips a comprehensive knowledge of the best liturgical music plus the ability to teach and sing it. Positive leadership is needed so that the potential joy of congregational singing can be realized. Obviously, standards within a parish will vary, weather and atmosphere are not always conducive to good singing. This is the natural order of things.

Parish singing should be a priority and the occasional Songs of Praise where musicians and choirs get together for a celebration of hymn-singing - perhaps on an ecumenical basis - can be of immense help. I would like to see parishes arrange such a service on an annual or regular basis. This will raise the profile of parish music and give people a pride and joy in their singing. Let’s get together and worship God in song.


Colin Mawby KSG


http://www.music-for-church-choirs.com/