Back to Latin

The Pope has OK’ed the use of the Latin Mass. I have conflicting views regarding this action. I am very much a post-Vatican Council II Catholic. I grew up with all the changes. I don’t see a problem caused by variations regarding liturgy. But I also love the sound, the music of Latin.

When I started music school I was not very familiar with the masses and requiems that had been written by musicians through the ages. There is a beauty to the sound of “Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Dona nobis pacem.”

I understand the concerns caused by the Good Friday liturgy in Latin. (See the NY Times article.) I’m not looking forward to having the priest face away from the congregation. I don’t want to hear Latin every Sunday. But I would like to hear such a mass from time to time.