Monday, October 16, 2006

Red Hot Rumors Say that the Latin Mass is Coming Back as an Option; Fact: The Jesuits have Cancelled their Latin Instruction at the Gregoriana!

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I don't want to comment as I don't know. You can think what you want.

John Paul Sonnen, a Minnesotan, member of St Agnes Parish in St Paul has a half dozen posts on his Orbis Catholicus blog dealing with these very recent events.

Latinists of Today; they live. . . .
Too bad Antonio Cardinal Bacci is dead. The good news is that when he died, his Latin knowledge did not die with him as it lived on through his successor, Fr. Reggie Foster.If you ever have the opportunity, read Cardinal Bacci's memoirs. The Latin Liturgy Association had them translated from the Italian into English and the booklet is available from them. It's a great read (www.latinliturgy.com) with amazing insight into the battle to preserve Latin in this hostile
epoch.

In Rome, know good Latin when you see it...
When you see this name carved in your polished marble in Rome, then you know it's good Latin! Antonio Cardinal Bacci was the greatest living latinist through the 1960s. His successor was an American, Fr. Reginald Foster, who remains the most prominent living latinist of today.Cardinal Bacci was so good at Latin that he even published an Italian-Latin dictionary of "modern" Latin words. He was the one who coined Latin words for such modern inventions as electric lighting, the automobile and communism, etc.

Jesuits in Rome: for or against Latin...
Word spread through Rome rather quickly today with the news that Fr. Reginald Foster had been fired by the Jesuits from teaching Latin at their Gregorian University last Saturday.

Students from the Gregoriana voiced their feelings today. Many were left wondering, "Why do so many older Catholics have such spite against Latin?" For us younger Catholics, we just want what the Church has given to us.

I asked an elderly Jesuit priest today what he thought of all this mess and his reply was thus: "Latin is part of our radici cristiane!"

Students voice their support for Fr. Foster...
Here we see Fr. Foster at Rome's Gregorian University today. Every student had a polite word of encouragement for him as they pondered the news that he had just shared with them: "The Jesuit administration put an end to our Latin program," he moaned. In reply, the student sentiment was strong: "We support you, Reggie, and the program will not die."

The greatest living latinist: Reginaldus Foster...
I took this photo today of Fr. Reginald Foster at Rome's Jesuit University, the Gregoriana. I guess it was a rather historical day as he just announced to us that he's been fired from teaching Latin there after over 30 years of teaching for the Jesuits.

His reply was polite, but firm: "It's been getting more and more difficult teaching here these past years. This program will not die and I'm announcing today the establishment of a new Latin institute in Rome!"

He gave each of us a sheet of paper that read:

ACADEMIA ROMAE LATINITATIS
REGINALDO FOSTER AUCTORE

SINGULIS PRIVATIM ANNIS
MENSE AB OCTOBRI AD MAIUM
QUINAS PER 'EXPERIENTIAS' HABENDA

A PRIVATE ACADEMY OF LATINITY IN ROME ITALY - THE ORIGINATOR BEING REGINALD FOSTER - TO BE CONDUCTED IN INDIVIDUAL YEARS FROM THE MONTH OF OCTOBER UNTIL MAY THROUGH FIVE 'EXPERIENCES'

Pope's chief latinist fired from Rome's Gregoriana...
He's famous in the Vatican. His name is Fr. Reginald Foster, O.C.D., a Carmelite priest from near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was a student in Rome in the early 1960s, was ordained there, and has lived there since. Since 1975 he has been teaching Latin full-time at Rome's Jesuit University, the Gregoriana. He also is the world's most famous living latinist, having worked in that capacity for four popes for nearly forty years.

Every October Fr. Reginald has a first meeting for his new and former Latin students in his popular upper classroom at the Gregoriana. Typically, over one-hundred Latin students from all over the world are gathered.

This year, the class meeting was a little different. Today, Fr. Foster announced with great regret that his renowned Latin program would no longer be held there, after over thirty years, as per the Jesuit administration.

"Last Saturday evening," he explained, "We received a scrambled e-mail at my residence in Rome (the Teresianum), not addressed to me, but to my superior." The letter explained that, "Fr. Foster would be no longer teaching Latin at the Gregoriana."

The administration had cancelled Fr. Foster's Latin program and substituted another class for that time-slot. Their reason was cryptic: "Too many students are taking Fr. Foster's Latin without paying tuition." True, many of the students were not registered with the Univeristy, but everyone knew how renowned this Latin program was while drawing latinists from all over the world.

Fr. Foster, in good spirits, explained to us today: "Well you see, the Jesuits were rather Jesuitical about the whole thing, now weren't they?" Then, he went on to explain: "I'm taking this opportunity to announce theunding of a new Latin institute in Rome! We don't yet have a place to meet yet, but I'll keep you all informed! Latin lives!" Read it all with photos Here
Tip of the Hat to Amy Welborn at Open Book

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

why can't i read all about it? fix it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!