The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1957-10-25
Mass i'm Latin
Many In Europe Turn Gold
Shoulder to Vernacular,

by Erik v. uehneIf-Laddihn
On the European Continent, no less than in the
United States and in Britain, there used to be q steady
demand for Mass in the vernacular. This Unofficial move
ment' had the support of clergy and laity, of intellectual
leaders, and of simple people.
It had its hackers in the Vatican and in small par
ishes. Yet, whereas it is still gaining momentum in the
English speaking nations, it is decreasing on the Con-
tinent. Why SO?
There are various reasons why truly intelligent and
farseeing people turn a cold shoulder on the idea of an
integral adaptation of the vernacular for Mass. In addi-
ton to this, however, another very potent, tangible fac
tor working against the abolition Of Latin must not be
overlooked and this is the enormous development of
Continental travel. In Italy alone travellers spent last
year almost two thirds of a billion dollars.
The reasons for this particular evolution are fl
nancial and sociological. In the time before World War
II only the upper classes and a good part OF the middle
class were able to travel extensively. The longing for
ing class and large sectors of the middle class simply
could not afford to 60 abroad for their vacations. land
in Europe vacation, however miserable the pay, are
long by American standards
The German elementary school teacher drearnt
about Italy, but he could not go there. The French store
keeper had not much inner drive to leave his native
country and he fretted about expenses. The Scandlna-
Wan artist got to Bavaria but he hardly ventured much
further.
The English aristocrat, adventurous and liberal with
his tips, the German industrialist, the Austria univers-
ity professor, and the Swiss banker( not forgetting the
weLto-do visitors from overseaS), they were the people
who travelled and filled the hotels.
All this has radically changed today. In Austria we
are invaded by the British industrial class dropping
their HIS all over the landscape, German steel workers,
little French employees, Dutch school marms, Danish
waiters-they all travel, everybody travels and the trav-
cling seasons seemingly take no end. National hatreds
and animosities seem to be buried and on certain Ger
man road one sees more French than German cars.
Conversely there are Italian beaches where German is
almost the only language one hears)
This is partly the result of European prosperity,
partly of the vast social improvements in the last eight
years, the increased travel facilities, and the collapse of
I.uI-. L.-:.-~ YIE4LN -, I@rA. ac-L Er0~ohronn
now can travel from the Spanish frontier right through
Germany and to the Iron Curtain9 Z
These prolonged stays in foreign countries naturally
include Sundays and Feast days, going to Mass and
mons it is painful enough for many q priest in a mount
ain village or a beach resort to know that a large part,
or even the majority of his congregation do not under
stand what he says. Imagine what would be the result
if these hords of tourists came to Mass and found thepl-
selves unable to comprehend a single word of the lit
urgy.
Now, somebody.might argue that most of the people
attending Mass do not understand Latin either and that
a switch to the vernacllar for the stranger merely
would mean switching from one unknown language to
another. This, however, is true only to a very limited
extent because there are (a) those who know Latin tan
ever increasing percentage), (b) those who don't really
know it but have learnt the Mass by heart, 0) those who
are used to following. the Mass with a bilingual text
millions of such missals are used in Europel Unless
there are very compelling reasons one should never
break with a tradition and experiment with the I'M
known.
There is yet another angle, unfamiliar TO most peo-
pie living in English speaking countries: the danger of
carrying the evils of national what you might call ira
cial') animosities into the church. Take the case of the
Central Tyrol, German by language but now under
Italian rule and with a large Italian minority.
Considerable friction exists betweeh the original
population and the Italian immigrants. Luckily these
likes and dislikes do not affect Catholic life. Yet, inn
agine the Juror of a Tyrolean entering a church and be-
coming aware that this is an italian" church with an
Italian Mass or the dismay of an Italian in a small
village forced to attend Mass in German.
Here is an explosive material of which the average
American Tor British advocate of the Mass in the verna-
cular is blissfully unaware. Let him travel extensively
and with open eyes before he makes his judgment final.
and in modern times leg. at at all be divorced and not BE-