A few days ago, I came across an article about Pope Paul VI. Then naisip ko… Siya ang Santo Papa nung ipinanganak ako! Tapos bigla ko ring naisip… Nakailang Santo Papa na ba ako? I have been Catholic since birth (3 October 1977) and here is the list of popes I was under:
Paul VI (1977 – 1978)
John Paul I (1978)
John Paul II (1978 – 2005)
Benedict XVI (2005 – 2013)
Francis (2013 – present)
5 popes and counting. Ikaw, nakailang Santo Papa ka na? Yung totoo.
Photos from the wikipedia pages of Their Holinesses.
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Like most people my age (I am 37 at this time of writing), di ko na inabutan ang Tridentine Mass na mas kilala sa tawag na “Traditional Latin Mass” kung saan ang MGA pari (yes, there is more than one priest celebrating the mass) ay nakatalikod sa konggregasyon at ang lahat ng sinasabi at dinarasal nila ay nasa wikang Latin. Ang inabutan ko na lang ay ang Novus Ordo Mass (Mass of Paul VI). This is the rite we all know now and is the ordinary form of celebration.
Tridentine Mass
source: wikipedia.org
Novus Ordo Mass
source: vexilla-regis.blogspot.com
One may ask, “why did we use Latin (Ecclesiastical Latin, to be specific) in the celebration of mass?” It is primarily because Latin has become the official language of the Roman Catholic Church.
Latin is now considered a dead language. Dead, not extinct, as there is a difference. An extinct language is one that has fallen out of use and nobody speaks it anymore. A dead language is one that is not used in ordinary speaking but is still used in special context in written form. Like Latin. Wala na tayong naririnig na nag-uusap in Latin but we still encounter Latin words law books, medical books and journals and in Church.
Prologue of the gospel of John, Clementine Vulgate, 1922 edition
source: wiipedia.org
But why do we sing in Latin? Why not just Filipino or English? My answer is: I DON’T KNOW. But isn’t it cool to be able to sing in a language apart from what we already know? People may not notice but we as a choir have been singing songs in Ecclesiastical Latin (in parts or as a whole) even before we sang “Laudate Dominum” for Pope Francis when His Holiness visited the Philippines last January. And not only Latin, we also sang in Spanish and in other Visayan dialects during the most recent Papal visit.
source: www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk
I remember, when I was a delegate to the XV Giornata Mondiale della Gioventu (GMG or World Youth Day) in 2000, all delegations were required to sing L’Emmanuel (the GMG hymn). And it was in not just one but 4 European languages! Pero ang saya! Here are parts of the lyrics of the 9-minute song:
source: it.wikipedia.org
Intro, Italian
Dall’orizzonte una grande luce viaggia nella storia
e lungo gli anni ha vinto il buio facendosi Memoria,
e illuminando la nostra vita chiaro ci rivela
che non si vive se non si cerca la Verità...
Verse 7, English (thank GOD)
This city which has poured out its life-blood out of love
and has transformed the ancient world will send us on our way,
by following Christ, together with Peter, our faith is born again,
the living word that makes us new and grows in our hearts.
Verse 8, French
Ce don si grand que Dieu nous a fait le Christ son Fils unique;
L’humanité renouvelée par lui est sauvée.
Il est vrai homme, il est vrai Dieu, il est le pain de la vie
qui pour chaque homme pour tous ses frères
se donne encore, se donne encore.
Verse 9, Spanish
Llegò una era de primavera el tiempo de cambiar:
hoy es el dia siempre nuevo para recomenzar,
cambiar de ruta y con palabras nuevas cambiar el corazòn
para decir al mundo, a todo el mundo: Cristo Jesùs.
So the next time we are asked to sing in a different language, let’s welcome it. Di ba’t masayang may matutunan kang ibang wika habang naglilingkod?
source: www.reachprotutoring.com
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