Sacramentum Caritatis

The Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis – the “Post-Synodal Exhortation on the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of the Church’s Life and Mission”, was released on 13th March 2007. The full English text is reproduced on this website, which includes useful links to other Vatican documents, – go to Sacramentum Caritatis.

An item that is particularly encouraging for members of this Association is to be found in Paragraph 62, in which Pope Benedict has this to say:

The Latin language

“I am thinking particularly of celebrations at international gatherings, which nowadays are held with greater frequency. The most should be made of these occasions. In order to express more clearly the unity and universality of the Church, I wish to endorse the proposal made by the Synod of Bishops, in harmony with the directives of the Second Vatican Council, that, with the exception of the readings, the homily and the prayer of the faithful, it is fitting that such liturgies be celebrated in Latin.  Similarly, the better known prayers of the Church’s tradition should be recited in Latin and, if possible, selections of Gregorian chant should be sung.

Speaking more generally, I ask that future priests, from their time in the seminary, receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin, and also to use Latin texts and execute Gregorian chant; nor should we forget that the faithful can be taught to recite the more common prayers in Latin, and also to sing parts of the liturgy to Gregorian chant.”