Today during his Wednesday General Audience, the Holy Father spoke in Latin to a group of students from Sweden:
Sueciam deinde ipsam longinquam consalutare Latino sermone cupimus cuius hodie "Schola Cathedralis Scarensis" adest cum linguae Latinae discipulis viginti septem ac magistro Ioanne Hjertén aliisque praeceptoribus. Volumus omnino eorum confirmare et incitare studia, dum hic Romae antiquitates degustant tum christianas tum etiam veterum Romanorum, ut inde magnopere augescat spiritalis illorum et humana haereditas.
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And nice to see the papal “we” too!
Did the students understand? Did they have a Latin-Swedish translation “missal-style”?
Does anyone here have a translation? Or is this a private post?
Don’t get me wrong, I love Latin. I sing in a men’s Gregorian chant group (see link with my name). However, I’m not fluent like some multi-talented priest who runs the most popular religious blog on the internet and likes Battlestar Galactica.
Roughly:
Secondly, that distant Sweden We desire to greet in Latin speech,
whose Cathedral schola of Scara [or some such name] is here with 27 students of the Latin language and their teacher John Hjerten and other ~assistants.
We wish very much [I think that’s omnino?] that they strengthen and encourage their enthusiasm,
while here at Rome they enjoy the antiquity both Christian and of the old Romans,
so that thence very much [?magnopere] this inheritance both spiritual and human may benefit them.
I.e., they are Latin students.
Skara was a medieval Catholic episcopal see in Sweden. It is currently the see of a Lutheran bishop and has a lovely medieval cathedral.
A great place to start the recovery.
Is this the Wm.Tighe
from New Rochelle?
Isnt it funny that His Holiness speaks in the language of the Church to Lutherans, while such a thing would have been unthinkable for the Catholic faithful who niether understand the Latin language nor wish to.
Funny, but I was *just* over at St Peter’s and was thinking on my way through security and into the basilica that it would be nice to have all the signs add a Latin version for those who don’t actually read Italian, English, Spanish, French, or German…too much to hope for?
I simply could not have said that better myself.
Kudos to the pope for getting the word “magnopere” in there. That’s some delightful Latin showboating.
After 50 years I can still read and understand Latin, and I am not a cleric. That is what learns with a good Catholic education.
This is totally awsome! I am a ninth gradeer at Seton Catholic High School in Mesa, and I am currently taking Latin. However, I don’t know enough Latin yet to be able to translate the prayer. Would it be possible to send a translation?
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Well, Michael, they do have an ATM with the Latin option down the hall from Reggie…
I heart Benedict. His personal flourish will continue to pleasantly surprise all of us.