I just had a nice long visit with an old friend, Fr Reginald Foster. You may know him as a famous Latinist. I’ve know him for just shy of 30 years, we figured out.
A glimpse of a spiffy book he showed me. You can tell me what it is.
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WOW! The two most wonderful books I ever held in my hand were, the first, a breviary from the time of St. Bernard of Clairvaux made for a wealthy French family, and an early book on Catholic martyrs printed sub rosa in England.
Lucky you.
Mega-kewl!
“Celebratum,” no less. I guess this is what ordinarily goes by the name “Decrees” of the Council of Trent. But the book itself is more emphatic: it is that Council.
I once found in puritan New England an edition hollowed out and turned into a keepsake box.
Seems like Fr. Foster would do well to train someone to follow in his footsteps as the chief proponent of the proper use of Latin in the Church. A particular reverend father comes to mind . . .
I saw a book at the Newsseum in DC this past week from the Council of Trent, but it was a List of Banned books at the time of the council
Fr.,
Why do you think the Latin Mass is the be-all and end-all of troubles with Catholics? [I assume you are addressing this to me, Fr. Z. There is no indication that it is addressed to me, even in the question itself. I have never suggested such a thing as you wrote.] Have you attended an Eastern rite liturgy? [Yes. Many times.] Why not fall back on that as liturgical reform–we wouldn’t have to reform anything. [Absurd. The Roman Rite has its own integral tradition.]
I have frequented Latin Mass with my wife and son before, and have also recently gone to Eastern rite liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Of the two, I honestly prefer the latter. Nevertheless, it is not the answer to all of my problems–the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are!
[And what does this have to do with anything I posted?]
Google Books has that very edition –
http://books.google.com/books?id=2jY8AAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover
So for those of us less educated in these matters, exactly what book is that?
I wonder if the two fathers conversed in Latin…
[Maybe! I’m not tellin’ o{];¬) ]
APX, Fr. will correct me, but it is the decrees of the Council of Trent, published some years after it was completed. See http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15030c.htm
No archivists gloves? Hopefully you were at least wearing mechanic jumpsuits!
Thank you Fr. Z for clearing up my unclear post.
But since the Roman rite has its own integral tradition, are you calling this a small ‘t’ or a large “T’ tradition? I mean, is it comparable to the Word of God himself as both Scripture and Tradition?
If not, then why make such a fuss about it? small ‘t’ traditions are nice, but are they worth potentially counteracting the entire Vatican Council? (again, I’m partially assuming that the traditionalist movement intends to replace the Novus Ordo altogether–even after the translation change)
[You know what? I had a pleasant visit with my old friend and teacher. This isn’t going to be turned into some sort of debate. There’s controversy enough in the comboxes under other entries. You might pick one of those to dig a rabbit hole about the Vatican II. Sheesh.]
Always seemed like a good guy. Hope he is well. Heard he took a fall a while back.
An institutional treasure.
Few years ago I picked up the same book for a few dollars at a used book store called Preserving Christian Publications.
Am I reading that correctly? That very book you are holding, Father Z, is printed in 1578? WOW! :)
Samwise says:
But since the Roman rite has its own integral tradition, are you calling this a small ‘t’ or a large “T’ tradition? I mean, is it comparable to the Word of God himself as both Scripture and Tradition?
In so far as it is mass said in Latin, I would say that John XXIII didn’t promulgate an Apostolic Constitution about something that is tradition not Tradition.
If not, then why make such a fuss about it? small ‘t’ traditions are nice, but are they worth potentially counteracting the entire Vatican Council? (again, I’m partially assuming that the traditionalist movement intends to replace the Novus Ordo altogether–even after the translation change)
More than once JRatzinger insisted that the Novus Ordo cannot be justified by the texts of Sacrosanctum Concilium. But nb: Two Cardinals, one the reputed Grand Elector of JPII, said that SC isn’t a very good document.
I first met Fr Reginald Foster in the Spring of St Thomas/Roccasecca/Fossanova trip. In 1989 I started taking his Latin classes and experiencing bi weekly his divine pedagogy.
One memory of the 1987 trip was that as Kevin White as I were walking from the restaurant in Fossanova to the train station, he insisted that we recite Chaucer’s prologue from the Canterbury Tales. Kevin is now a philosophy prof at Catholic Univ.
Should be: as K White and I were walking
Fr. Foster was just here at Belmont Abbey for a week-long Latin conference that our awesome Parochial Vicar organized! The photos of him on the FB page for the event captivated me https://www.facebook.com/pages/Veterum-Sapientia-2013/152961158211806 ~ no wonder everyone speaks of him with such affection. What an animated & fascinating man.
Glad that he’s doing okay. A great teacher and a real character, by all accounts! I wish I could meet him!
inara,
great photos! Love the Latin grammar student with the Pabst Blue Ribbon beer on his desk. And then the Latin sing-a-long with wine refreshment. It’s great being a Catholic!
Samwise, I see the point you are trying to make but Father Z was talking about visiting a friend and seeing an even older book. It’ s like he’s waltzing and you walked on the dance floor and started contra dancing.
My bad, Louie Verecchio got me all worked up over at his harvestingthefruitsofvaticanii.com. I apologize to anyone I offended–I love Latin, I just get angry when I see inconsistency. Pace Vobiscum!