THE NECESSITY OF LATIN FOR THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

From the writings of Roman Catholic Saints, Popes, and Theologians

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You know, a time will come when a man will no longer be able
to say, “I speak Latin and am a Christian” and go his way in
peace. There will come frontiers, frontiers of all kinds --
between men—and there will be no end to them.—Cardinal St.
Cajetan
Liturgical Reform, having as one of its basic principles the
abolition of all mystical acts and formulations, insists upon the
usage of modern languages for the divine service.... The hatred
of the Latin language is inborn in the hearts of all who hate
Rome. They see in it a bond that unites throughout the world, a
weapon of orthodoxy against all the subtleties of the sectarian
spirit, and a most powerful arm of the Papacy.... Surely it is
one of the most masterful strokes of the reformers to declare war
on the holy language of Latin, for if they succeed in destroying
its use, their aims are all but accomplished. The liturgy, from
the moment it loses its sacred character and is offered to the
people in a profaned manner, becomes like a dishonored virgin....
How long do you think the faithful will go to hear these
self-styled liturgists cry “The Lord be with you” and how long
will they continue to respond “and with your spirit”? --Dom
Prosper Gueranger, “The Antiliturgical Heresy”
It [the Traditional Latin Mass] is virtually unchanged since
the third century.—John Henry Cardinal Newman, “Callistus”
For the Church, precisely because it embraces all nations and is
destined to endure until the end of time ... OF ITS VERY NATURE requires
a language that is universal, immutable, and non-vernacular.—Pope
Pius XI, Officiorum Omnium, 1922
The day the Church abandons her universal tongue [Latin] is
the day before she returns to the catacombs.—Pope Pius XII
The use of the Latin language prevailing in a great part of
the Church affords at once an imposing sign of unity and an
effective safeguard against the corruptions of true doctrine.
• Pope Pius XII, Mediator Dei, 1947, Sec. 60

Latin is the immutable language of the Western Church.

• Pope John XXIII

The Catholic Church has a dignity far surpassing that of every

merely human society, for it was founded by Christ the Lord. It is
altogether fitting, therefore, that the language it uses should be
noble, majestic, and non-vernacular.—Pope John XXIII, Veterum
Sapientia, February 22, 1962 (just eight months before the opening of
Vatican II), chap. 13
We also, impelled by the weightiest of reasons ... are fully
determined to restore this language to its position of honor and to do
all We can to promote its study and use. The employment of Latin has
recently been contested in some quarters, and many are asking what the
mind of the Apostolic See is in this matter. We have therefore decided
to issue the timely directives contained in this document, so as to
ensure that the ancient and uninterrupted use of Latin be maintained
and, where necessary, restored.—Pope John XXIII, Veterum Sapientia,
February 22, 1962 (just eight months before the opening of Vatican II),
chap. 13
The use of the Latin language ... is to be preserved in the
Latin rites.—Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium
(Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy), para. 36.1
In accordance with the age-old tradition of the Latin rite,
the Latin language is to be retained by clerics in the Divine
Office.—Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium
(Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy), para. 101.1
If the Church is to remain truly the Catholic Church, it is
essential to keep a universal tongue.—Cardinal Heenan (1967)
The Latin language is assuredly worthy of being defended with great
care instead of being scorned; for the Latin Church it is the most
abundant source of Christian civilization and the richest treasury of
piety.... We must not hold in low esteem these traditions of your
fathers, which were your glory for centuries.—Pope Paul VI,
Sacrificium Laudis, August 15, 1966, Epistle to Superiors General of
Clerical Religious Institutes Bound to Choir, on the Celebration of the
Divine Office in Latin
We cannot permit something that could be the cause of your
own downfall, that could be the source of serious loss to you,
and that surely would afflict the Church of God with sickness and
sadness.... The same Church gives you the mandate to safeguard
the traditional dignity, beauty, and gravity of the choral office
in both its language [Latin] and its chant.... Obey the commands
that a great love for your own ancient observances itself
suggests....—Pope Paul VI, Sacrificium Laudis, August 15, 1966,
Epistle to Superiors General of Clerical Religious
Institutes Bound to Choir, on the Celebration of the Divine
Office in Latin
We address especially the young people: In an epoch when in
some areas, as you know, the Latin language and the human values
are less appreciated, you must joyfully accept the patrimony of
the language which the Church holds in high esteem and must, with
energy, make it fruitful. The well-known words of Cicero, “It is
not so much excellent to know Latin, as it is a shame not to know
it” [Non tam praeclarum est scire Latine, quam turpe nescire
(Brutus, xxxvii.140)] in a certain sense are directed to you. We
exhort you all to lift up high the torch of Latin which is even
today a bond of unity among peoples of all nations.—Pope John
Paul II, 1978
Nevertheless, there are also those people who, having been
educated on the basis of the old liturgy in Latin, experience the
lack of this “one language,” which in all the world was an
expression of the unity of the Church and through its dignified
character elicited a profound sense of the Eucharistic Mystery.
It is therefore necessary to show not only understanding but also
full respect towards these sentiments and desires. As far as
possible these sentiments and desires are to be accommodated, as
is moreover provided for in the new dispositions. The Roman
Church has special obligations towards Latin, the splendid
language of ancient Rome, and she must manifest them whenever the
occasion presents itself.—Pope John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae,
February 24, 1980, sec. 10

LATIN: THE ROMAN CATHOLIC LANGUAGE

The greatest legacy of the Roman Empire to us was its language. So easy
was it to learn that the illiterate barbarians not only learned it, but after
they had conquered Rome, they preferred it to their local vernacular. So easy
was it to write that countless stones and books attest to centuries of knowledge
in its elegant letters. So easy was it to expand that varying disciplines such
as law and science were equally easy to express in it.
It was not happenstance, but the hand of Providence—God sticking His
finger directly into history, so to speak—that gave the infant Roman Catholic
Church not a babel of vernacular languages, but the third and last of the three
sacred languages. With it, the Church emerged fullblown after the persecutions
of the first three centuries and spread the Faith to all nations.
Through the Latin language, the Church inherited the universal character
of the Roman empire. It was because of this one language that Christianity
spread over that empire like wildfire—from Armenia in the East all the way to
Scotland in the North.
Latin has been the Catholic language, a unifying factor and a doctrinal
safeguard for the faith and morals of the Church. In a significant way, it
gives to the Church its marks of “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.” The
Roman historian Valerius Maximus (Memorabilium II.2.2), who lived during the
time of Christ, described Latin as the essential vehicle of communication in the
Apostolic Age: “From the age of the founding fathers, indeed, the majesty of
the Roman people was to be recognized. Therefore, among all other marks of
gravity, this particular rule always prevailed: No response was ever given to
any Greek except in the Latin language.”
The Christian writer Origen (?185-?254) saw the concurrence of the Pax
Romana, the Pax Augusta, with the rise of Christianity and that the two would
have to flow into a common tide. It was not a question of any historical
coincidence, but a manifestation of the ruling hand of Providence. “Of a truth,
God willed to prepare the nations for His teaching, and provided that they
should submit to one Roman Emperor. Nor should there be a plurality of kings
and nations alienated from one another, to make it more difficult for the
Apostles to follow what was commanded to them by the words of Christ, ‘Go ye
forth and teach all nations.’ And so, it was constituted for Jesus to be born
under Augustus who, in one great kingdom, had congregated the multitudes
scattered over the world” (Contra Celsum, II.412.30.)
Dante in his De Monarchia (I:16, II: 11-12) held that Christ either
awaited or arranged that the Incarnation waited until the time of Augustus, when
there was a complete and single-world government that pacified the world, when
mankind enjoyed the blessing of universal peace and tranquility, called by St.
Paul the “fullness of time.” It has been said that the Roman Catholic Church is
the last great gift of the Roman Empire.
Thus, the Latin language is Providence’s vehicle for communicating the one
true Faith to the world. Latin is the essence of everything Roman. Intrinsic
within its grammar and syntax is an unmatched capacity for analysis, resolution,
appraisal, definition, ascertainment, determination, trial and evidence,
criticism and judgment. Latin is the essence of everything Roman: simple,
straightforward, and direct, an irreducible tongue by which fragmentation was
not possible. No language in history has lent itself so perfectly to
the radiation of a belief and to the construction of a creed.
Recent scholarship points to the fact that at Rome and its environs Latin
was the language of the Roman Catholic liturgy not from the third century as
previously believed, but as early as St. Paul’s journey to the area of Pompeii
(Acts 28:14) around the year 60, some thirty years after Christ’s death on the
cross.
Christ Himself may have spoken Latin. The words of the Roman centurion
that we recall at every Mass, Domine, non sum dignus, are likely to have been
quoted in the language in which they were spoken, and Christ’s reply may well
have been in the same tongue, just like His interview with Pontius Pilate.
It is this sacred language in which has come down to us the Divine Office
said by the clergy around the hours of the day; the only authoritative version
of the Scriptures, St. Jerome’s Vulgate; canon law and theology, doctrine and
dogma; and the prayers and devotions of the Church for twenty centuries. But
most of all, it is in the immemorial Mass, which we celebrate here today.
As the late Archbishop Dwyer of Portland, Oregon, put it, our traditional
Latin liturgy possesses “much restraint and austerity, an impressive beauty, a
generous melody.” With it we express a sense of the holy and divine that our
souls so ardently desire.
For our souls, as God created them, do not seek a God of slang and
slogans. Our souls seek an almighty God, a God Who in all His sacredness and
awesomeness must be approached in our public worship with a deep sense of
majesty, and prayed to in a language steeped in dignity, mysticism, and
holiness. Fathers at the Council of Trent had underlined the special reverence
aroused by the use of the sacred language instead of the vulgar tongues, which
elicited “the contempt of men who find it easy to ignore things that are
familiar to them and common.”
In modern times, we are witnessing a tendency toward a loss of our
Catholic Tradition. This tendency has been particularly active in the last
thirty years. This tendency is in fact temporary. We traditional Catholics,
worshipping as the Roman Catholic Church always has, with the Traditional Latin
Mass, are evidence of that.
And we are joined by tens of thousands across this country and over a
million throughout the world in doing so. Latin Gregorian chant cannot be kept
in stock at record stores. The study of Latin in our schools is again
blossoming. When the present generation passes, we can be confident that the
Traditional Latin Mass will continue and grow, just as it has for the last two
millennia.
All of us can rededicate ourselves to preserving our great western
heritage and Roman Catholic tradition. We can study more deeply this great gift
that the Church has given to us, the Traditional Latin Mass, “the most beautiful
thing this side of heaven” [Frederick Faber].
We can increase our familiarity with the sacred language of this Mass and
of our Faith. A good place to start would be the Pater Noster, the Ave Maria,
and the Gloria Patri, which every Catholic should know. Use them when you say
the Rosary. Use them when you say the Angelus.
In this, we follow the current pope, who has joined his predecessors in
addressing this charge to faithful Catholics [1978]: “You must joyfully accept
the patrimony of the language which the Church holds in high esteem and must,
with energy, make it fruitful. [In] the well-known words of Cicero, ‘It is not
so much excellent to know Latin, as it is a shame not to know it’” [Non tam
praeclarum est scire Latine, quam turpe nescire (Brutus, xxxvii.140)]. +
Providence gave the Church a great gift, the Latin language, which was the
perfect vessel for the expression of the perfect theology and the perfect
practical instrument for maintaining “catholic” the Faith through the centuries.
Like a priceless gem, since the beginning of the Church (as now confirmed
by archaeology), Latin has been the divinely established vehicle for the
expression of Catholic theology and doctrine. All the great minds of the Church
formulated their discussions and explanations in this language, which is
unparalleled for clarity and precision (don’t those vernacular documents from
the Vatican now sound muddled as never before Vatican II?). St. Augustine, St.
Anselm, St. Albert, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Bonaventure, St. Alphonsus, all the
Popes and Councils, all the Fathers and Doctors honed Catholic doctrine
carefully in this expressive language.
With 2000 years of Roman Catholic Tradition and dogma, plus the
confirmation, implicit or explicit, of every pope, the vernacular is really
untenable. Latin is the gatekeeper of the Roman Catholic Faith.
Dom Prosper Gueranger, the great liturgist of the 19th century,
demonstrated that it was “the sympathy of heretics for the vernacular in the
divine service” that had brought the Council of Trent to “pronounce a dogmatic
definition in this matter which at first seemed only to affect discipline.”
Instead, the Council Fathers had not taken a disciplinary measure, but had given
a “dogmatic definition” establishing Latin as a sacred language and ipso facto,
excluding vernaculars from the liturgy of the Mass.
Fears expressed if the Church were ever to abandon her Latin language have
come true in the post-Vatican II period:
Pre-Vatican II: The Holy See feared that the substitution of national languages
for Latin would be opening the door to schism and the nationalization of
worship. Post-Vatican II: the liturgy has become nationalized.
Pre-Vatican II: The Holy See feared that the introduction of the vulgar tongues
would work toward the separation from Rome of the nationalized churches. Post-
Vatican II: The “American Church,” the “French Church,” the “German Church,”
etc., are in effect in schism from the Roman Catholic Church, hanging only by
the thread of a facade.
Pre-Vatican II: The Holy See viewed Latin as going with Catholicism
and the vernacular with Protestantism. Post-Vatican II: The institutional
Catholic Church has become Protestantized in liturgy and doctrine to a degree
that not even Martin Luther imagined.
It is not happenstance that when the Novus Ordo apparatus abandoned the
Church’s catholic language, the Church began disintegrating. You see, language
is not just some accident, like the particular glint of a gemstone. Rather, it
is at the essence of the gemstone. If you try to split it, you risk fracturing
the entire stone. Anyone who has seriously studied language is well aware that
thought (semantics) and its expression (language) are inseparable. That is
exactly what happened when the Novus Ordo apparatus began to abandon its
Latinitas, its Romanitas.
Nor was this happenstance either, or for any of the mindless mantras one
hears—for better “participation” of the “people,” for “aggiornamento,” for
“modernismo,” or whatever. Rather, it was deliberately planned so that a new
theology could be constructed. It was the first and most serious coffin-nail
driven into the Church by Vatican II and its aftermath.
It seems common in some traditional circles these days to underestimate
the importance of the Roman Catholic’s Church’s proper language. Of course,
all traditional Catholics understand that the Latin language must be retained in
the Divine Office, the Holy Mass, and the Sacraments. But one can never
underestimate the importance of Latin in retaining the unadulterated doctrine of
the Church. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE VULGAR LANGUAGES INTO THE
CHURCH WAS THE
SINGLE ACTION THAT ALLOWED THE NEW ORDER RELIGION TO BE CREATED.
The New Order Innovators knew full well that they could not foist their
New Religion upon the Church if they used the traditional Latin. Is it any
wonder, then, that the first action they took after Vatican II was to introduce
the vulgar tongues into the Church?
Traditional Catholics should never underestimate the importance of Latin
in the divine plan for the Roman Catholic Church. They should learn it, at
least to some degree, and fight for it. Who could be considered a Jew without
being able to read passages from the Torah? Jews are proud to study their
sacred language at Saturday schools. Why are Catholics, even traditional
Catholics, fail to do the same with their sacred language?
Many Church writers, including the Franciscan Tertiary Dante Alighieri,
tied the Latin language inextricably with the fate of the Church. In more
recent times, Pope Pius XII presciently warned in 1958:
The day the Catholic Church gives up its Latin language is the day it
returns to the catacombs.
Well, folks, wasn’t the pope right? Isn’t traditional Catholicism back in
the catacombs? But remember that the Church rose victorious from the catacombs,
as will true Catholicism.

SANCTISSIMI DOMINI NOSTRI IOANNIS

DIVINA PROVIDENTIA PAPAE XXIII
CONSTITUTIO APOSTOLICA
DE LATINITATIS STUDIO PROVEHENDO
IOANNES EPISCOPUS
SERVUS SERVORUM DEI
AD PERPETUAM REI MEMORIAM

VETERUM SAPIENTIA, in Graecorum Romanorumque inclusa litteris, itemque

clarissima antiquorum populorum monumenta doctrinae, quasi quaedam praenuntia
aurora sunt habenda evangelicae veritatis, quam Filius Dei, gratiae
disciplinaeque arbiter et magister, illuminator ac deductor generis humani,(1)
his nuntiavit in terris. Ecclesiae enim Patres et Doctores, in praestantissimis
vetustorum illorum temporum memoriis quandam agnoverunt
animorum praeparationem ad supernas suscipiendas divitias, quas Christus Iesus
in dispensatione plenitudinis temporum(2) cum mortalibus communicavit; ex quo
illud factum esse patet, ut in ordine rerum christianarum instaurato nibil sane
perierit, quod verum, et iustum, et nobile, denique pulchrum ante acta saecula
peperissent.
Quam ob rem Ecclesia sancta eius modi sapientiae documenta, et in primis Graecam
Latinamque linguas, sapientiae ipsius auream quasi vestem, summo quidem honore
coluit: atque etiam venerandos sermones alios, qui in
orientis plagis floruerunt, quippe cum ad humani generis profectum, et ad mores
conformandos haud parum valerent, in usum recepit; iidemque sive in religiosis
caerimoniis sive in Sacrarum Scripturarum inter pretatione adhibiti, usque ad
praesens tempus in quibusdam regionibus, perinde ac vivacis antiquitatis.
numquam intermissae voces, viguerunt.
Quarum in varietate linguarum ea profecto eminet, quae primum in Latii finibus
exorta, deinde postea mirum quantum ad christianum nomen in occidentis regiones
disseminandum profecit. Siquidern non sine divino consilio illud evenit, ut qui
sermo amplissimam gentium consortionem sub Romani Imperii auctoritate saecula
plurima sociavisset, is et proprius
Apostolicae Sedis evaderet(3) et, posteritati servatus, cristianos Europae
populos alios cum aliis arto unitatis vinculo coniungeret.
Suae enim sponte naturae lingua Latina ad provehendum apud populos quoslibet
omnem humanitatis cultum est peraccommodata: cum invidiam non commoveat,
singulis gentibus se aequabilem praestet, nullius partibus faveat, omnibus
postremo sit grata et amica. Neque hoc neglegatur oportet, in sermone Latino
nobilem inesse conformationem et proprietatem; siquidem loquendi genus pressum,
locuples, numerosum, maiestatis plenum et dignitatis(4) habet, quod unice et
perspicuitati conducit et gravitati.
His de causis Apostolica Sedes nullo non tempore linguam Latinam studiose
asservandam curavit eamque dignam existimavit, qua tamquam magnifica caelestis
doctrinae sanctissimarumque legum veste(5) uteretur ipsa in sui exercitatione
magisterii, eademque uterentur sacrorum administri. Hi namque ecclesiastici
viri, ubicumque sunt gentium,
Romanorum sermone adhibito, quae sunt Sanctae Sedis promptius comperire possunt,
atque cum ipsa et inter se expeditius habere commercium.
Eam igitur, adeo cum vita EccIesiae conexam, scientia et usu babere perceptam,
non tam humanitatis et litterarum, quam religionis interest,(6) quemadmodum
Decessor Noster imm. mem. Pius XI monuit, qui, rem ratione et
via persecutus, tres demonstravit huius linguae dotes, cum Ecelesiae natura mire
congruentes: Etenim EccIesia, ut quae et nationes omnes complexu suo contineat,
et usque ad consummationem saeculorum sit permansura ..., sermonem suapte natura
requirit universalem, immutabilem, non vulgarem.(7)
Nam cum ad EccIesiam Romanam necesse sit omnem convenire ecclesiam,(8) cumque
Summi Pontifices potestatem habeant vere episcopalem, ordinariam et immediatam
tum in omnes et singulas EccIesias, tum in omnes et singulos pastores et
fideles(9) cuiusvis ritus, cuiusvis gentis, cuiusvis linguae, consentaneum
omnino videtur ut mutui commercii instrumentum universale sit et aequabile,
maxime inter Apostolicam Sedem et EccIesias, quae eodem ritu Latino utuntur.
Itaque tum Romani Pontifices, si quid catholicas gentes docere volunt, tum
Romanae Curiae Consilia, si qua negotia expediunt, si qua decreta conficiunt, ad
universitatem fidelium spectantia, semper linguam Latinam haud secus usurpant,
ac si materna vox ab innumeris gentibus accepta ea sit.
Neque solum universalis, sed etiam immutabilis lingua ab Ecclesia adhibita sit
oportet. Si enim catholicae Ecclesiae veritates traderentur vel nonnullis vel
multis ex mutabilibus linguis recentioribus, quarum nulla ceteris auctoritate
praestaret, sane ex eo consequeretur, ut hinc earum vis neque satis
significanter neque satis dilucide, qua varietate eae sunt, omnibus
pateret; ut illinc nulla communis stabilisque norma haberetur, ad quam
ceterarum. sensus esset expendendus. Re quidem ipsa, lingua Latina, iamdiu
adversus varietates tuta, quas cotidiana populi consuetudo in vocabulorum
notionem inducere solet, fixa quidem. Censenda est et immobilis; cum novae
quorundam verborum Latinorum significationes, quas christianarum. doctrinarum
progressio, explanatio, defensio postulaverunt, iamdudum firmae eae sint
rataeque.
Cum denique catholica Ecclesia, utpote a Christo Domino condita, inter omnes
humanas societates longe dignitate praestet, profecto decet eam lingua uti non
vulgari, sed nobilitatis et maiestatis plena.
Praetereaque lingua Latina, quam dicere catholicam vere possumus,(10) utpote
quae sit Apostolicae Sedis, omnium Ecclesiarum matris et magistrae, perpetuo usu
consecrata, putanda est et thesaurus ... incomparandae praestantiae,(11) et
quaedam quasi ianua, qua aditus omnibus patet ad ipsas christianas
veritates antiquitus acceptas et ecclesiasticae doctrinae monumen ta
interpretanda;(12) et vinculum denique peridoneum, quo praesens
Ecciesiae aetas cum superioribus cumque futuris mirifice continetur.
Neque vero cuique in dubio esse potest, quin sive Romanorum sermoni sive
honestis litteris ea vis insit, quae ad tenera adulescentium ingenia
erudienda et conformanda perquam apposita ducatur, quippe qua tum praecipuae
mentis animique facultates exerceantur, maturescant, perficiantur; tum mentis
sollertia acuatur iudicandique potestas; tum puerilis intellegentia aptius
constituatur ad omnia recte complectenda et aestimanda; tum postremo summa
ratione sive cogitare sive loqui discatur.
Quibus ex reputatis rebus sane intellegitur cur saepe et multum Romani
Pontifices non solum linguae Latinae momentum praestantiamque in tanta laude
posuerint, sed etiam. studium et usum sacris utriusque cleri administris
praeceperint, periculis denuntiatis ex eius neglegentia manantibus.
Iisdem igitur adducti causis gravissimis, quibus Decessores Nostri et Synodi
Provinciales,(13) Nos quoque firma voluntate enitimur, ut huius linguae, in suam
dignitatem restitutae, studium cultusque etiam atque etiam provehatur. Cum enim
nostris temporibus sermonis Romani usus multis locis in controversiam coeptus
sit vocari, atque adeo plurimi quid Apostolica Sedes hac de re sentiat
exquirant, in animum propterea induximus, opportunis normis gravi hoc documento
editis, cavere ut vetus et numquam intermissa linguae Latinae retineatur
consuetudo, et, sicubi prope exoIeverit, plane redintegretur.
Ceterum qui sit Nobismetipsis hac de re sensus, satis aperte, ut Nobis videtur,
declaravimus, cum haec verba ad claros Latinitatis studiosos fecimus: Pro dolor,
sunt sat multi, qui mira progressione artium abnormiter capti, Latinitatis
studia et alias id genus disciplinas repellere vel coërcere sibi sumant ... Hac
ipsa impellente necessitate, contrarium
prosequendum iter esse putamus. Cum prorsus in animo id insideat, quod magis
natura et dignitate bominis dignum sit, ardentius acquirendum est id, quod
animum colat et ornet, ne miseri mortales similiter ac eae, quas fabricantur,
machinae, algidi, duri et amoris expertes exsistant.(14)
Quibus perspectis atque cogitate perpensis rebus, certa Nostri muneris
conscientia et auctoritate haec, quae sequuntur, statuimus atque praecipimus.
l. Sacrorum Antistites et Ordinum, Religiosorum Summi Magistri parem dent
operam, ut vel in suis Seminariis vel in suis Scholis, in quibus adulescentes ad
sacerdotium instituantur hac in re Apostolicac Sedis voluntati studiose
obsequantur omnes, et hisce Nostris praescriptionibus diligentissime pareant.
2. Paterna iidem sollicitudine caveant, ne qui e sua dicione, novarum rerum
studiosi, contra linguam Latinam sive in altioribus sacris disciplinis tradendis
sive in sacris habendis ritibus usurpandam scribant, neve praeiudicata opinione
Apostolicae Sedis voluntatem hac in re extenuent vel perperam interpretentur.
3. Quemadmodum sive Codicis luris Canonici (can. 1364) sive Decessorum Nostrorum
praeceptis statuitur, sacrorum alumni, antequam studia proprie ecclesiastica
inchoent, a peritissimis magistris apta via ac ratione
congruoque temporis spatio lingua Latina accuratissime imbuantur, hanc etiam ob
causam, ne deinde, cum ad maiores disciplinas accesserint ... fiat ut prae
sermonis inscitia plenam doctrinarum intellegentiam assequi non possint, nedum
se exercere scholasticis illis disputationibus, quibus egregie iuvenum acuuntur
ingenia ad defensionem veritatis.(15) Quod ad eos quoque pertinere volumus, qui
natu maiores ad sacra capessenda munia divinitus vocati,
humanitatis studiis vel nullam vel nimis tenuem, tradiderunt operam. Nemini enim
faciendus est aditus ad Philosophicas vel theologicas disciplinas tractandas,
nisi plane perfecteque hac lingua eruditus sit, eius que sit usu praeditus.
4. Sicubi autem, ob assimulatam studiorum rationem in publicis civitatis scholis
obtinentem, de linguae Latinae cultu aliquatenus detractum sit, cum germanae
firmaeque doctrinae detrimento, ibi tralaticium huius linguae
tradendae ordinem redintegrari omnino censemus; cum persuasum cuique esse
debeat, hac etiam in re, sacrorum alumnorum institutionis rationem religiose
esse tuendam, non tantum ad disciplinarum numerum et genera, sed etiam ad
earum docendarum temporis spatia quod attinet. Quodsi, vel temporum vel locorum
postulante cursu, ex necessitate aliae sint ad communes adiciendae disciplinae,
tunc ea de causa aut studiorum porrigatur curriculum, aut disciplinae eaedem in
breve cogantur, aut denique earum studium ad aliud reiciatur tempus.
5. Maiores sacraeque disciplinae, quemadmodum est saepius praescriptum,
tradendae sunt lingua Latina; quae ut plurium saeculorum usu cognitum habemus,
aptissima existimatur ad difficillimas subtilissimasque
rerum formas et notiones valde commode et perspicue explicandas;(16) cum
superquam quod propriis ea certisque vocabulis iampridem aucta sit, ad
integritatem catholicae fidei tuendam accommodatis, etiam ad inanem
loquacitatem recidendam sit non mediocriter habilis. Quocirca qui sive in
maximis Athenaeis, sive in Seminariis has profitentur disciplinas, et
Latine loqui tenentur, et libros, scholarum usui destinatos, lingua Latina
scriptos adhibere. Qui si ad hisce Sanctae Sedis praescriptionibus
parendum, prae linguae Latinae ignoratione, expediti ipsi non sint, in eorum
locum doctores ad hoc idonei gradatim sufficiantur. Difficultates vero, si quae
vel ab alumnis vel a professoribus afferantur, hinc Antistiturn et Moderatorum
constantia hinc bono doctorum animo eae vincantur necesse est.
6. Quoniam lingua Latina est lingua Ecclesiae viva, ad cotidie succrescentes
sermonis necessitates comparanda, atque adeo novis iisque aptis et congruis
ditanda vocabulis, ratione quidem aequabili, universali et cum veteris linguae
Latinae ingenio consentanea - quam scilicet rationem et Sancti Patres et optimi
scriptores, quos scholasticos vocant, secuti sunt - mandamus proptera S.
Consilio Seminariis Studiorumque Universitatibus praeposito, ut
ACADEMICUM LATINITATIS INSTITUTUM condendum curet.
Huic Instituto, quo corpus Doctorum confletur oportet, linguis Latina et Graeca
peritorum, ex variisque orbis partibus arcessitorum, illud
praecipue erit propositum, ut - haud secus atque singularum civitatum Academiae,
suae cuiusque nationis linguae provehendae constitutae - simul
prospiciat congruenti linguae Latinae progressioni, lexico Latino, si opus sit,
additis verbis cum eius indole et colore proprio convenientibus; simul scholas
habeat de universa cuiusvis aetatis Latinitate, cum primis de christiana. In
quibus scholis ad pleniorem linguae Latinae scientiam, ad eius usum, ad genus
scribendi proprium et elegans ii informabuntur, qui vel ad linguam Latinam in
Seminariis et Collegiis ecclesiasticis docendam, vel ad decreta et iudicia
scribenda, vel ad epistolarum commercium exercendum in Consiliis Sanctae Sedis,
in Curiis dioecesium, in Officiis Religiosorum Ordinum destinantur.
7. Cum autem lingua Latina sit cum Graeca quam maxime coniuncta et suae
conformatione naturae et scriptorum pondere antiquitus traditorum, ad eam
idcirco, ut saepe numero Decessores Nostri praeceperunt, necesse est
qui futuri sunt sacrorum administri iam ab inferioris et medii ordinis scholis
instituantur; ut nempe, cum altioribus disciplinis operam dabunt, ac praesertim
si aut de Sacris Scripturis aut de sacra theologia academicos gradus appetent,
sit ipsis facultas, non modo fontes Graecos philosophiae scholasticae, quam
appellant, sed ipsos Sacrarum Scripturarum, Liturgiae, Ss.
Patrum, Graecorum primiformes codices adeundi probeque intellegendi.(17)
8. Eidem praeterea Sacro Consilio mandamus, ut linguae Latinae docendae
rationem, ab omnibus diligentissime servandam, paret, quam qui sequantur eiusdem
sermonis iustam cognitionem et usum capiant. Huiusmodi rationem, si res
postulaverit, poterunt quidem Ordinariorum coetus aliter digerere, sed eius
numquam immutare vel minuere naturam. Verumtamen iidem Ordinarii consilia sua,
nisi fuerint a Sacra Congregatione cognita et probata, ne sibi sumant efficere.
Extremum quae hac Nostra Constitutione statuimus, decrevimus, ediximus,
mandavimus, rata ea omnia et firma consistere et permanere auctoritate Nostra
Apostolica volumus et iubemus, contrariis quibuslibet non obstantibus,
etiam peculiari mentione dignis.
Datum, Romae, apud Sanctum Petrum, die xxii mensis Februarii, Cathedrae S. Petri
Ap. sacro, anno MDCCCCLXII, Pontificatus Nostri quarto.
IOANNES PP. XXIII

ADNOTATIONES
(1) TERTULL., Apol. 21; MIGNE, PL 1, 394.
(2) Eph. 1, 10.
(3) Epist. S. Congr. Stud. Vebementer sane, ad Ep. universos, 1 iul. 1908: Encb.
Cler., N. 820. Cf. etiam Epist. Ap. Pii XI, Unigenitus Dei Filius, 19 mar. 1924:
A. A. S. 16 (1924), 141.
(4) Pius XI, Epist. Ap. Officiorum omnium, 1 aug. 1922: A. A. S. 14 (1922), 452-
453.
(5) Pius XI, Motu Proprio Litterarum Latinarum, 20 oct. 1924: A. A. S. 16
(1924), 417.
(6) Pius XI, Epist. Ap. Officiorum omnium, 1 aug. 1922: A. A. S. 14 (1922), 452.
(7) Ibidem.
(8) S. IREN, Adv. Haer. 3, 3, 2; MIGNE, PG 7, 848.
(9) Cfr. C. I. C, can. 218, § 2.
(10) Cfr. Pius XI, Epist. Ap. Officiorum omnium, 1 aug. 1922: A. A. S. 14
(1922), 453.
(11) Pius XII, Alloc. Magis quam, 23 nov. 1951: A. A. S. 43 (1951), 737.
(12) LEO XIII, Epist. Encycl. Depuis le jour, 8 sept. 1899: Acta Leonis XIII 19
(1899), 166.
(13) Cfr. Collectio Lacensis, praesertim: vol. III, 1018 s. (Conc. Prov.
Westmonasteriense, a. 1859); vol. IV, 29 (Conc. Prov. Parisiense, a. 1849); vol.
IV, 149, 153 (Conc. Prov. Rhemense, a. 1849); vol. IV, 359, 361 (Conc.
Prov. Avenionense, a. 1849); vol. IV, 394, 396 (Conc. Prov. Burdigalense, a.
1850); vol. V, 61 (Conc. Stagoniense, a. 1858); vol. V, 664 (Conc. Prov.
Colocense, a. 1863); vol. VI, 619 (Synod. Vicariatus Suchnensis, a. 1803).
(14) Ad Conventum internat. « Ciceronianis Studiis provehendis », 7 sept. 1959;
in Discorsi Messaggi Colloqui del Santo Padre GIOVANNI XXIII, I, pp. 234-235;
cf. etiam Alloc. ad cives dioecesis Placentinae Romam
peregrinantes habita, 15 apr. 1959: L’Osservatore Romano, 16 apr. 1959; Epist.
Pater misericordiarum, 22 aug. 1961: A. A. S. 53 (1961), 677; Alloc. in sollemni
auspicatione Collegii Insularum Philippinarum de Urbe habita,
7 oct. 1961. L’Osservatore Romano, 9-10 oct. 1961; Epist. lucunda laudatio, 8
dec. 1961: A. A. S. 53 (1961), 812.
(15) Pius XI, Epist. Ap. Officiorum omnium, 1 aug. 1922: A. A, S. 14 (1922),
453.
(16) Epist. S. C. Studiorum, Vehementer sane, 1.11.1908: Ench. Cler, n. 821.
(17) LEO XIII, Litt. Encycl. Providentissimus Deus, 18 nov. 1893: Acta Leonis
XIII, 13
(1893), 342; Epist. Plane quidem intelligis, 20 maii 1885, Acta, 5, 63-64; Pius
XII, Alloc. Magis quam, 23 sept. 1951: A. A. S. 43 (1951), 737.

VETERUM SAPIENTIA
APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION
ON PROMOTING THE STUDY OF LATIN
Of His Holiness John XXIII
Pope by Divine Providence

John, Bishop
Servant of the Servants of God
For a Perpetual Remembrance

[Part I]
[THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF LATIN]
[1. The Church’s Heritage]
[1] THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENT WORLD, enshrined in Greek and Roman
literature, and the truly memorable teaching of ancient peoples, served,
surely, to herald the dawn of that gospel which God’s Son, ^Ìthe judge
and teacher of grace and truth, the light and guide of the human race’,
1 proclaimed on earth.
Such, at any rate, was the view of the Church’s Fathers and Doctors. In
these outstanding literary monuments of antiquity they recognized man’s
spiritual preparation for the supernatural riches which Jesus Christ
communicated to mankind ‘to give history its fulfilment’. 2
Thus the inauguration of Christianity did not mean the obliteration of
man’s past achievements. Nothing was lost that was in any way true,
right, noble, and beautiful.
[2] The Church has ever held the literary evidences of this wisdom in
the highest esteem. She values especially the Greek and Latin languages,
in which wisdom itself is cloaked, as it were, in a vesture of gold. She
has likewise welcomed the use of other venerable languages, which
flourished in the East, for these too have had no little influence on
the progress of humanity and civilization. By their use in sacred
liturgies and versions of Holy Scripture they have remained in force in
certain regions even to the present day, bearing constant witness to the
living voice of antiquity.
[3] But amid this variety of languages a primary place must surely be
given to that language which had its origins in Latium and later proved
so admirable a means for the spreading of Christianity throughout the
West. And since in God’s special providence this language united so many
nations together under the authority of the Roman Empire - and that for
so many centuries - it also became the rightful language of the
Apostolic See. 3 It was thus preserved for posterity and was
instrumental in joining the Christian peoples of Europe together in the
close bonds of unity.
[2. The cultural value of Latin]
[4]. Of its very nature Latin is most suitable for promoting every form
of culture among peoples. It gives rise to no jealousies. It does not
favour any one nation, but presents itself with equal impartiality to
all, and is equally acceptable to all.
Nor must we overlook the characteristic nobility of Latin’s formal
structure. Its ‘concise, varied, and harmonious style, full of majesty
and dignity’, 4 makes for singular clarity and impressiveness of
expression.
[3. Its religious value]
[5] For these reasons the Apostolic See has always been at pains to
preserve Latin, deeming it worthy of being used in the exercise of her
teaching authority ‘as the splendid vesture of her heavenly doctrine and
sacred laws’.6 She further requires her sacred ministers to use it, for
by so doing they are the better able, wherever they may be, to acquaint
themselves with the mind of the Holy See on any matter, and communicate
the more easily with Rome and with one another.
[6] Thus the ‘knowledge and use of this language’, so intimately bound
up with the Church’s life, ‘is important not so much on cultural or
literary grounds as for religious reasons’.6 These are the words of Our
Predecessor, Pius XI, who conducted a scientific enquiry into this whole
subject and indicated three qualities of the Latin language which
harmonize to a remarkable degree with the Church’s nature. ‘For the
Church, precisely because it embraces all nations and is destined to
endure until the end of time ... of its very nature requires a language
which is universal, immutable, and non-vernacular.’ 7
[4. The Church’s living language]
[(a) Universal]

[7] Since ‘every Church must assemble round the Roman Church’. 8 and
since the Supreme Pontiffs have ‘true episcopal power, ordinary and
immediate, over each and every Church and over each and every Pastor, as
well as over the faithful’ 9 of every rite and every language, it seems
particularly desirable that the instrument of mutual communication be
uniform and universal, especially between the Apostolic See and the
Churches which use the same Latin rite.
When, therefore, the Roman Pontiffs wish to instruct the Catholic world,
or the Congregations of the Roman Curia handle affairs or draw up
decrees which concern the whole body of the faithful, they invariably
make use of Latin, for this is the ‘mother tongue’ acceptable to
countless nations.
[(b) Immutable]
[8] Furthermore, the Church’s language must be not only universal but
also immutable. Modern languages are liable to change, and no single one
of them is superior to the others in authority. Thus if the truths of
the Catholic Church were entrusted to an unspecified number of them, the
meaning of these truths, varied as they are, would not be manifested to
everyone with sufficient clarity and precision. There would, moreover,
be no language that could serve as a common and constant norm by which
to gauge the exact meaning of other renderings.
But Latin is indeed such a language. It is set and unchanging. It has
long since ceased to be affected by those alterations in the meaning of
words which are the normal result of daily, popular use. Certain Latin
words, it is true, acquired new meanings as Christian teaching developed
and needed to be explained and defended, but these new meanings have
long since become accepted and firmly established.
[© Non-vernacular]
[9] Finally, the Catholic Church has a dignity far surpassing that of
every merely human society, for it was founded by Christ the Lord. It is
altogether fitting, therefore, that the language it uses should be noble
and majestic, and non-vernacular.
[5. Other advantages of Latin: its educational value]
[10] In addition, the Latin language ‘can be called truly Catholic’. 10
It has been consecrated through constant use by the Apostolic See, the
mother and teacher of all Churches, and must be esteemed ‘e treasure . .
. of incomparable worth’. 11 It is a general passport to the proper
understanding of the Christian writers of antiquity and the documents of
the Church’s teaching. 12 It is also a most effective bond, binding the
Church of today with that of the past and of the future in wonderful
continuity.
[11] There can be no doubt as to the formative and educational 1 value
of the language of the Romans and of great literature generally. It is a
most effective training for the pliant minds of youth. It exercises,
matures and perfects the principal faculties of mind and spirit. It
sharpens the wits and gives keenness of judgment. It helps the young
mind to grasp things accurately, and develop a true sense of values. It
is also a means for teaching highly intelligent thought and speech.
[6. The Church’s policy with regard to Latin]
[12] It will be quite clear from these considerations why the Roman
Pontiffs have so often extolled the excellence and importance of Latin,
and why they have prescribed its study and use by the secular and
regular clergy, forecasting the dangers that would result from its
neglect.
[13] And We also, impelled by the weightiest of reasons - the same as
those which prompted Our Predecessors and provincial synods 13 - are
fully determined to restore this language to its position of honour and
to do all We can to promote its study and use. The employment of Latin
has recently been contested in some quarters, and many are asking what
the mind of the Apostolic See is in this matter. We have therefore
decided to issue the timely directives contained in this document, so as
to ensure that the ancient and uninterrupted use of Latin be maintained
and, where necessary, restored.
[14] It seems to Us We made Our own views on this subject sufficiently
plain in Our address to some eminent Latin scholars. ‘It is a matter of
regret’, We said, ‘that so many people, unaccountably dazzled by the
marvellous progress of science, are taking it upon themselves to oust or
restrict the study of Latin and other kindred subjects ... Yet in spite
of the urgent need for science, Our own view is that the very contrary
policy should be followed. The greatest impression is made on the mind
by those things which correspond more closely to man’s nature and
dignity, and therefore the greater zeal should be shown in the
acquisition of whatever educates and enobles the mind. Otherwise poor
mortal creatures may well become like the machines they build - cold,
hard, and devoid of love’. 14

[PART II]
[PROVISIONS FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE STUDY OF LATIN]
[15] With the foregoing considerations in mind, to which We have given
careful thought, We now, in the full consciousness of Our office and in
virtue of Our authority, decree and command the following:
1. Bishops and superiors-general of religious orders shall be at
pains to ensure that in their seminaries, and in their schools where
adolescents are trained for the priesthood, all shall studiously observe
the Apostolic See’s decision in this matter and obey these Our
prescriptions most carefully.
2. In the exercise of their paternal care they shall be on their
guard lest anyone under their jurisdiction, being eager for innovation
(novarum rerum studios), writes against the use of Latin in the
teaching of the higher sacred studies or in the liturgy, or through
prejudice makes light of the Holy See’s will in this regard or
interprets it fa1sely.
3. As is laid down in Canon Law (can. 1364) or commanded by Our
Predecessors, before Church students begin their ecclesiastica1 studies
proper they shall be given a sufficiently lengthy course of instruction
in Latin by highly competent masters following a method designed to
teach them the language with the utmost accuracy. ‘And that too for this
reason: lest later on, when they begin their major studies ... they are
unable by reason of their ignorance of the language to gain a full
understanding of the doctrines or take part in those scholastic
disputations which constitute so excellent an intellectual training for
young men in the defence of the faith.’ 15
We wish the same rule to apply to those whom God calls to the
priesthood later on in life and whose classical studies have either been
neglected or conducted too superficially. No one is to be admitted to
the study of philosophy or theology except he be thoroughly and
perfectly grounded in this language and capable of using it.
4. Wherever the study of Latin has suffered partial eclipse
through the assimilation of the academic programme to that which obtains
in State schools, with the result that the instruction given is no
longer so thorough and well grounded as formerly, there the traditional
method of teaching this language shall be completely restored. Such is
Our will, for there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind about the
necessity of keeping a strict watch over the course of studies followed
by Church students; and that not only as regards the number and kind of
subjects they study, but also as regards the length of time devoted to
the teaching of these subjects.
Should circumstances of time and place demand the addition of
other subjects to the curriculum besides the usual ones, then either the
course of studies must be lengthened, or these additional subjects must
be condensed or their study relegated to another time.
5. In accordance with numerous previous instructions, the major
sacred sciences shall be taught in Latin, which, as we know from many
centuries of use, ‘must be considered most suitable for explaining with
the utmost facility and clarity the most difficult and profound ideas
and concepts’. 16 For apart from the fact that it has long since been
enriched with a vocabulary of appropriate and unequivocal terms best
calculated to safeguard the integrity of the Catholic faith, it also
serves in no slight measure to prune away useless verbiage.
Hence the professors of these sciences in universities or
seminaries are required to speak Latin and to make use of textbooks
written in Latin. Those whose ignorance of Latin makes it difficult for
them to obey these instructions shall gradually be replaced by
professors who are suited to this task. Any difficulties that may be
advanced by students or professors must be overcome either by the
patient insistence of the bishops or religious superiors, or by the good
will of the professors.
6. Since Latin is the Church’s living language, it must be
adequate to daily increasing linguistic requirements. It must be
furnished with new words that are apt and suitable for expressing modern
things, words that will be uniform and universal in their application
and constructed in conformity with the genius of the ancient Latin
tongue. Such was the method followed by the sacred Fathers and the best
scholastic writers. To this end, therefore, We commission the Sacred
Congregation of Seminaries and Universities to set up a Latin Academy
staffed by an international body of competent Latin and Greek
professors. The principal aim of this Academy - like the national
academies founded to promote their respective languages - will be to
superintend the proper development of Latin, augmenting the Latin
lexicon where necessary with words which conform to the particular
character and colour of the language.
It will also conduct schools for the study of Latin of every era,
particularly the Christian one. The aim of these schools will be to
impart a fuller understanding of Latin and the ability to use it and to
write it with proper elegance. They will exist for those who are
destined to teach Latin in seminaries and ecclesiastical colleges, or to
write decrees and judgments or conduct correspondence in the ministries
of the Holy See, diocesan curias, and the offices of religious orders.
7. Latin is closely allied to Greek both in formal structure and
the importance of its extant writings. Hence - as Our Predecessors have
frequently ordained - future ministers of the altar must be instructed
in Greek in the lower and middle schools. Thus, when they come to study
the higher sciences - and especially if they are aiming for a degree in
Sacred Scripture or.theology - they will be enabled to follow the Greek
sources of scholastic philosophy and understand them correctly; and not
only these, but also the original texts of Sacred Scripture, the
liturgy, and the sacred Greek Fathers. 17
8. We further commission the Sacred Congregation of Seminaries and
Universities to prepare a syllabus for the teaching of Latin which all
shall faithfully observe. The syllabus will be designed to give those
who follow it an adequate understanding of the language and its use.
Bishops in conference may indeed rearrange this syllabus if
circumstances warrant, but they must never curtail it or alter its
nature. Ordinaries may not take it upon themselves to put their own
proposals into effect until these have been examined and approved by the
Sacred Congregation.
[16] Finally, in virtue of Our Apostolic Authority, We will and command
that all the decisions, decrees, proclamations and recommendations of
this Our Constitution remain firmly established and ratified,
notwithstanding anything to the contrary however worthy of special note.
Given at Rome, at St Peter’s, on the feast of St.Peter’s Throne, on the
22nd day of February, in the year 1962, the fourth of Our Pontificate.
JOHN PP. XXIII

[NOTES]
1. Tertullian, ApoL 21; MIgne, P.L. I, p.394.
2. Eph. 1:10.
3. Epist. S. Cong. Stud. Vehementer sane, ad Ep. universos, 1 July 1908;
Ench. Cler., N. 820. Cf. also Epist. Ap. Pii XI, Unigenitus Dei Filius,
19 Mar. 1924; A.A.S. xvi (1924), p.l41.
4. Pius XI, Epist. Ap. Officiorum omnium, 1 Aug. 1922; A.A.S. XIV
(1922), pp. 452-453.
5. Pius XI, Motu Proprio Litterarum latinarum 20 Oct. 1924; A.A.S. XVI
(1924), p.417.
6. Pius XI, Epist. Ap. Officiorum omnium, 1 Aug. 1922; A.A.S. XIV
(1922), p.452.
7. Ibid.
8. St Iren., Adv. Haer. 3, 3, 2; Migne, P.G. VII, p.848.
9. Cf. C.I.C., can. 218, sec. 2.
10. Cf. Pius XI, Epist. Ap. Officiorum omnium, 1 Aug. 1922; A.A.S. XIV
(1922), p. 453.
11. Pius XII Alloc. Magis quam, 23 Nov. 1951, A.A.S. XLIII (1951),
p. 737.
12. Leo XIII, Epist. Encycl. Depuis le jour, 8 Sept. 1899, Acta Leonis
XIII, XIX (1899), p. 166.
13. Cf. Collectio Lacensis, especially: vol. III, p. 1018. (Conc. Prov.
Westmonasteriense, a. 1859); vol. IV, p. 29 (Cone. Prov. Parisiense, a.
1849) vol. IV, pp. l49, 153 (Col. Prov. Rhemense, a. 1849); vol. IV, pp.
359, 36; (Cone. Prov. Avenionense, a. 1849); vol. IV, pp. 394, 396 (Cone. Prov.
Burdigalense, a. 1850); vol. V, p.61 (Cone. Strigoniense, a. 1858); vol. V, p.
664 (Cone. Prov. Colocense, a. 1863); vol. VI, p.619 (Synod. Vicariatus
Suchnensis, a. 1803).
14. International Convention for the Promotion of Ciceronian Studies, 7
Sept. 1959, in Discorsi Messaggi Collogui of the Holy Father John XXIII,
I, pp. 234; cf. also Address to Roman pilgrims of the Diocese of
Piacenza, 15 April 1959: L’Osservatore Rom., 16 April 1959; Epist. Pater
misericordiarum, 22 Aug. 1961, A.A.S. LIII (1961), p. 677; Address given
on the occasion of the solemn inauguration of the College of the
Philippine Islands at Rome, 7 Oct. 1961: L’Osservatore Rom. 9-10 Oct.
1961; Epist. Iucunda laudatio, 8 Dec. 1961: A.A.S. LIII (1961, p.812.
15. Pius XI, Epist. Ap. Officiorum omnium, 1 Aug. 1922, A.A.S. XIV
(1922), p. 453.
16. Epist. S. C. Studiorum, Vehementer sane, 1 July 1908; Ench. Cler.,
n. 821.
17. Leo XIII, Litt. Encycl. Providentissimus Deus, 18 Nov. 1893, Acta
Leonis XIII, XIII (1893), p. 342, Epist. Plane quidem intelligis, 20 May
1885, Acta Leonis XIII, V, pp. 63-64, Pius XII, Alloc. Magis quam, 23
Sept. 1951, A.A.S. XLIII (1951), p. 737.

AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT
OF THE SOLEMN PAPAL SIGNING OF “VETERUM SAPIENTIA” BY POPE JOHN
XXIII

Egomet ipse praesens adfui sat proxime stans proper altare S. Petri in Basilica
Vaticana cum ipse Ioannes Pp. XXIII hoc documentum Veterum Sapienia publici
iuris fecit. Et res ita accidit:
Tota Basilica Vaticana ingenti multitudine fidelium repleta,
Summus Pontifex ingressus est et sermonem habuit praeclarum quo momentum et
valorem huius documenti (Veterum Sapientia) sat fuse et abundanter audientibus
explicavit et inter cetera hoc quoque dixit:
“Ne postea dici possit hunc Summum Pontificem iam aetate provectum non
bene intellexisse quali documento nomen suum subscribendo apposuisset, sed
tantummodo subscripsisse, quia alii hoc documentum illi ad subscribendum
dedereunt, Ego vobis dico me scire quid nunc subscribam et me quod in documento
scriptum est re vera velle et propeterea hoc documentum coram omnibus vobis in
hoc altari Sancti Petri sollemniter subscribam.”
Et coram omnibus nobis, me—ut dixi—sat proxime adstante, documentum
subscripsit.
Hoc est historice certum, quia ante tot testes public factum est.
[I myself was present, standing very closely to the altar of St. Peter in
the Vatican Basilica when Pope John XXIII enacted this document, “Veterum Sapientia,” as a
public law. And the event occurred as follows:
[The whole Vatican Basilica was full of a large crowd of the
Faithful. The Supreme Pontiff entered and gave an outstanding sermon
by which he explained at length and in detail to the audience the importance and
weightiness of this document (“Veterum Sapientia”), and among other things said
the following too:
[”Lest afterwards it may be said that this Supreme Pontiff,
now advanced in age, has not well understood what kind of document
he has enacted by signing his name, but has signed it only because
others gave this document to him for his signature, I say to you that I
know what I was signing and I willed in truth what was written in the
document, and consequently I solemnly signed this document before you
all on this altar of St. Peter.”
[And before all of us, while I—as I said—stood very closely
by, he signed the document.
[This is historicaly certain, because it was done publicly before
so many witnesses.] --Fr. Suitbertus a S. Ioanne a Cruce (Germanicus), Letter
of September 15, 1998, to the Familia Sancti Hieronymi

COMMENTARY ON “VETERUM SAPIENTIA”

FROM “IOTA UNUM” BY ROMANO AMERIO (PAGES 54-60)

By Veterum Sapientia John XXIII wanted to bring about a return

of the Church to its own principles....
The Pope attributed a very special importance to the document, and
the solemnities with which he surrounded its promulgation in St.
Peter’s, on the Confession, or Tomb, of St. Peter, in the presence of the
cardinals and of the whole Roman clergy, are unique in the history of the
present century. The outstanding importance of Veter