Latin in the Mass
Latin in the Mass
The Second Vatican Council established that the use of the Latin language in the liturgy of the Latin Rite was to be retained. Nonetheless, it authorized its translation into the vernacular, leaving to the bishops’ conferences, with the approval of the Holy See, to what extent this would be done. By the 1970s, it was clear that the vernacular was being widely adopted in all parts of the world. It was in this context that Pope Paul VI, in Jubilate Deo, renewed the call for use of Latin and Gregorian Chant, especially in the common parts of the Mass. Thus, in the EWTN Mass, Papal Masses, and other Masses celebrated around the world, you will notice these common parts, such as the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei, said or sung in Latin.