The Reformation of the 16th century first awoke a general desire for the use of the vernacular , France and Germany were particularly determined to secure tliis privilege. The Council of Trent, which was approached on this subject, however, onl}' so far regarded the de- mauds of Catharine de Medicis and the emperor Ferdi- nand on this point as to reaffirm the existing rides in the mildest possible terms, so as not to offend them (Sessio xxii, cap. 8: "Etsi missa magnam contineat populi fidelis eruditionem, non tamen expedire visum est patribus, ut [missa] vulgari lingua passim celebra- retur"). It only anathematizes those who claim that mass is to be exclusively celebrated in the vernacular: " Si quis dixerit, lingua tantum vulgari missam celebrari debere, anathema sit" (/. c. canon 9). Yet, in order to appear to make some concession to the requirements of the times, the synod decided (/. c. cap. 8), "Ne oves Christ! esurlant, neve parvuli panem petant, et non sit qui frangat eis, mandat S. synodus pastoribus et singulis curam anlmarum gerentibus, ut frequenter inter missa- rum celebrationem vel per se vel per alios ex iis, quaj in missa leguntur, aliquid exponant, atque inter cetera sanctissimi hujus sacriticii mysterium aliquod declarent, diebus prajsertim dominicis et festis," by which they acknowledged, perhaps more than they intended to do, the necessity of making an allowance for the desire of having the Scriptures explained in the vernacular. The reasons given by the Council of Trent for its determina- tion to continue the use of Latin as the language of the Church (given by Goschl in his Gfsc/iichllicke Barsfd- lunr/ (/. Cone. V. Trident. 1840, part ii, p. 135) are as fol- lows: 1. That, in consequence of tlie changes to which modern languages are liable, the terms of worship might be altered, and also the ideas connected with them, thus giving rise to heresies. 2. If mass were to be said in the vernacular, then the greater number of the priests would be unable to say mass in other than their native countries, as they would bo obliged to say mass in a dif- ferent language in every country. 3. The holy myster- ies, of which mass is the most important, shoidd not be presented to the masses in their own language, as, from their inability to understand their mysterious -import, occasion might thus arise for nii)deni heretics to profane these mysteries in tlie vernacular. All the' other rea- sons which have at various times been advanced in de- fence of the custom by I\oman Catholic writers are but variations on the above (comp. Forbes, Explanation of
the Thirty-nim Articles, ii, 434; Adolphus, Compendium Theolof/icum, p. 420).
BeUarmine (in his Works, iii, 119) attempts to com- plete and comment on these grounds. 1. He says " the Latin Church has always admmistered the sacraments in Latin, although this language had long since ceased to be the common language of the people." This is ad- mitting that circumstances are changed, but asserting, at the same time, that it is to be retained simply from halj- it. Bellarmine then attempts to prove its reasonable- ness. He says : " There is no pressing motive why the sacraments should be administered in the vernacular, while there arc many objections to it ; for there is no necessity that those who receive the sacraments shoidd understand the words which accompany them ; for the words are addressed either to the elements, as in the eucharist, the blessing of holy water, oil, etc., and these understand no language ; or else they are addressed to God, and he understands them all; or, again, they are addressed to persons who are to be consecrated or ab- solved, not instructed or editied, as in the sacraments of baptism and absolution ; hence it is at best a matter of indifterence to tlie person concerned whether he under- stood the words or not; it is further proved that persons deprived of reason can nevertheless receive baptism arid the sacrament of reconciliatio, which is seen in the bap- tism of new-born infants and the reconciliatio of sick persons when in an unconscious state." Yet Bellarmine himself, perceiving the difficulties of the position he had assumed, adds : " There are, moreover, hardly such gross- ly ignorant persons in the Latin Church as not to know in general, by the words which accompany it, which of the sacraments is being administered to them." Grant- ing this, we cannot understand, then, in what manner the use of Latin is to prevent the profanation of the sac- raments as set forth by the Council of Trent. Among the objections to the use of modern languages, we tind that '• the free intercourse between the difterent church- es, which they need as members of one body, is rendered by it much more difficult. I\Ioreover, Christians leav- ing their native country would thus be obliged to de- prive themselves from attending the divina officia." This is taking for granted that all Christians under- stand Latin ; for, unless they do, it would become a mat- ter of indifference to them whether they heard mass in that or another foreign language. " 2. The sacraments should always be attended by a certain majesty and in- spiring solemnity, which can be better preserved by not using their usual language. If it is granted that in public worship we should use special buildings, special costumes, special forms, etc., there cannot be any objec- tion against the propriety of using also a different lan- guage; not that Latin is in itself a more sacred lan- guage than another, but because it is better calculated to produce a feeling of reverence than the common tongue. 3. It is right that the sacramental words shoidd always be presented to all the people in the same man- ner and under the same form, to avoid the danger of changes and alterations. This is the more easily ac- complished by making all priests use the same lan- guage." Yet this does not always avoid the danger, for there have been instances of priests administering bap- tism ''in nomine patria, tilia et spiritua sancta." 4. '' By administering the sacraments in the vernacular a wide door would be opened to ignorance, for the priests would at last consider themselves fully qualified if they knew how to read. Latin would be totally forgotten, and they would be unable to read the fathers and even tlie Scrip- tures." Here we see another instance of the arroj;ance of the hierarchy, surpassing that of heathen Home, which, if it compelled subjected nations to adopt ifs lan- guage, did not, at least, prevent them from understand- ing it. Christian Rome seems, indeed, to be imbued with the idea that mankind praise and value most what they do nof understand.