Pope Brings Latin to Twitter

Recently, Catholics have shown a renewed interest in the Latin language. For instance, many dioceses have added Latin Masses to their schedules. In the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau in Missouri, Father Jeff Fasching celebrates Latin Masses on a daily basis. Fr. Jeffery Fasching has also helped his bishop celebrate a Latin confirmation Mass.

Pope Benedict XVI has encouraged interest in the Latin tongue. Now, he has begun leveraging the latest technology to bring that ancient language back into the world. At his Pontifex_ln Twitter account, the pope tweets theological and spiritual insights in Latin, leaving his followers reaching for their Latin dictionaries and struggling to remember the ablative case. Latin, a precise and elegant language, lends itself to the microblogging platform. The ancient tongue remains the official language of the Catholic Church and of Vatican City; indeed, Catholic seminarians are required to study it. Many prayers and hymns, as well as classic examples of Catholic theology, become more intelligible when readers can consider them in Latin.