Established in September 1989, the St. Gregory Foundation for Latin Liturgy seeks to promote within the Church in the United States the use of the Latin language in the Mass of Pope Paul VI, according to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, in order to encourage the faithful to appreciate the unique theological, pastoral and spiritual qualities of the Latin Mass.
Toward this end, the Foundation is devoted to the use of the great patrimony of sacred music as envisioned by Sacrosanctum Concilium and to the preservation of the liturgical tradition of the Latin Rite as codified in the Missale Romanum of 1970.
Activities
- produces a regular newsletter with important information on matters of
concern to the membership - sponsors seminars and workshops for priests, seminarians, musicians and
other pastoral workers - is involved in liturgical studies, publishing articles in leading Catholic
periodicals and in the Foundation newsletter - states its views in the Catholic and secular press, when appropriate
- believes that proper liturgical and instructional materials are essential for
the continued celebration of Latin liturgy and so makes these things
available
Officers
The Rev. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Ph.D
Founder and President
Dr. Simina Farcasiu
Secretary
Mr. Richard Hough
Treasurer
For more information on the St. Gregory Foundation please contact Father Peter Stravinskas.To become a member of the St. Gregory Foundation and receive their periodical newsletter, send $10 (seminarians and religious free) along with your name and address mentioning your desire to promote Latin in the Liturgy through the St. Gregory Foundation to:
601 Buhler Court
Pine Beach, NJ 08741
The Contemporary Church and Latin
Vatican II:
“The use of Latin language, with due respect to particular law, is to be preserved in the Latin rites.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 36)“Care must be taken to insure that the faithful may also be able to say or sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 54)
Pope Paul VI:
“We want to say something very plainly to those whose shallow minds or unthinking passion for the new lead them to the idea that the Latin language must be totally spurned by the Latin Church. To them we say that it is absolutely clear that Latin must be held in high honor…” (Address to Latinists, 1968)“…take away the language that transcends national boundaries and possesses a marvelous spiritual power and the
music that rises from the depths of the soul where faith resides and charity burns – we mean Gregorian Chant – and the choral office will be like a snuffed candle; it will no longer shed light, no longer draw the eyes and minds of the people.” (Sacrificium Laudis, 1966)Sacred Congregation for Seminaries and Universities:
“Thus use of the vernacular must never become the general practice at the expense of Latin. In granting the use of the vernacular the Church does not intend that clerics think themselves freed from going to the sources or that in their preparation for the priesthood they neglect even slightly the universal language of the Latin Church.” (Doctrina et
Exemplo, 1965)Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship:
“For liturgical celebrations sung in Latin, Gregorian Chant, as the music proper of the Roman liturgy, should have pride of place, all other things being equal.” (General Instruction for the Liturgy of the Hours, 1971)“Pope Paul VI has expressed often, and even recently, the wish that the faithful of all countries be able to sing at least a few Gregorian Chants in Latin (for example, the Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei). In compliance, this Congregation has prepared the enclosed booklet Iubilate Deo, which provides a short collection of Gregorian Chants.” (Voluntati Obsequens, 1974)
Code of Canon Law (1983):
“The Eucharistic Celebration is to be carried out either in the Latin language or in another language, provided the liturgical texts have been approved.” (c.928)“The program for priestly formation is to make provision that the students are not only carefully taught their native language but also that they are well skilled in the Latin language…” (c. 249)
Pope John Paul II:
“The Roman Church has special obligations towards Latin, the splendid language of ancient Rome, and she must manifest them whenever the occasion presents itself.” (Dominicae Cenae, 1980)