Word spread through Rome rather quickly today with the news that Fr. Reginald Foster had been fired by the Jesuits from teaching Latin at their Gregorian University last Saturday.
Students from the Gregoriana voiced their feelings today. Many were left wondering, "Why do so many older Catholics have such spite against Latin?" For us younger Catholics, we just want what the Church has given to us.
I asked an elderly Jesuit priest today what he thought of all this mess and his reply was thus: "Latin is part of our radici cristiane!"
5 comments:
This is very sad stuff, but I hope, and don't think it unlikely, that Reggie will be able to find the support he needs to set up a new institute.
Students from the Gregoriana voiced their feelings today. Many were left wondering, "Why do so many older Catholics have such spite against Latin?" For us younger Catholics, we just want what the Church has given to us.
With all due respect, as I posted on Amy's blog, I'm not sure what passed between Fr Foster and the Jesuits, but I think that any conspiracy theories about the Jesuits trying to stifle Latin are off the mark - Latin still remains a requirement for the Philosophy and Theology degrees at the Gregorian and Latin courses offered by other instructors are still being offered there.
I'm confused. My sons attend a Jesuit college and a minimum of two years of Latin is required.
zadok:
you'd have to be from the n.a.c. to write such a thing (p.s. i know who you are)? as foster said yesterday, the jesuits have been trying to "axe" every bit of latin from that campus for years. he mentioned: "they used to even grant degrees here in latin, until 1976, but it's been a little less latin from them every year."
The Jesuits are not a homogeneous unit; some are still Catholics - be grateful. Maybe this is the hand of God that as Fr Reggie gets older and the situation of Latin in Church and World becomes more urgent, a man such as he should not be stifled by the constraints of university requirements and timetables in his mission to "get Latin out there." Incidentally, as regards where he will teach now, I wouldn't worry for this is the man who said we can learn Latin with toilet roll and lipstick if we have to!
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