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Author Topic: Can One Say Mass Validly In A Made Up Language?  (Read 225 times)

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Offline Matto

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Can One Say Mass Validly In A Made Up Language?
« on: April 05, 2020, 02:53:07 PM »
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    • I think you will think this post is silly, but it is a question I just thought of. What would happen if one made up ones own language with words for everything and used it among oneself but it never became popular. Then you became a priest and were ordained. And then you translated the Tridentine Mass into your new made up language. If you said Mass and said the words of consecration in the made up language, would it be valid? Why or why not? Or what if one used another made up language such as high elvish from the Lord of the Rings or one of the alien languages from a science fiction novel? Would that be valid? What if the made up language became popular and you had a community of people using it, would that change things? At what point would this change things? What if a priest says instead of the words of consecration, "shazaam" but in his heart he says "in my new language, 'shazaam' means 'this is my body' and when I say 'shazaam' I mean to consecrate" would that be valid?

    Every language that people use was new and made up at some point.
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    Offline SimpleMan

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    Re: Can One Say Mass Validly In A Made Up Language?
    « Reply #1 on: April 05, 2020, 03:01:39 PM »
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    • Quote from: Matto on April 05, 2020, 02:53:07 PM
    I think you will think this post is silly, but it is a question I just thought of. What would happen if one made up ones own language with words for everything and used it among oneself but it never became popular. Then you became a priest and were ordained. And then you translated the Tridentine Mass into your new made up language. If you said Mass and said the words of consecration in the made up language, would it be valid? Why or why not? Or what if one used another made up language such as high elvish from the Lord of the Rings or one of the alien languages from a science fiction novel? Would that be valid? What if the made up language became popular and you had a community of people using it, would that change things? At what point would this change things? What if a priest says instead of the words of consecration, "shazaam" but in his heart he says "in my new language, 'shazaam' means 'this is my body' and when I say 'shazaam' I mean to consecrate" would that be valid?

    Every language that people use was new and made up at some point.
    We are all staying inside much too closely these days :jester:

    I have no earthly idea how to answer your question.  You actually make an excellent case for preserving the Mass in a sacred, unchanging language.

    I wonder if the Novus Ordo has an Esperanto translation.  A faithful Esperanto translation would be preferable to the former English translation ("for you and for all", contrary both to the Gospel and to the Latin).
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    Offline gladius_veritatis

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    Re: Can One Say Mass Validly In A Made Up Language?
    « Reply #2 on: April 05, 2020, 03:03:25 PM »
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    • Quote from: SimpleMan on April 05, 2020, 03:01:39 PM
    I wonder if the Novus Ordo has an Esperanto translation.
    They have had one for decades; in fact, almost from the beginning.
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    Offline poche

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    Re: Can One Say Mass Validly In A Made Up Language?
    « Reply #3 on: April 07, 2020, 05:46:14 AM »
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    • Quote from: Matto on April 05, 2020, 02:53:07 PM
    I think you will think this post is silly, but it is a question I just thought of. What would happen if one made up ones own language with words for everything and used it among oneself but it never became popular. Then you became a priest and were ordained. And then you translated the Tridentine Mass into your new made up language. If you said Mass and said the words of consecration in the made up language, would it be valid? Why or why not? Or what if one used another made up language such as high elvish from the Lord of the Rings or one of the alien languages from a science fiction novel? Would that be valid? What if the made up language became popular and you had a community of people using it, would that change things? At what point would this change things? What if a priest says instead of the words of consecration, "shazaam" but in his heart he says "in my new language, 'shazaam' means 'this is my body' and when I say 'shazaam' I mean to consecrate" would that be valid?

    Every language that people use was new and made up at some point.
    Apparently the answers is yes; 
    Catholic prayers in Esperanto are found in the Roman Missal in Esperanto approved in 1990 by the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. 

    http://www.fides.org/en/news/8533
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