The Roman Catholic Church, for centuries a bastion of Latin usage, has given the ancient tongue a 21st Century boost by launching a website in Latin. The Vatican website now has a section - Sancta Sedes (Holy See) - with Latin papal texts and religious works. Pope Benedict XVI is an advocate of Latin, allowing Mass in the language. But when a papal decree was issued only in Latin by mistake last June, there was confusion until the Vatican press office put out an Italian version. "It caused a bit of panic for my colleagues who had no schooling in Latin," said the BBC's Rome correspondent David Willey, "until the official translation finally emerged." The Vatican website already has sections in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish
The Roman Catholic Church, for centuries a bastion of Latin usage, has given the ancient tongue a 21st Century boost by launching a website in Latin.
The Vatican website now has a section - Sancta Sedes (Holy See) - with Latin papal texts and religious works.
Pope Benedict XVI is an advocate of Latin, allowing Mass in the language.
But when a papal decree was issued only in Latin by mistake last June, there was confusion until the Vatican press office put out an Italian version.
"It caused a bit of panic for my colleagues who had no schooling in Latin," said the BBC's Rome correspondent David Willey, "until the official translation finally emerged."
The Vatican website already has sections in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish
The current priests, bishops and cardinals Catholics do not know Latin... I think the only one who knows Latin is Benedict XVI: he took the hair to the Cardinals when he spoke to them in Latin, after being elected pope, or when he says Mass in Latin and shoulders. When Procrustes looks after you, you're sure to fit in.
