atthoowi
posted on May 13, 2008 - 05:55 PM
Looks like I am posting at the right time 
2 posts state you won't argue this further.
Anyway, the main reasons(theologically) to preserve Coptic are
1. Not to change the church's teaching and theological understanding. Coptic is static, Arabic, English, and every other language is in flux.
2. Coptic liturgy/bible gives us a clear view of our fathers understanding of Christ, the scripture, and theology. As copts, we need to understand orthodoxy as Copts, not Greek, English, or any other type of Orthodoxy.
Read the following articles (4 of them) on the reasons to preserve latin in the Catholic church. These reasons also fit the Coptic Church and why it should preserve Coptic.
Vatican, Feb. 26 (CWNews.com) - A new document on the use of Latin in the Church, and the teaching of Latin in seminaries, is expected sometime this year.
Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, the prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, has confirmed that he hopes the document being prepared by that Congregation will be published in 2004.
"In order not to mutilate herself, the Church cannot fail to conserve her tradition and patrimony written in Latin," the Polish cardinal remarked during a February 25 meeting in Rome. He pointed out that Latin remains the official language of the Roman Church, and the official documents of the magisterium are written in that language. Therefore, he concluded, the Church needs priests who are familiar with the language, in order to ensure that they fully understand Catholic teachings.
Cardinal Grocholewski expressed regret that previous Vatican statements encouraging the teaching of Latin in Catholic seminaries-- such as Pope Paul VI's Veterum Sapentia of 1962-- are clearly not being applied. He added that Pope John Paul II (bio - news) had also encouraged Latin study in his 1979 apostolic constitution Sapientia Christiana, and the 1983 Code of Canon Law states calls for a "good understanding" of Latin among Catholic priests. On the 40th anniversary of Veterum Sapentia, Pope John Paul said that he would like to see "an ever stronger love for that language among the candidates for the priesthood."
The Congregation for Catholic Education, which is preparing the new document on the use of Latin, is asking a group of Latin scholars to review the proposed text. After that editorial review, the document will be sent to the presidents of the world's episcopal conferences before being made public. Cardinal Grocholewski indicated that he hoped that entire process would be complete before the end of 2004.
We use the Latin in our Mass for a few reasons:
1. We serve an international Catholic community. Jews have Hebrew, Muslims have Arabic, Christians have Latin. It's the language of the Church and it does unite us with our brothers and sisters from Africa, Asia, Europe and Central America.
2. Latin is supposed to be used! Although the vernacular is encouraged in the celebration of the Mass, Latin was never to have been abandoned.
3. Young people appreciate tradition. In the 70's, the priests and nuns listened to the youth and celebrated Mass that would bring relevance to their lives. From Masses held in the middle of fields, to the priest painted up in clown makeup and dancing around the altar, to the nun wearing a stole made of burlap and playing "I AM WOMAN" for the closing hymn, innovation and creativity was used during Mass. And it wasn't too cool. It was more like your dad singing a Gwen Stefani song to be "hip".
The youth of this generation wants stability and something they can count on. The use of Latin and the reverence given to the Mass is something that is more than "cute" or grasping at relevance. It's true.
4. Ole Miss is a teaching institution. So why not learn how to be Catholic? I have an obligation as pastor to give you the best our Catholic tradition has so when you move on in 2, 4, 13 years, you at least will have the fundamentals of the faith that will have you at home in any Church throughout the world. You're welcome.
“For the Church, precisely because it embraces all nations and is destined to endure until the end of time... of its very nature requires a language which is universal, immutable, and non- vernacular.” (Pope Pius XI, Officiorum Omnium, 1922).
“The use of the Latin language prevailing in a great part of the Church affords at once an imposing sign of unity and an effective safeguard against the corruption of true doctrine.” (Pope Pius XII, Mediator Dei, 1947).
“The Catholic Church has a dignity far surpassing that of every merely human society, for it was founded by Christ the Lord. It is altogether fitting, therefore, that the language it uses should be noble, majestic and non-vernacular.” (Pope John XXIII, Veterum Sapientia, 1962).
“The Latin language is assuredly worthy of being defended with great care instead of being scorned; for the Latin Church it is the most abundant source of Christian civilization and the richest treasury of piety... we must not hold in low esteem these traditions of your fathers which were your glory for centuries.” (Pope Paul VI, Sacrificium Laudis, 1966).
The Popes and Latin
In 1922, for example, Pius XI - in his document Officiorum Omnium - said: "The Church - precisely because it embraces all nations and is destined to endure until the end of time - of its very nature requires a language which is universal, immutable, and non-vernacular."
Quarter of a century later, his successor Pope Pius XII said in Mediator Dei: "The use of the Latin language affords at once an imposing sign of unity and an effective safeguard against the corruption of true doctrine."
In 1962, the father of Vatican Two, Pope John XXIII, issued his encyclical Veterum Sapientia. The Pope spoke of the special value of Latin which had proved so admirable a means for the spreading of Christianity and which had proved to be a bond of unity for the Christian peoples of Europe.
He continued: "Of its very nature, Latin is most suitable for promoting every form of culture among peoples. It gives rise to no jealousies. It does not favour any one nation, but presents itself with equal impartiality to all and is equally acceptable to all.
"Nor must we overlook the characteristic nobility of Latin's formal structure. Its concise, varied and harmonious style, full of majesty and dignity makes for singular clarity and impressiveness of expression.
"For these reasons the Apostolic See has always been at pains to preserve Latin, deeming it worthy of being used in the exercise of her teaching authority as the splendid vesture of her heavenly doctrine and sacred laws. She further requires her sacred ministers to use it, for by so doing they are the better able, wherever they may be, to acquaint themselves with the mind of the Holy See on any matter, and communicate the more easily with Rome and with one another.
"The Church - because it embraces all nations and is destined to endure to the end of time - of its very nature requires a language which is universal, immutable, and non-vernacular.
"Modern languages are liable to change, and no single language is superior to the others in authority. Thus, if the truths of the Catholic Church were entrusted to an unspecified number of them, the meaning of these truths would not be manifested to everyone with sufficient clarity and precision. There would also be no language which could serve as a common and constant norm by which to gauge the exact meaning of other renderings.
"But Latin is indeed such a language. It is set and unchanging. It has long since ceased to be affected by those alterations in the meaning of words which are the normal result of daily, popular use.
"Finally, the Catholic Church has a dignity far surpassing that of every merely human society, for it was founded by Christ the Lord. It is altogether fitting, therefore, that the language it uses should be noble, majestic, and non-vernacular.
"In addition, the Latin language can be called truly catholic. It is a general passport to the proper understanding of the Christian writers of antiquity and the documents of the Church's teaching. It is also a most effective bond, binding the Church of today with that of the past and of the future in wonderful continuity.
"There can be no doubt as to the formative and educational value of the language and great literature of the Romans. It is a most effective training for the pliant minds of youth. It exercises, matures and perfects the principal faculties of mind and spirit. It sharpens the wits and gives keenness of judgment. It helps the young mind to grasp things accurately and develop a true sense of values. It is also a means for teaching highly intelligent thought and speech.
"The use of Latin has recently been queried in many quarters, and many people are asking about the mind of the Apostolic See in this matter. We have therefore decided to issue this document, so as to ensure that the ancient and uninterrupted use of Latin be maintained and, where necessary, restored.
"So many people, unaccountably dazzled by the marvellous progress of science, are taking it upon themselves to oust or restrict the study of Latin and other kindred subjects. Yet, the greatest impression is made on the mind by those things which correspond more closely to man's nature and dignity. And therefore the greatest zeal should be shown in the acquisition of whatever educates and ennobles the mind. Otherwise poor mortal creatures may well become like the machines they build - cold, hard, and devoid of love."
"Bishops and superiors-general of religious orders shall be on their guard lest anyone under their jurisdiction, eager for revolutionary changes, writes against the use of Latin in the teaching of the higher sacred studies or in the liturgy, or through prejudice makes light of the Holy See's will in this regard or interprets it falsely.
"Professors of the sacred sciences in universities or seminaries are required to speak Latin and to make use of textbooks written in Latin. If ignorance of Latin makes it difficult for some to obey these instructions, they shall gradually be replaced by professors who are suited to this task.
"Since Latin is the Church's living language, it must be furnished with new words that are apt and suitable for expressing modern things, words that will be uniform and universal in their application and constructed in conformity with the genius of the ancient Latin tongue."
In 1966, a mere four years after publication of Pope John's encyclical, Pope Paul VI, who presided over much of the Second Vatican Council, issued his own encyclical Sacrificium Laudis, echoing the views of Pope John. He said: "The Latin language is assuredly worthy of being defended with great care instead of being scorned; for the Latin Church it is the most abundant source of Christian civilization and the richest treasury of piety. We must not hold in low esteem these traditions of our fathers which were our glory for centuries."
Even Pope John Paul II, in his 1980 letter on the mystery and worship of the Eucharist, praised Latin as an expression of the unity of the Church which, through its dignified character, elicited a profound sense of the Eucharistic mystery. He said it was necessary to show understanding and full respect towards those Catholics who missed the use of the old Latin liturgy, and to accommodate their desires as far as possible. He said the Roman Church has special obligations towards Latin and she must manifest them whenever the occasion presents itself.
In 1998, Cardinal Ratzinger, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, addressing three thousand traditional Catholics in Rome, said some people accused traditionalists of lack of obedience to the Second Vatican Council. He pointed out that the Council did not prohibit the former liturgical books but only ordered their revision. He recalled the observation of Cardinal Newman that the Church, throughout her history, had never abolished nor forbidden orthodox liturgical forms.
The Cardinal said several forms of the Latin rite had always existed, and were only slowly withdrawn, as a result of the coming together of the different parts of Europe. He recalled that Vatican II's Constitution on the Liturgy did not speak at all about celebration facing the altar or facing the people. It said that Latin should be retained, although a greater place should be given to the vernacular.
The Cardinal criticised modern liturgists who developed the ideas of the Council only in one direction. He said they ended up reversing the intentions of the Council and reducing the role of the priest to that of a mere functionary. He said there was also a dangerous tendency by some liturgists to minimise the sacrificial character of the Mass, causing the mystery and the sacred to disappear, on the pretext that they could thus make things better understood.
But the Cardinal said there was now a certain disenchantment with this banal rationalism, and he could discern a return to mystery, adoration and the sacred.
Pope John Paul II, in February 2002, expressed his desire that "the love of [Latin] would grow ever strong among candidates for the priesthood." In a message written in Latin to a conference commemorating the 40th anniversary of Veterum Sapientia, Pope John Paul said the use of Latin was ³an indispensable condition for a proper relationship between modernity and antiquity, for dialogue among different cultures, and for reaffirming the identity of the Catholic priesthood."
But the views of the Popes have been ignored. Even the Bishops have largely abandoned the use of Latin - to the point where Pope John Paul, at the Bishops' synod in Rome, joked that the "sin of the synod" was that they no longer spoke Latin.
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