Over 170 faithful Catholics turned out on a Wednesday night in Charlotte early last month to learn about the significance of Latin in the Mass. The talk was hosted by the Charlotte Latin Mass Community and was part of an ongoing series explaining various aspects of the ancient liturgy.

The video below features Fr. Jason Barone (a priest of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina) discussing the importance of Latin as the liturgical language of the Roman Rite.

Here are a few key take-aways from Father’s presentation:

• Latin is important because it is universal, immutable, and non-vernacular.
• A non-vernacular language (Latin) is also a form of veiling that helps reveal the mystery of God.
• The Devil HATES Latin.
• Gregorian chant & Latin are inextricably linked. They are literally a match made in heaven.
• Latin is a sacred language set aside for our worship of God.
• The Church has offered the Mass in Latin for 1700 years.

And my favorite…

• Why Latin in the Mass? Because it’s awesome!

In addition to this video, the above talking points are perfect to share with Catholic friends, family, and even priests who fail to understand the significance of Latin to Catholicism.

Technical Note: Although the talk is included in its entirety, due to technical error the video was lost for part of the talk. During this time audio along with images were inserted to fill the gap. No content was lost but the sound quality may be different during this segment.

Photo credit: Brent Hohman/The Momentum Studio