Pascha VIII: Pentecost

Pascha VIII: Pentecost 2015 – Cycle B Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104; I Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23

As a youth, every Sunday I heard the Gospel in Latin, Polish and in English followed by the homily and bulletin announcements in dual languages: Polish – English. By rote, syllable after syllable, with little understanding I was taught and learned prayers and hymns in Latin and Polish – my heritage being passed on – that of a Polish Catholic living in an English speaking country. Language experienced as culture.

Language is important to peoples and is why it is passed on between generations even in our country comprised of descended immigrant families. Language is culture; it binds people together and gives them an identity. That is why throughout history régimes have banned the languages of conquered peoples. Russian imposed on Ukrainians and Poles. Turkish on Armenians. German on Czechs, Jews and Slovaks. Language forced into the serviceof empire to bring about a false sense of unity to diversity. How many Americans get angry when Spanish or broken English is spoken(?); when accommodations are made by government and other agencies for Spanish-speaking immigrants? “My grandparents learned English when they came here – so should they!” Language experienced as divisive. Vacationing in Quebec many years ago, a friend of French-Canadian descent at times spoke French and wouldn’t translate conversations for me or in turn translate my questions into French. I was left out of the discussion. Language experienced as power.

Language is a double edged sword cutting across unity and division; power and understanding.

At the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Bishop Franz Simons of Indore, India pointed out with merciless clarity that the Latin language, which was supposed to unite the church, had actually become a source of division between clergy and laity – for centuries demarcating the educated from the uneducated, between the Greek East and Latin West and between the church and the world.

Thus a seemingly inconsequential act took place on 7 March 1965. Pope Paul VI entered Rome’s parish church of Ognissanti (All Saints) and offered Mass in Italian. It was the first Mass offered in a vernacular language by a pope in possibly over a millennium. Inconsequential events though often have profound meanings imbedded in them. A pope prays in Italian instead of Latin; …so?

Fifty years later, what does it mean for worldwide Catholics to publicly pray in their native languages?

On that same day in 1965, Pope Paul VI clearly answered that question from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica: “The church has made this sacrifice of an age-old tradition… to bow to a higher universality, an outreach to all peoples”.

“A higher universality, an outreach to all peoples”. The introduction of the vernacular languages into the public worship of the church was undertaken by the Council for two reasons: first, the good of the people: “since the use of the mother tongue… may be of great advantage to the people, the limits of its employment may be extended.” [CSL, #36] and second, as a pledge and a promise by the Catholic Church to the world – to reach out beyond herself…“a higher universality”.

“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us, hear them in [our] native language…of the mighty acts of God? [Acts of the Apostles 2:7-8]

This sacrifice and self-stretching is for the sake of our mission: that the world may hear, understand and accept the saving message of Jesus.   The church in all her members, liturgies and pastoral work are to be about the telling of the “good news” so that all peoples have the opportunity to hear “of the mighty acts of God”. Jesus sends us out into the world; he never expected the world to come to us. Francis underscores this self-sacrifice writing, “…it is not essential to impose a specific cultural form, no matter how beautiful or ancient it may be…for “no single culture can exhaust the mystery of our redemption in Christ”. [The Joy of the Gospel; See 117, 118]

In marking the 50^th anniversary of the Pauline Italian Mass, Pope Francis said that allowing Catholics to pray in their local languages, “was a truly courageous act by the church to draw closer to the people of God.”   A liturgy “open to the world” in this manner is one that can extend hospitality to seekers, offer hope to the poor while challenging those in power, remove barriers moving us toward a unity among the separated Christian churches, and speak in a language contemporary people can claim, own and understand. Then how does each of us, hear them in [our] native language? [Acts of the Apostles 2:8]

To speak in a language contemporary people can claim, own and understand is a sign that we desire our Christian beliefs, values and discipleship to unfold in and among the people of the world. And lest we think that “language” is confined to only verbal discourse; what of the Church’s need to engage technology, science and the arts.

It is not that the Council Fathers did not prize unity. They did. But rather than a false sense of unity that comes from uniformity – language forced into the service of empire – those bishops challenge us even today to trust the Holy Spirit to provide the deep unity promised by Jesus. The diversity oflanguages experienced as beauty and a mysterious and meaningful unity for the sake that others may believe. The fiery tongues of the Holy Spirit is a promise to the church and by the church to the world to be there for the people who actually need us.

[Quotes were generously taken from Rita Ferrone’s article, “Unity, Not Uniformity: What the Vernacular Liturgy Says About the Church” Commonweal, 23 February 2015 and Francis X. Rocca, “The New Rome”, The Wall Street Journal, 4-5 April 2015.]