Latin in the Vatican

[Thomas Paikeday]

This question has been begging for an answer for a day and a half and,
as a lover of Latin, I feel bad about it.

How about this conjecture for an answer: Latin ceased to be used as a
lingua franca since the mid-Sixties, soon after Vatican Council II.

On a personal note, I feel bad also about the passing of Latin. It used
to be my second-best language and comes to my rescue even today in
moments of stress. Some time back, for example, when a Quebec linguist
seated to my right at a banquet of the Canadian Linguistic Association
suddenly spoke to me in French (one of my weak points) I blurted out,
"Non intelligo nisi loquaris in lingua latina!" (I dig only Latin). That
helped relieve the stress of the conversation to the left of me and from
the front. The professor in front had a good laugh.

Nuff said, I guess. I'm already way off topic.

T.M.P.

"Robert S. Wachal" wrote:
>
> When did Latin ceased to be used as a lingua franca in the Vatican?
>
> Bob Wachal