Latin in the Vatican

[pskuhlman at JUNO.COM]

        I don't know when Latin ceased to be the "lingua franca" of the
Vatican, but can direct Bob Wachal to the person who will definitely know
the answer.  He is Father Reginald Foster, an American priest who has
worked in the Vatican's secretary of state office for many years as one
of the Pope's Latin language secretaries.  He also teaches Latin at the
Gregoriana, the pontifical university in Rome and runs his own summer
school for serious students of Latin.   I studied with Reginald and know
him quite well.  I'm sure he'd be glad to answer your question.  You can
reach him by mail:
        Reginald Foster
        Piazza San Pancrazio, 5A
        00152 Roma
        Italy

        I can tell you that all important Vatican documents used to be
promulgated in Latin.  Now the original of a document is written in the
language of whoever is heading up the committee working on that document.
 It is then translated into the other major languages including Latin.  I
can also tell you that Reginald  Foster and his officemate converse in
nothing but Latin.  The ATM machine near their office has the prompts
written in Latin.  So, lovers of Latin, take heart.  Latin isn't dead
yet.
        Patricia Kuhlman (lurker)
        Brooklyn, NY
        pskuhlman at juno.com

On Thu, 8 Feb 2001 22:19:01 -0500 Thomas Paikeday
<t.paikeday at SYMPATICO.CA> writes:

> 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.

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