Etiam linguam latinam bene calleant

Is Latin a Vatican II DOA? I was pleased to find out how strongly the answer is No. Canon 249 stipulates that not only must seminarians and priests be competent in their mother tongue and languages needed for their pastoral setting, but also must know Latin well (etiam linguam latinam bene calleant). I discovered this in Daniel B. Gallagher's stimulating article about Latin in the Church and general culture, "Apologia pro Munere Suo: Why Seminarians Need to Learn Latin". I coupled this discovery with the reading of John XXIII's apostolic constitution, "Veterum Sapientia", which is a fine meditation on the value of classical culture in the Church and the world. All this only adds to my desire to learn that "dead" language. If nothing else, getting my Latin acumen back up to snuff would make learning French, Italian and Spanish so much easier.

"Non enim tam praeclarum est scire Latine, quam turpe nescire".*
-- Cicero, Brutus, 37.140.

* It's not as honorable to know Latin as it is disgraceful not to know it.