Latin has always been and will continue to be the official language of the Roman Catholic Church; as a result, most people who speak Romance languages have always used Latin. It wasn’t until the latter part of the 20th century that church services started being held in the local language.

Why is Latin the official language of the Catholic Church?

• The Holy See and the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church both continue to use Latin as the language of official business and communication.
• Up until the 1960s, and even later at Roman institutions such as the Gregorian, Catholic priests studied theology using Latin textbooks.
• Additionally, the language of teaching in many seminaries was also Latin, as it was considered to be the language of the Church Fathers.

What is the official language of the Vatican?

The only sociolect of spoken Latin that has survived to this day is ecclesiastical Latin, which serves as the official language of the Vatican.

When did Latin become the official language of the Western Church?

Even in Roman times, the majority of people spoke Greek. Latin did not become the dominant language in that region until around the year 250 AD, and it did not become the official language of the Western Church until the fourth century. The churches that may be found in the East.

What is the language of the liturgy in the Eastern Roman Empire?

Up until the fourth century, Greek was the lingua franca over the entirety of the eastern part of the Roman Empire. As a result, Greek was the language that was used during the liturgy in those regions. Even in Roman times, the majority of people spoke Greek.