Change to Latin prayers in Newnham College, Cambridge

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Cantabrigia (Anglice: Cambridge) est urbs Angliae in qua sita est Universitas Cantabrigiensis.

Well, this is more interesting than the average news on Latin. It appears that a new secular Latin prayer has appeared on the scene, now giving students the opportunity to either use the standard prayer:
Benedic nobis Domine Deus et his donis quae de liberalitate tua sumpturi sumus per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
which means:
Bless us Lord God and bless these gifts which by your generosity we are about to eat, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
or a new secular prayer:
“Pro cibo inter esurientes, pro comitate inter desolatos, pro pace inter bellantes, gratias agimus"
which means:
“For food in a hungry world, for companionship in a world of loneliness, for peace in an age of violence, we give thanks”
I'm a fan of secularism, but isn't this new prayer a tad short? The first one (I think) is an abbreviation of a longer version, but the second is just "for x, for y, for z, we give thanks". It's little harder than a Latino sine Flexione version of the same sentence.

Well, as long as students memorize both then it's a good idea.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

According to my Latin dictionary, "benedicere" must trigger the accusative when it refers to a thing (when the matter is to "consecrate" this thing). Thus they should say "haec dona" instead "his donis" !

Olivier

Anonymous said...

According to my Latin dictionary, "benedicere" must trigger the accusative when it refers to a thing (when the matter is to "consecrate" this thing). Thus they should say "haec dona" instead "his donis" !

Olivier

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