Antonio Cardinal Bacci: Essays in Appreciation of His Life, His Latinity, and His Books, on the Fiftieth Anniversary of His Death (1971–2021) ed. by Pier Carlo Tagliaferri

Abstract

Reviewed by: Antonio Cardinal Bacci: Essays in Appreciation of His Life, His Latinity, and His Books, on the Fiftieth Anniversary of His Death (1971–2021) ed. by Pier Carlo Tagliaferri Andrew Dinan Pier Carlo Tagliaferri, ed. Antonio Cardinal Bacci: Essays in Appreciation of His Life, His Latinity, and His Books, on the Fiftieth Anniversary of His Death (1971–2021) Waterloo, ON: Arouca Press, 2021 80 pages. Paperback. $17.95. This volume is an act of pietas, designed to promote and sustain the memory of Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1885–1971), but it might also prompt reflection on the loss of those things that Bacci cherished. For nearly five decades, from the papacy of Pius XI through that of Paul VI, Bacci's extraordinary facility with Latin was at the service of the Church, first as a Latin minutante in the Secretariat of State and then as Secretary of Latin Briefs to Princes. He composed and delivered momentous addresses, including the funeral oration for Pius XI, the funeral oration for Pius XII, and the oratio pro eligendo pontifice prior to the conclave of 1939 and the conclave of 1958. His Vocabolario italiano-latino delle parole moderne e difficili a tradurre (1944, et al.) was encouraged by Pius XII and extolled by the future Paul VI, and it remains an invaluable resource for all who maintain that no modern invention or idea is incapable of being expressed in classical Latin. Bacci, to be sure, had sizable influence on the Church in the mid-twentieth century. It was through his diction that much of the magisterium was conveyed. The present work is a translation, designed to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of Bacci's death, of an Italian work (Florence: Pagnini Editore, 2005). It contains three chapters: 1) biographical notes provided by (recently deceased) Monsignor Nello Lascialfari, secretary to four cardinal-archbishops of Florence; 2) a brief essay offering a critical evaluation of Bacci's Latinity by Carlo Nardi, Professor of Patristics at the University of Central Italy; 3) a survey of and excerpts from Bacci's publications by Pier Carlo Tagliaferri, the volume's editor. Twelve pages present photographs of people and places associated with Bacci's life. Also [End Page 213] included are a valuable foreword by the translator, Anthony Lo Bello, an editor's note, a commendation from Archbishop Loris Francesco Capovilla, and an introduction by the President of the Board of Directors of an Italian bank. The explanation for this last contribution is that in the early years of his priesthood Bacci helped to found a rural Savings & Loan. In a slender tribute featuring multiple voices, readers should not expect extended arguments, but this book will intrigue those who embrace one or both of what Lo Bello identifies as Bacci's principal causes, viz., Latin as the official language of the Catholic Church and Latin as a viable means of communication among the learned (x–xi). Readers are afforded a glimpse into Bacci's positions, large and small, related to these: e.g., that Latin literature can renew and unify culture, and that every cultured person should know some Latin; that not all Latin is the same—classical Latin is undoubtedly the best and should be used in the Church's most important documents, although other styles have a place; that it is acceptable to use the letters "j" and "v," although Cicero's servator is preferable to the non-classical salvator; that liturgical Latin should remain untouched. Readers of Antiphon should be informed that this volume touches upon the sacred liturgy only slightly. Bacci was a co-signer of the famous 1969 letter to Paul VI known as the Ottaviani Intervention, and two years earlier he had written a forthright preface for Tito Casini's La tunica stracciata (1967), defending Casini and justifying his sharp criticisms of liturgical innovations, especially the loss of Latin. Yet the Ottaviani Intervention is not discussed in the present volume, and the preface is reprinted but receives only the briefest comment. Liturgical scholars must be content with occasional observations, such as Lo Bello's assessment that Bacci looked unfavorably upon the post-conciliar liturgical renewal, which "removed a protective fence from around the Catholic...