The Teaching of Latin in Seminaries

Nowadays, Latin is not taught in all seminaries as a matter of course.  At Oscott and Allen Hall, Latin is included in the curriculum, but the amount of time devoted to it is insufficient for students who have not previously studied Latin to grasp any real understanding of the language.  What is given is really only a brief overview.  At Wonersh, no Latin is taught at all, perhaps because the seminary takes the view that simply presenting an overview would be little help to most students.  Students who study at the Venerable English College in Rome do have the opportunity to study Latin in a more systematic way in their own time.

No Latin is taught at Valladolid where many English and Welsh students spend a propaedeutic year, and the demands on teaching time are much less.

Readers may be interested to know that Canon 249 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law states:

The programme of priestly formation is to provide that students, not only are taught their native language, but also to understand Latin well.

In other words, Canon Law requires that seminarians are taught Latin to a good standard.