Listen for the Latin Lover each Friday at radiovaticana.org or search to find past recordings.
- 7/11/08 - Pilgrim Way
- Where would Christians in ancient Rome have gone on pilgrimage?
- 7/4/08 - Innocent X Haunts
- Our popular "Latin Lover" tells us about Innocent X, who haunts the rooms of the Roman palace where the pope's own Latinist teaches.
- 6/27/08 - Inmates of Mamertinus
- If the Romans didn't envisage long term detention, how could Saints Peter and Paul have possibly been inmates at the Mamertinus?
- 6/20/08 - Of Snakes and Otters
- Does the Latin of the Venerable Bede muster any groans of approval on the part of our popular "Latin Lover"?
- 6/13/08 - Palatine Hill
- Father Reginald Foster gets quizzed about a garden created by a pope on one one of the seven hills of Rome.
- 6/6/08 - Tram Tracks
- What do tram tracks, Julius Caesar and sacred space have in common?
- 5/7/08 - Terrorism
- Our popular "Latin Lover" tells us how to say terrorism in Latin and much more!
- 5/3/08 - Alexandria afore Gutenberg
- Our popular "Latin Lover" takes us to one of the great libraries of the past and tells of Mark Anthony's gift to Cleopatra.
- 4/25/08 - Rome's Birthday
- Our popular "Latin Lover" helps celebrate by telling the story of Romulus and Remus
- 4/11/08 - Ben Hur
- Chariot races explained by the pope's own Latinist, Carmelite Father Reginald Foster.
- 4/5/08 - When Pius IX Puffed Away
- Our popular "Latin Lover" tells us about one XIX century pope's tobacco factory.
- 3/14/08 - Carmel
- Our popular "Latin Lover" usually speaks about the Romans but today he shines the spotlight on the charism of his own order.
- 3/7/08 - Lenten Leo
- Pope Benedict highlighted the writings of Pope Leo the Great on Wednesday this week. Providing our popular "Latin Lover" with an opportunity to take a look at some of this Saint's Lenten sermons.
- 2/22/08 - Cathedra Petri
- From Leo the Great to Pope Benedict XVI matters pertaining to a special feast.
- 2/15/08 - Inscriptions on the Walls
- Our transmission centre outside Vatican City was first inaugurated by Pius XII half a century ago. For the occasion Latin inscriptions were engraved on the walls.
- 2/9/08 - Since the 1920's
- As Pope Benedict gets ready for his annual Lenten retreat we take a look at spiritual exercises in the Vatican over the twentieth century.
- 1/16/08 repeat of 9/14/07 - Lap Tops for Church Fathers
- On the Latin of Augustine, Jerome and Ignatius of Loyola.
- 1/12/08 - Bede: No Spaghetti Latin
- Of snakes and otters as described by the Venerable Bede.
- 1/4/08 repeat of Leo the Great
- How a pope and a glorious Latinist handles the story of the three kings.
- 1/1/08 - Mens Sana
- Fr. Reginald Foster helps us bring in the New Year.
- 12/21/07 - Nativitas
- Seasonal thoughts with our popular "Latin Lover". Carmelite Father Reginald Foster.
- 12/8/07 edited repeat of 2/11/06 - Lapurdum
- Our popular "Latin Lover" tells the story of Lourdes.
- 11/30/07 repeat of 12/2/06 - Andrew's Head
- An unusual way to mark the Feast of Saint Andrew.
- 11/23/07 - Universalis Puerorum Dies
- Children will be children, even down the centuries.
- 11/2/07 repeat of 11/11/06 - After Life
- How the Romans envisaged life after death.
- 10/26/07 repeat of 11/25/06 - Paul VI and Anglicans
- We go back to the days of Paul VI and his meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
- 10/19/07 repeat of 6/28/07 - Vesuvius
- Carmelite Fr. Reginald Foster shares with us his knowledge of Pliny the Elder's account of the eruption of Vesuvius.
- 10/12/07 - Instruction
- Decipher an instruction on sacred music drafted by the founder of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, Saint Pius X.
- 10/5/07 - Juno Moneta
- Ever wondered where we get the expression monetary policy from?
- 9/28/07 - Patron of Communications
- Our popular "Latin Lover" helps us celebrate our feast day here at Vatican Radio.
- 9/21/07 - Fame to Magnificat
- How our popular "Latin Lover" goes from speaking of fame, to hunger, to the Magnificat.
- 9/14/07 - What Latin
- Augustine, Jerome, Ignatius of Loyola all wrote Latin, but what were their skills in this ancient language really like?
- 8/25/07 - Encyclical Delivered
- Our popular "Latin Lover" helps us better understand Pius XI.
- 8/18/07 - Claudius [Sorry, the recording was never posted on the Vatican Radio site.]
- Ever wanted to know more about the Emperor Claudius?
- 8/11/07 - God is Green
- Environmentalism... Our weekly rendez-vous with our popular "Latin Lover".
- 8/4/07 - Virtual Tour
- Of Rome and much more... Our weekly rendez-vous with our popular "Latin Lover".
- 7/27/07 - Tiberius
- The Roman emperor who lived at the time of Jesus.
- 7/20/07 - Caligula's Aqua Fun
- Of boat parties in a little lake nestling in the Alban hills.
- 7/14/07 - Hell to Heaven
- Shining the spotlight on an eminent Italian poet Pope Benedict often quotes.
- 7/11/07 - No Regrets
- Shaping Latin to the modern world is not the way to save it.
- 7/7/07 - Latin Treasure Trove
- Our "Latin Lover" raves about our Latin prayers.
- 6/28/07 - Pliny
- The story of an admiral and a volcano.
- 6/20/07 - Fisher and More
- Our "Latin Lover" picks up the speech of Pius XI on the day of the canonization of these English martyrs.
- 6/8/07 - Credentials
- Our "Latin Lover" shares with us his work at translating papal missives to heads of State, including to President Bush.
- 6/1/07 - Fire
- Incendiary notes and chuckles.
- 5/24/07 - Code Cicero
- An insight into the personality of Cicero.
- 5/16/07 - Equators and Nuncios
- Equators and Nuncios, Bicycles and Belts.
- 4/27/07 - Hadrian's Wall
- Our "Latin Lover" takes us north of Nottingham.
- 4/20/07 - Rea Silvia
- Tiber ladies to celebrate Rome's birthday, among them the mother of Romulus and Remus.
- 4/13/07 - With Burning Sorrow
- A century and a half since the birth of the founder of our radio station Pope Pius XI, we take a look at one of his more well known encyclicals.
- 4/6/07 - The Lamb
- Listen as our "Latin Lover" speaks to us this Easter season of waxy candles and sings to us of "The Lamb" redeeming the sheep
- 3/30/07 - Inter Sollicitudines
- An instruction on sacred music written in 1903 by Pope Pius X becomes the subject of conversation.
- 3/23/07 - Himalayas and Obelisks
- We go for a walk uphill and a trip downstream.
- 3/16/07 - Dante
- "In Praeclara Summorum", that's the title of the encyclical penned by Pope Benedict XV back in 1921.
- 3/9/07 - Lion's Paw
- What St Jerome had to do with deserts, lions, skulls and books!
- 3/2/07 - Heavens
- "We who by a secret plan of heaven..."
- 2/22/07 - Papal Exercises
- I.E. Spiritual exercises with our Latin Lover.
- 2/16/07 - Claudius I Presume
- Would this Roman emperor remind you more of Napoleon, Kennedy or Churchill? "Our Latin Lover "replies.
- 2/9/07 - Shriveled Leg for an Emperor
- Did the Romans believe in collective healing and what would they have thought of Lourdes?
- 1/26/07 - Caritas and Love - repeat of 1/28/06
- How does the Latin in Pope Benedict's encyclical compare with the spaghetti Latin of Saint Thomas Aquinas?
- 1/19/07 - Letter - of Christians
- When Pliny the Younger writes to the Emperor Trajan about the persecution of Christians.
- 1/10/07 - Goddess Hunger
- Our "Latin Lover" tells of the Goddess of Hunger, "Fames".
- 1/4/07 - Star of Wonder
- Our "Latin Lover" tells the story of the Three Kings
- 12/30/06 - Old Cheer
- Our "Latin Lover" helps us bring the New Year in.
- 12/23/06 - Advenit Dominus
- Our "Latin Lover" offers us his Christmas greetings.
- 12/14/06 - Perpetual Motion
- Why we listen to the music of Strauss.
- 12/9/06 - Talking Turkey
- Our weekly rendez vous with our popular "Latin Lover".
- 12/2/06 - Andrew's Head
- When our "Latin Lover" spins the story of a saint and a pope.
- 11/25/06 - Paul VI
- Our "Latin Lover" takes apart the glorious Latin of Paul VI to the Archbishop of Canterbury back in 1966.
- 11/18/06 - Petrus Eni
- Our "Latin Lover" writes a postcard describing an exhibition about St Peter's Basilica.
- 11/11/06 - Styx
- Our "Latin Lover" tells us how the ancient Romans envisaged death.
- 11/4/06 - Accademia
- Our "Latin Lover " explains how the Pontifical Academy of Sciences could possibly be connected to lynxes! All this and more.
- 10/21/06 - Turkey
- While on a pastoral journey to Turkey Paul VI once spoke in Latin.
- 10/14/06 - Pope in a Boat
- When popes went downstream to the Roman port of Ostia.
- 10/7/06 - Papal Garden
- Our "Latin Lover" gets quizzed about a garden created by a pope on a very Roman hill.
- 9/30/06 repeat of 1/28/06 - Deus Caritas Est
- Translating Benedict XVI's first encyclical into Latin.
- 9/23/06 - My Friend Cicero
- Did the children of the ancient Romans go to school and what did they write on?
- 9/16/06 - Roman Flags
- What stealing Roman flags could possibly have in common with encyclicals exclusively Latin.
- 9/9/06 - Eagles Lost
- Our "Latin Lover" tells how the Germans destroyed the Roman legions.
- 9/2/06 - Shakespeare and Lies
- The Romans invented everything claims our "Latin Lover".
- 8/26/06 - Not So Dear
- When they wrote to each other they often bickered. They are St. Augustine and St Jerome.
- 8/5/06 - Silly Season
- Our "Latin Lover" helps write a postcard from Marrakech.
- 7/29/06 - Numerals Unveiled
- Our "Latin Lover" helps with the Latin inscriptions on the walls of Rome.
- 7/22/06 - Merry Martial
- A little light entertainment with our popular "Latin Lover", erudite Carmelite Father Reginald Foster.
- 7/20/06 - Battle on a Pond
- A little lake nestling in the Alban hills, that's the site of Caligula's boat parties and "aqua fun"!
- 7/15/06 - Saving Latin
- Our "Latin Lover" takes us by the hand giving us linguistic insight into our Pope's first speech.
- 7/8/06 - Love Struck
- Our "Latin Lover" informs us of a curious linguistic link between the word nuncio and Cupid.
- 7/1/06 - Over the Alps
- Our "Latin Lover " tells the story of Hannibal and goes animal friendly.
- 6/23/06 - Emperor on the Rink
- Bullying our "Latin Lover" to team up five Roman emperors with five winter sports may seem a bold exercise but it's one that provides fleeting relief from the summer heat!
- 6/16/06 - Consilium Post Consilium
- Our "Latin Lover" may chuckle but does he scold! He's on the war path when it comes to getting the universal language of the Catholic Church back on track.
- 6/10/06 repeat of 4/29/06 - Men For All Seasons
- 6/3/06 - Gods of Ancient Rome
- Were the ancient Romans a bit snobby when it came to picking their Gods? That's the question I put to our "Latin Lover". He's Carmelite, Reginald Foster the pope's own Latinist.
- 5/6/06 - Fireflies
- The Romans were in the habit of offering their guests live fireflies or "cicindelae's" in little boxes as gifts. Although quite what this has to do with wolves and sit-in's on the Aventine is a totally different story.
- 4/29/06 - Men For All Seasons
- It was 1930, the Pope was Pius XI and the time had come to canonize two illustrious men from the "Island of Saints" who had shone forth like stars. Their names Cardinal John Fisher and the Chancellor of England Thomas More.
- 4/27/06 - Give Me Back My Eagles
- "You do not steal Roman flags" cried the Roman Emperor Augustus as he pranced around the Palatine hill tearing his hair out in despair, when he learnt he'd been betrayed by a former German Ally.
- 4/22/06 - Empire In A Basket
- It's a well known story, a she-wolf comes trotting out from the Palatine hill and discovers twins abandoned in a basket on the shores of the Tiber River. She saves them and many years later they found the city of Rome. Our "Latin Lover" spins the tale.
- 4/15/06 - Lamb Of God
- "Resurgo" in the Latin language means to rise up again... Listen as our "Latin Lover", speaks to us this Easter Season of waxy candles and sings to us of "The Lamb" redeeming the sheep.
- 4/13/06 - Rite As Rain
- Not only does our Latinist take us by the hand during Holy Week imparting to us linguistical knowledge regarding rites and rituals still in use today. But he also takes us back seven centuries, in a burst of song, with his "Ubi Caritas".
- 4/8/06 - Obsoletely In Love
- Give him the opportunity to flip through the yellowish pages of an ancient looking musical tome and his mood will swing from weepy sad to tearfully happy. He's our "Latin Lover" and in a burst of song he deftly communicates Palm Sunday emotions.
- 4/1/06 - Ave Maria
- Listening to the words of the Hail Mary in Latin provides our "Latin Lover" with the opportunity to lodge a complaint as to the lack of use of this universal language of the Catholic Church in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council.
- 3/25/06 - Consistory of Cardinals
- When the Cardinals come to Rome to meet with the Pope, it provides an occasion to see the Latin roots of many words.
- 3/18/06 - Julius Caesar
- Beware the Ides of March and Fr. Foster's tour of Rome about the sites Caesar's life and death.
- 2/25/06 - Emperor On The Rink
- Getting our "Latin Lover" to team up five Roman emperors with five winter sports may seem a trifle bold. But he proved to be a good sport and even added Julius Caesar as the umpire. Be sure to find out who got to do the figure skating!
- 2/18/06 - A Starry Skiff
- In 1970 the Pope's own translator won a Latin competition in the Vatican by describing the Apollo moon landing. Listen as he bashfully shares with us some of his personal secrets as a linguist. Including the difficulties encountered in describing jet rocket engines!
- 2/11/06 - Lapurdum Revisited
- Once upon a time at the foot of the Pyrenees there lived a little peasant girl by the name of Bernadette or Bernardula to whom Our Lady appeared. Listen to this potted history of Lourdes or Lapurdum.
- 2/4/06 - Picnic With The Pope
- Pope Pius II went down the Tiber River in a rowing boat to have a picnic out in Ostia. But while he was eating his dish of shark a violent storm ripped his papal tent apart.
- 1/28/06 - Tender Is The Latin
- Our "Latin Lover" translated Pope Benedict's first encyclical letter "God is love" into the Church's official language. A tough task he claims because of that terrible jargon currently in use in modern languages. The Romans he moans never spoke that way! Find out in "Deus Caritas Est".
- 1/21/06 - Tough Lynx
- The Pontifical Academy of Sciences grew out of the "Accademia dei Lincei". A tough title to translate as the Italian word "lincei" refers to lynxes. But if you know Latin you'll connect that word to a well-known proverb which links sharpness of wit to this wild beast.
- 1/14/06 - Ben Hur
- Well on the surface of it Ben Hur may not have a lot to do with Indianapolis but in this conversation focusing on chariot racing we do find some loose links.
