Plain English

"Just look at them!  It disgusts me."

 "Please Father, let's not start this discussion again."

"But listen to them!  Why the hell can't they just learn the language!?"

"I know, I know, you don't approve of-"

"I don't approve of laziness, that's what I don't approve of."

"But it's just not realistic to expect people to-"

"Now don't give me any of that crap!  That's just and excuse for the people who don't have enough respect for this place.  If they really wanted to be a part of the community, of the whole institution, they would learn the language!  If you can't bother to do that, then maybe this isn't where you are supposed to be."

"Oh come now Father, surely you don't mean we should turn people away just because they don't speak the lang-"

"Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against people coming here seeking a better life.  I myself always knew that I wanted to come here, to be a part of this body that has given so much for so many, to be a part of the proud traditions and history.  But these guys just show up and expect us to give them solace and serve their needs, and they won't even show the basic courtesy of learning the language spoken by the founding fathers.  It's disgusting."

"But these are hardworking people, many of them coming to us as adults, it's just not realistic to expect them to take the time to learn a language that they may not even ever need to speak."

"How the hell can you say they never need to speak the damn language?"

"Well the people in their neighborhoods speak the same language they do.  The people in the stores speak it, their family, their friends.  Most of the time, they never need to speak more than a few phrases of-"

"And that makes it okay?  When I came here over forty years ago, I had to learn the language.  I worked day and night to learn the language, and I spoke it every day.  Then mealy-mouthed officials decide we aren't 'serving the populace' and we need to change.  Us.  We are the ones who have to change to make it easy on them.  What the hell happened to individual effort for individual reward?  When did we decide that our traditions and values weren't as important as the feelings of a bunch of newcomers?  Where is the justice in that?"

"I understand how you feel, but this is the new way.  We use the vernacular now.  You just have to accept it Father."

"That may be the case, but I don't have to like it.  Stupid Vatican II.  I have half a mind to go out there and do the whole mass in Latin.  If these people can't learn the language then fuck 'em."