Tom Heinen reports in today's
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Carmelite Father Reginald Foster, a Wisconsin native who serves as the Vatican's Latin expert. Father Foster takes his work seriously.
This is how Foster reacted when Karol Wojtyla began signing papal documents in Latin as "Joannes Paulus II" instead of "Ioannes Paulus II" after being elected pope 26 years ago. He quickly pointed out to a papal adviser that there is no letter "J" in Latin.
"I said, 'By the way, friend, there's no J,' " Foster recalled. "And the answer kind of came back that the pope said,
'There is if J say there is.'? Not quite; he replied,
'Well, now there is.'
What did "now" mean? Father Foster explains.
Well, fine, fine. He's the boss. And if you look at his tomb, the J is gone. One of my brethren said, 'Well he enjoyed his J for 26 years, and now it's gone.' His tombstone has 'I.' "
Sic transit J.
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