The Pope's Latinist: Reginald Foster's Extraordinary Life
2025-03-24
Reginald Foster, an extraordinary American priest, served as the Pope's Latin secretary at the Vatican for forty years. More than just a master of Latin, his unique teaching methods cultivated thousands of Latin enthusiasts and profoundly impacted the Church's Latin legacy. This article recounts his legendary life, from being plucked from his order by a powerful cardinal to his unconventional teaching style that fused Latin learning with Roman history and culture. Foster's legacy lives on through the numerous scholars and teachers he trained, breathing new life into the ancient language.