Tridentine Masses

Written by Fr. Miguel Galvez

Wednesday, 05 December 2007

Beginning on December 17, we are offering at St. Norbert's church in Roxbury an additional Mass each weekday at 6:30 AM and an additional Mass every Sunday at 10:30 AM (note:  in February, the time of this Mass changed to 11:00 AM), using the traditional Latin form of the Roman Rite. On July 7 of this year His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI issued a motu propio that allows each priest who so desires to celebrate Mass using the Missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962. This is the Missal that is used to celebrate what is normally known as the “traditional Latin Mass” or “Tridentine Rite”. A motu propio is a special type of papal document which is the publication of a new law for the Church. The phrase means “on my own initiative” or something similar. This means it comes directly from the Pope who is the Supreme Pontiff and Vicar of Jesus Christ. In this document the Pope introduces two forms of the Roman Rite, the ordinary and the extraordinary. He points out that it is not appropriate to speak of “two rites,” but that it is rather a twofold use of one and the same Roman Rite – there is one rite, with two equal forms. The ordinary form would be the Mass in English you find in all Catholic parishes and the extraordinary form would be the “traditional Latin Mass.” The Pope emphasizes that the ancient rite was never abrogated, or suspended. In 1970, we were made to think that it was gone, and that only retired priests who had obtained special permission to say the Mass in private could say the traditional Latin Mass. That was a misinterpretation of the law of the Church that the Pope clarifies in this document. After making these points, the Pope goes into the deformations in the Mass that have occurred over the recent years. He talks about the fact that many Catholics have wanted to recover the form of the sacred liturgy that was dear to them because it conveyed a more sacred celebration of the Mass. “This occurred above all because in many places celebrations were not faithful to the prescriptions of the new Missal, but the latter actually was understood as authorizing or even requiring creativity, which frequently led to deformations of the liturgy which were hard to bear. I am speaking from experience, since I too lived through that period with all its hopes and its confusion. And I have seen how arbitrary deformations of the liturgy caused deep pain to individuals totally rooted in the Faith of the Church.” The traditional Latin Mass is different in the way it is celebrated with respect to the ordinary form of the Mass. It is, of course, said in Latin, as it has been for 1500 years. But there are more differences than that. The way it is celebrated conveys a sense of awe and mystery in worship. It also provides ample room for recollection and private prayer and expresses beauty, dignity, silence, and reverence in the Mass. The traditional Latin Mass has as a primary focus to transmit a sense of worship to God that is expressed in many ways, the most obvious one being the priest facing the tabernacle or crucifix oriented to the east (the rising sun). Some people say that in this kind of Mass the priest gives his back to the people. But that is not the purpose of his position any more than the people who sit in the first pew do so because they want to give their back to the people. The priest, shepherd of his flock, is leading his flock as the Good Shepherd does. When he addresses the congregation he turns to face the people and says “Dominus vobiscum” or “Orate fratres”. It also is centered on the fact that the Mass is a making present of the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. This is expressed with the manifold crosses seen on the vestments, ornamentations and gestures of the priest. We invite all those interested in experiencing again the “old Mass” to attend this form of the liturgy. Those who have never experienced it, I truly encourage to attend. I advise those new to the form to read about it first (www.sanctamissa.org/EN/spirituality/ is one possibility) and prepare themselves for an awe-inspiring experience!

Last Updated ( Friday, 15 February 2008 )

 

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