The Tridentine Mass: "Everything old is new again"

(I love that song!)

I was asked by Jane a while ago what I thought of the Tridentine Mass and whether I go to a Tridentine Mass.

Just before I write about that, for those who don't know the story..

At the Council of Trent in the mid-1500s, the style of the Mass was formalised; that is, the format, the words used, basically 'how-Mass-is-celebrated-in-the-Roman-Catholic-Church' was standardised officially.
And that style of Mass is called the Tridentine Mass.
The Tridentine Mass looks like this:

In the 1960s the Second Vatican Council, a new style of Mass was brought in. As I understand it, they wanted to make the Mass simpler; they got rid of the obligatory Latin and allowed Mass to be said in the local language ('the venacular'), the Priest faces the people, they changed the format of the readings and the entire liturgy, changed the obligatory position of the tabernacle, allowed Communion in the hand etc, amongst many other things.

This Mass we call the 'Novus Ordo" Mass, and that is the Mass which goes on in every Roman Catholic Church around the world (Eastern Rite Catholics have their own style of Mass).

This Mass can be said in any language; and some Churches have Latin Novus Ordo Mass (...but note that this is not the same as a Tridentine Mass).

(on a side-note: Eastern Rite Catholics are not the same as the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox broke away from the Catholic Church 1000yrs ago. The Eastern Rite Catholics are still part of the Catholic Church and are in communion with the Pope, but they celebrate the Sacraments in a different way. So all this discussion about Masses only pertains to the LATIN rite of the Catholic Church, and not the EASTERN rite who are in charge of their own liturgies).

As far as I understand it, in some circles there is a belief that the Tridentine Mass is..'better' (for want of a better word) that the Novus Ordo Mass. Some people see the Tridentine Mass as being more reverant and respectful, and the Novus Ordo Mass as being a 'lesser' Mass. Other people totally reject all Novus Ordo Masses and will only go to Tridentine Masses.

Currently, (as far as I understand the regulations), a Priest must get permission from his Bishop if he wants to celebrate a Tridentine Mass. There are a couple of places in England where Mass is celebrated in this way.

As for me, I have only been to a Tridentine Mass a small handful of times in my life, as I don't really have any local opportunity to go.
I do have the option of going to a Novus Ordo Mass in Latin, but I don't go to that one regularly.

I am not well-versed in any indepth arguments between the Tridentine & Novus Ordo Masses, as I don't have any close Catholic friends who are (so-called) "Traddies" , and so the opportunity to discuss this has not arisen.

I am reluctant to accept an argument that the Tridentine Mass is somehow intrinsically 'more holy' than a Novus Ordo Mass or that one gets more graces simply from going to a Tridentine Mass (which some people seem to imply).
Afterall, the Tridentine Mass came about through a Church Council, and so did the Novus Ordo Mass.

However, I can see the argument that the Tridentine Mass may foster a greater sense of awe and reverence during Mass, making it easier to truely enter into the mystery of the Mass.

I appreciate the silence (sometimes having all that music can prevent you from doing any thinking & praying), and the outstanding respect and reverence with which Mass is said certaintly does encourage a greater respect for the holiness of the Eucharist.

I myself have been to some pretty awful Novus Ordo Masses. Not so much in England, but one I went to in America filled me with horror; it was just so irreverant I almost cried; 15-20 Eucharistic Ministers with a mean age of 16 who had no idea what they were doing, parading all over the Church holding chalices filled with the blood of Christ and ciboria full of hosts, all dressed in mini-shorts...*shudders*. eugh.

and you read all sorts of things on the interent about bad things going on in Novus Ordo Masses in America; things like Priests forbidding Parishoners from kneeling, or forbidding them from recieving communion on the tongue, lay people reading the Gospel & giving the homily, people being encouraged to crowd round the altar during the most holy Consecration etc etc...

Things like that would *NEVER* happen in any Tridentine Mass...

But, I can't help thinking that this is because the Tridentine Mass is not the 'default' Mass, and so when people go to a Tridentine Mass they are aware that it is 'different', and so put more effort (the Priest & the people) into making it more reverant and respectful, than your average Sunday Mass in your average Parish.

That is, some may argue that there is nothing really intrinsic to the Tridentine Mass that stops such abuse and irreverance happening. It's just that the people who currently attend & the Priests who celebrate the Tridentine Mass now-a-days, are the sort of people who wouldn't do that anyway.

That is, your sample is biased!
If every Catholic Church in the world were to celebrate only the Tridentine Mass, your 'liturgical abuses per Tridentine Mass' ratio would probably rise.

I once heard a Priest, who was celebrating his 50th anniversary as a Priest, say that it is incorrect to assume that back in the old Pre-Vatican 2 days, every Tridentine Mass was holy and reverant, and every parishoner was God-fearing and obedient to the Church.
He said Masses said back then were just as likely to be sloppy and rushed, and have corners cut, as any Novus Ordo Mass is these days, and many people went to Mass because of social pressures, and not really driven by any love of God.

So I don't know whether if the Tridentine Mass became 'the norm' now-a-days, said in every Parish everywhere round the world, the standards currently seen in Tridentine Masses would persist.


Somehow, I think not. (But I could be wrong)

Some people say that the Novus Ordo Mass gives more scope for liturgical abuse, and irreverent activities, and I can definitly see their arguments and this may be true to a certain extent.

However, for me, a vitally important factor is what goes on in someone's heart, and the respect and love they have for Christ; having a loving relationship with Christ, at whose death we are present during Mass , and having a living faith in the Eucharist and the Church, is of central importance.

Some people would argue that the beauty of a Tridentine Mass would feed that more than a typical Novus Ordo Mass, but, as I said, I don't know how long that would hold up for if the Tridentine Mass were to become the norm.
I think that proper catechesis and instruction on the faith is sorely needed, and when that improves, and people's faith & love increases, so will their respect for the Mass.


I've only ever had one close friend who frequented the Tridentine Mass.

But you know the sadest part?
If he couldn't get to his Tridentine Mass...he would just skip Mass that Sunday.
He would break his Sunday obligation rather than going to a Novus Ordo Mass.

That makes me very sad, and I think is an example of how sometimes this argument about Tridentine Mass/Novus Ordo Mass can lose its perspective; it becomes all about 'the type of Mass', and actually forgetting about Jesus and His commandments to love God and our neighbour.


I have been to some very beautiful and respectful Novus Ordo Masses, so I don't think there are any intrinsic flaws in the Novus Ordo Mass...the abuses are more likely to be due to a lack of respect and faith of the people involved..and so perhaps they would happen anyway, even if the Tridentine Mass was the standard Mass.

But anyway, I do think that the Tridentine Mass is a very beautiful Mass (with the way it is celebrated now-a-days it unarguably is); would I go only to a Tridentine Mass if there was one every Sunday in my home town?
I don't know.

Would getting rid of the Novus Ordo Mass and having only the Tridentine Mass solve the World's faith crisis...I don't know.

I am a strong believer in the fact that the Holy Spirit is guiding the Catholic Church, and I'm sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if the Novus Ordo Mass was brought in, it was for a good reason.

On a related note, there are rumours in the Catholic world that Pope Benedict will, in the not too distant future, bring in permission to allow the Tridentine Mass to be said by any Priest if they want to.

~~~

Anyway, please, if I have said anything incorrect then please do correct me! I am certainly no expert in this area and these are just my simple thoughts!

I would be very interested to hear what anyone else thinks on this issue! I know a lot of people in blog world are very pro-Tridentine Mass, and almost anti-Novus Ordo Mass (especially if it's in the venacular!), but I haven't ever been clear why.

and to Jane who asked me the question...what do you think?

God Bless

-x-

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