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Tridentine Mass  A surviving Pre-Vatican II altar and reredos, with High Mass candlesThis altar was not radically re-ordered because of its historical importance. Note the steps up to the altar. Different parts of a Tridentine Mass were performed on different steps, with the consecration taking place in front of the tabernacle. A modern wooden altar (out of shot) which is now used in the celebration of Mass, stands between the old altar and the altar rails, which remain intact also.
The Tridentine Mass is the name given to the Latin-language Mass celebrated in accordance with the Roman Missal promulgated on December 5 1570 following the Council of Trent in Trent, Italy ( Tridentine is the adjectival form of Trent) and repeatedly revised by later Popes up to but not including Pope Paul VI's revision in 1969.
Purpose of codification
The Mass was codified by the Council of Trent in order to standardize the celebration of the Mass in the Western Church[1]. The rite was largely unchanged for centuries before its standardization, and was formally standardized as a response to the theological and ritualistic changes of the new Protestant faith communities. Today, traditional Catholics prefer to not call it the "Tridentine Mass," but simply the "ancient Mass," the "traditional Mass," etc., as they find that referring to it as "the Tridentine Mass" leads people to believe it wasn't in existence until the 1570s.
The Council of Trent solemnly declared that the "Sacrifice of the Mass" is at the centre of the Roman Catholic liturgy, contrary to what it deemed the heresy of Martin Luther, who denied that the Mass was a sacrifice. The Council dealt with the issue of the Mass in three sessions: the thirteenth session in October 1551, the twentieth session in July 1562, (which dealt with the Sacrament of the Eucharist), and in particular the twenty-second in September 1562. This latter session produced the 'dogmatic chapters' and canons on the Mass.
Other Rites replaced by codification
The local rites that it superseded were for example, the Gaulic and Irish (although these were only different in small ways), though the new Missal containing the new Tridentine Mass retained any other rites that had existed for at least 200 years. This allowed the presevation of the Ambrosian and Mozarabic Rites, which are still praticed in Milan and Toledo respectively, as well as the rites of the Dominicans, the Carthusians, and the Carmelites.
Liturgy of the traditional Mass
The following is an approximation of the liturgy of the traditional Latin-rite Mass. Variations exist across time, regions, liturgical season, whether it is a high or low Mass, and whether or not there may be a special intention associated with the Mass. This summary is pulled from sources ranging in date from the late 1800s through 1962. This is, therefore, an impression of traditional liturgy. Many small variations exist.
Mass of the Catechumens
See Missal.
- Preparation; Acts of Contrition\n#* Asperges (Sprinkling of the holy water, Psalm 51:9, 3)\n#** Often omitted, but the faithful will sign themselves with holy water upon entering the church or chapel.\n#* Sign of the Cross\n#** The priest makes the sign of the Cross at the foot of the altar, after processing in to the chapel or church with other clergy and servers, if any.\n#* Introíbo ad altáre Dei; Júdica me (Psalm 43)\n#** The priest prays, and other clergy or the servers symbolically respond on behalf of the people at certain points. \n#* Public Confession (Confíteor)\n#** First the priest, then those responding symbolically on behalf of the people, pray: "I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to you, Father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa. Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin ... and you, Father, to pray to the Lord our God for me."\n#* The priest at the altar\n#** Here the priest prays "that with pure minds we may worthily enter into the holy of holies", a reference to Ex 26:33-34, 1 Kgs (or 3 Kgs) 6:16, 1 Kgs (or 3 Kgs) 8:6, 2 Chr (or 2 Para) 3:8, Ezek 41:4, and others.\n#* Introit\n#** The Introit is usually taken from a Psalm. Exceptions occur: e.g. the Introit for Easter Sunday is adapted from Wis 10:20-21. On Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Lent, it is adapted from Ezek 36:23-26.\n#* Kyrie\n#** This part of Mass is a linguistic marker for the ancient origins of the liturgy: in Greek, it reads: "Kyrie, eléison; Christe, eléison; Kyrie, eléison." I.e., "Lord, have mercy; Christ have mercy;..." Each phrase is repeated thrice. See also Gregorian chant and the music of the Mass.\n#* Gloria in excélsis Deo \n#** The first line of the Gloria is taken from Lk 2:14. The Gloria is omitted during liturgical seasons calling for penitence, such as Advent and Lent, both generally having the liturgical color purple. \n# Instruction; Acts of Faith\n#* The Collect\n#** The priest turns toward the people: Dóminus vobíscum. Et cum spíritu tuo. This means, The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. The Collect follows, a prayer not drawn directly from Scripture. It will tend to reflect the season. For example, a portion of a collect for Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent: "Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God: that we, who are chastised by fasting, may rejoice with holy devotion...." A collect from the Second Sunday of Advent: "Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of Thine only-begotten Son; that through His coming...." In each case one can observe the seasonal relevance of the prayer.\n#* The Epistle or writings of the Prophets (major or minor) and Apostles\n#* The Gradual and Alleluia\n#** The Gradual is partly comprised of a portion of a Psalm. For example, the Gradual for Sexagesima Sunday, one of the Sundays after Epiphany and before Lent, is from Psalm 83:19, 14.\n#* The Gospel or the words of our Lord\n#** Before reciting or singing the Gospel the priest prays, in part: "Cleanse my heart and my lips, O almighty God, who didst cleanse the lips of the prophet Isaias...", a reference to Isaiah 6:6. After being cleansed by the angel, Isaias was instructed to prophesy.\n#* The Sermon\n#** Before the sermon commences, announcements are made, especially of marriages, requirements of the liturgical season such as fasting, events for the week, and requests to pray for the ill or deceased.\n#* The Creed\n#** This is the Nicene Creed. There are six points of special focus: belief in God, in God the Father, in God the Son, in the Word made flesh (incarnation), in the Holy Ghost, and in the Holy Church. When the incarnation is mentioned, the celebrant kneels.
Mass of the Faithful
See Missal.
- At different points in the history of the Church, catechumens, i.e. those being instructed in the faith,[1] were dismissed at this point, having not yet professed the faith. Profession of faith was considered essential for participation in the Eucharistic sacrifice. An example of this is found in the Didache, ca. A.D. 140: "Let no one eat or drink of the Eucharist with you except those who have been baptized in the name of the Lord..." (Jurgens §6).\n# Offertory; Acts of Self-surrender\n#* Offertory antiphon\n#** An antiphon is a musical response, such as a verse to be sung or chanted.[1] The offertory antiphon is often taken from a Psalm, but may come from other Scripture. For example, On Thursday of the Second Week of Lent, the offertory antiphon is adapted from Ex 32:11, 13, 14.\n#* Offering of Bread and Wine\n#** Here the priest prays that although he is unworthy he offers to God the spotless host for his own sins and those of all present, and for all faithful Christians living and dead, that it may avail unto salvation of himself and those mentioned. He then mixes a few drops of water, representing the faithful, with the wine, which will become the Blood of Jesus. He then prays a prayer of contrition adapted from Dan 3:39-40.\n#* Incensing of the offerings and of the faithful\n#** The priest prays Psalm 141:2-4: "Let my prayer, O Lord, be directed as incense in Thy sight;..."\n#* Washing of the hands\n#** The priest prays Psalm 26:6-12: "I will wash my hands among the innocent..."\n#* Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity\n#** This prayer asks that God, the Trinity, will receive the oblation made in remembrance of Jesus (Lk 22:19), and made in honor of blessed Mary ever Virgin and the others also mentioned above in the Public Confession, "that it may avail to their honour and our salvation: and that they may vouchsafe to intercede for us in heaven..."\n#* Oráte fratres and Secret; Amen ratifies Offertory\n#** Here the priest turns to the congregation and prays that "my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the Father almighty."\n# Consecration; Acts of Gratitude and Hope\n#* Preface to the Canon\n#**"The Canon is above all others the traditional prayer of the Church,"¹ and dates[1] in essentials to St. Gregory the Great[1], [1] and before.\n#** Dóminus vobíscum. Et cum spíritu tuo. Sursum corda. Habémus ad Dóminum. Grátias agámus Dómino Deo nostro. Dignum et justum est. The first part can be seen above at the Collect; the rest means: Lift up your hearts. We lift them up unto the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is meet and right. \n#**Next a preface is prayed. If the liturgical day does not specify a specific prayer, the common one is used, which emphasizes that it is availing unto salvation to praise God "at all times and in all places", and that the angels praise God's majesty, and the powers stand in awe. Seraphim are also mentioned, "celebrating their joy," with whom the faithful attending the Mass wish to join their voices also. This leads to the Sanctus.[1]\n#* Canon or Rule of Consecration [1]\n#** Reading of the Diptychs\n#*** A diptych is a painting, carving, or writing tablet on two leaves, usually hinged.[1] Named after the tablets on which these prayers were once written, here the priest prays for the living. It is prayed that the Church will be united and that God will govern the Church together with the Pope and "all true believers and professors of the Catholic and Apostolic Faith". Then specific living people are mentioned, as are those present, and all those known to God as faithful. Then Mary ever Virgin, the Apostles, Martyrs, and Popes are mentioned, for they live in Heaven, also called the Church Triumphant.\n#** Prayers preparatory to the Consecration\n#*** It is prayed that God will graciously accept the offering and that God will deliver [us] "from eternal damnation" to Hell.\n#** Transubstantiation and major Elevation\n#*** The passage Lk 22:19-20 is key in this section. In S. Theol III 78 3 St. Thomas addresses the interspersed statement THE MYSTERY OF FAITH.\n#** Oblation of the Victim to God\n#***An oblation is an offering;[1] the pure, holy Victim is now offered, and it is prayed that God will accept the offering, that God will command the holy angels to carry the offering up, and that those who shall receive the Body and Blood "may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing."\n#** Reading of the Diptychs\n#*** On the other 'leaf' of the diptych, the priest now prays for the suffering souls in Purgatory, or for the dead about whom it is not known whether they may yet be in Purgatory. Again, apostles and martyrs are mentioned by name.\n#** End of the Canon and minor Elevation; Amen ratifying Canon prayers\n#*** Here it is prayed: "Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, be unto Thee, O God the Father almighty, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honour and glory, world without end."\n# Communion [1]\n#* The Lord's Prayer and Libera nos\n#** The "Libera nos" is an extension of the Lord's Prayer which includes the line "sed libera nos a malo" ("but deliver us from evil"). The priest prays that [we] will be delivered from all evils and that the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, together with the apostles and saints will intercede to grant peace in [our] day.\n#* Fraction of the Host\n#** The priest breaks a portion of the consecrated Host and drops it into the Chalice while praying that the Body and Blood will "be to us who receive it effectual to life everlasting."\n#* Agnus Dei\n#** "Agnus Dei" means "Lamb of God." This prayer states: "Lamb of God, who takest away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. Repeat, then: Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace." \n#* Prayers preparatory to the Communion\n#** These prayers ask God to look not to [our] sins but to [our] faith. They ask for peace and unity within the Church, and for deliverance from [our] transgressions and all evils. They also ask: "Let not the partaking of Thy Body, O Lord Jesus Christ...turn to my judgment and condemnation: but through Thy goodness may it be unto me a safeguard...."\n#* Receiving of the Body and Blood of our Lord\n#** Several prayers are made here. One of these, prior to communion, is based on Mt 8:8: "Lord, I am not worthy...." If any will communicate at the Mass, i.e. receive the Eucharist, then a member of the clergy or the altar server will again say the Confiteor, from above.\n# Thanksgiving; Acts of Gratitude \n#* Prayers during the Ablutions\n#** The prayers now focus on what has been received, that "we may receive with a pure mind", "that no stain of sin may remain in me, whom these pure and holy sacraments have refreshed."\n#* Communion Antiphon and Postcommunion\n#** The communion antiphon is normally a portion of a Psalm. For example, the Communion Antiphon for Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent is adapted from Psalm 71:16-18. The Postcommunion is akin to the Collect in being an appropriate prayer not directly drawn from Scripture.\n#* "Ite Missa est"; Blessing\n#** "Go, you are dismissed. Thanks be to God."\n#* The last Gospel (Jn 1:1-14)\n#* Prayers at the foot of the Altar\n#** The Ave María, Salve Regína, and a prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel are offered at this point.\n#* Canticle of the three youths, from Dan 3 if used.\n# Sample prayers after Mass (not part of the liturgy)[1]\n#* Spiritual books such as Missals, that Catholics often carry to Mass with them, usually contain prayers suitable for after Mass, as well as for before Mass. Statues and works of art in the chapel or church are also aids to prayer.
Sober and formal ritual
Compared to other Catholic rites at the time, the Roman rite was noted for its sobriety. It features very precise coordination and structure in movement, with everything done in a smooth, deliberate fashion. One of the main reasons for the codification of the rite was to prevent pious Priests from improvising their own additional prayers. The Roman rite usually does not have the Iconostasis that almost all other Catholic rites use, and this influences much of the liturgy.
The style of chant by which the mass is sung is much simpler than any other liturgy, especially when compared to the Coptic rites. Whole prayers are usually sung by the priest or Bishop on series of three notes.
Pontifical High Mass
The basic liturgical function, from which others are derived, is the Pontifical Mass, the Mass of the Bishop. As the faithful spread and grew, one Bishop was not sufficient to provide the sacraments to everyone, so Priests were delegated to say Mass. This led to a reduction in ceremonies unbeffitting to a simple Priest. Later, when poorer churches could not afford choirs, Mass was simply spoken, instead of sung; this was called a low mass. The distinction was shown symbolically by the use of candles. In the Pontifical High Mass, all the candles were lit. In a Low Mass, only the lowest candles on the reredos were lit.
The replacement of the Tridentine Mass
On 4 December 1963, the Second Vatican Council decreed in Chapter II of its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy [www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/v2litur.htm] that there should be a general revision of the rite of the Mass, including authorization for vernacular languages (i.e. those used by the people), rather than Latin, in parts of the liturgy. With the promulgation of the revised Roman Missal on Holy Thursday 3 April 1969 (with effect from 30 November 1969)[www.papalencyclicals.net/Paul06/p6missal.htm], Pope Paul VI presented the Church with what its detractors call the Novus Ordo Missae. Some prayers in the traditional Missal were removed, others rearranged and re-worded, and new ones were added. The accusation was made that the focus of the new liturgy changed to more of a "celebratory meal" as reflected in the new "Paschal Theology" rather than the offering of the Son to the Father for the remission of sins.
Redesigning the Sanctuary
In the Tridentine Mass, the priest celebrated Mass with his back to the congregation (symbolically leading the congregation and worshiping God with them), together with the congregation facing the tabernacle that was on the altar in front of a reredos (or retable), and which usually faced towards the east as a symbol of the rising sun of Christ who was to be worshipped. ² In the modern Mass introduced by Pope Paul VI the physical structure of the sanctuary where Mass is celebrated is changed dramatically, a fact reflected in the manner of the celebration of the Mass. In the new Mass, the celebrant faces the congregation over the altar. Though some churches merely moved the altar away from the reredos, many removed the often spectacularly carved reredos altogether. (See Ugly as Sin reference, below.)
Relocation of the Tabernacle
Many other changes occurred. Many churches moved the tabernacle from the centre of the sanctuary to a side chapel. The large-scale removal of altar rails that had originally marked the boundary between the sanctuary where the clergy were permitted and the nave, where the faithful were permitted. In the traditional Mass, the faithful who were receiving communion at a given Mass would be very close to the sanctuary by kneeling at the altar rails; reception now is further away from the sanctuary, at dispersed locations throughout the church, which some Catholics feel decreases their intimacy with God. The vestments were substantially altered, while an increased use of native language music, often involving traditional, folk, rock and sometimes secular music has replaced Latin hymns and Gregorian chant.
Public attitudes towards the two Masses
The introduction of the revised Roman Missal proved to be one of the most controversial changes that came after [[Vatican II]|the Second Vatican Council]. While Catholics generally accepted the revision, some reluctantly, many with enthusiasm, a minority of laity, bishops, and priests, allegedly including Padre Pio, criticized it, claiming that it went against papal bulls and encyclicals dating back half a millennium, or failed to promote proper reverence.
In October 1967, when a meeting of the Synod of Bishops was asked to pass judgment on an experimental celebration of a preliminary draft form of the Novus Ordo Missae, 78 of the 187 members approved it as it stood, 62 approved it but suggested various modifications, 4 abstained, and 47 voted against. [1]
In the 1960s, 1970s and beyond, Western countries experienced a drop in Mass attendance. These same countries also saw a decline in seminary enrollments – although on a worldwide scale there was a strong increase in numbers, from 72,991 major seminarians in 1970 (the first year of publication of the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, which coincidentally was also the first year in which the revised Roman Missal was in force) to 113,199 in 2002 – and in the number of priests – again in contrast to the global trend, which for some years is that of steady recovery of the losses incurred in the decades immediately following the Second Vatican Council. The geography of these declines suggests they are part of the general phenomenon of secularism and libertarianism that Western countries have experienced since the 1960s, even before the liturgy was revised. Opponents of the revision prefer instead to attribute them to confusion and disenchantment caused by changes in the liturgy, and point to opinion polls in which people indicated they thought there was such a link [1].
Some, while not refusing to accept the revision of the liturgy, criticized aspects such as the reordering of the sanctuary (altar, tabernacle, reredos, altar rails), and the abandonment in practice (though not mandated by the revision) of ceremonies such as Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament and of traditional church music.
Papal intentions
According to Mediator Dei, §60, "the use of the mother tongue in connection with several of the rites may be of much advantage to the people," although the Latin is much to be preferred. That encyclical was issued by Pope Pius XII (r:1939-1958). Pope Pius XII instituted a rite of Mass for parts of Germany and elsewhere that unlike the traditional rite, and in keeping with the rite introduced subsequently, indeed provided for popular participation through the use of communal responses; he also stressed that the dialog Mass was not to replace the high Mass ( MD §100).
A speech by the then 85-year-old Cardinal Alfons Stickler, as reported in the Summer 1995 issue of the magazine The Latin Mass, attributed to French philosopher Jean Guitton the statement that "Pope Paul revealed to him that it was his [the Pope’s] intention to assimilate as much as possible of the new Catholic liturgy to Protestant worship". [1] However, the speech gave no source for this claim and questioned whether the alleged remark should be interpreted in its superficially apparent sense, "since all the official statements of Paul VI—especially his excellent eucharistic encyclical Mysterium Fidei of 1965 [www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_03091965_mysterium_en.html], issued before the end of the Council, as well as the Credo of the People of God [1] demonstrate his absolute orthodoxy".
 \n A priest celebrating a Tridentine Mass
Traditional Catholics
The Tridentine Mass is of central important to various groups of traditional Catholics. Some of these Catholics believe that the Novus Ordo Missae is invalid, while others believe it is valid when offered according to its rubrics yet is nonetheless "Protestantized" and leads to heresy and a loss of the Catholic faith.
Tridentine Mass increasingly celebrated again
While the Vatican does allow the use of Latin Masses, it requires that in the vast majority it is the latin version of the Novus Ordo Missae that is used rather than the previous Tridentine Rite. While it does on some occasions allow the saying of Tridentine Masses, it insists on only allowing these with special dispense or Indult. Such dispensations have been increasingly granted. In 1999 Cardinal John O'Connor allowed the celebration of a full Pontifical High Mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, by a visiting retired cardinal. In 2001 it was revealed that the Vatican now routinely allows the celebration of Tridentine Masses in St. Peter's Basilica (though not on the main altar). It was further revealed that Pope John Paul II himself now regularly celebrates Mass according to the Tridentine Rite in his private papal chapel in the Papal Apartments in the Vatican.
In some places there are now Parishes dedicated to the exclusive celebration of the Mass said according to the 1962 Missal, itself based on the original Tridentine Missal of 1570. There are also a number of priestly societies that celebrate the Tridentine Mass exclusively; among these, the more commonly known are the Fraternity of St. Peter, the Society of St. Pius X, and the Society of Christ the King. A number of priests have rejected the need for permission to say the Tridentine Mass, citing the Papal Bull of Pope St. Pius V Quo Primum Tempore [1] which accompanied the promulgation of the 1570 Roman Missal. However, celebration of the Tridentine Mass without full approval is seen within mainstream Roman Catholicism as a breach of church law and may result in censure of those clergy who do so.
See Also
Footnotes
- 1 The Saint Andrew Daily Missal, St. Bonaventure Publications, p. 969.\n*2 Alfons Cardinal Stickler, "the Attractiveness of the Tridentine Mass" (Speech in the United States in 1999 by Stickler, who is the retired prefect of the Vatican Archives and Library). \n*3 James B. Spencer, "Facts are Stubborn Things" (a review of Index of Leading Catholic Indicators) in The Latin Mass: A Journal of Catholic Culture, Vol. 13, No. 1, Winter 2004, p. 85.
External links and Further Reading
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