| The Traditional Latin Mass |
| What happened to the Latin Mass? At the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the Catholic Church dramatically changed the way Mass was celebrated. The Church’s goal was to make the Mass more accessible to the modern world. These changes resulted, for the most part, in the replacement of the Latin Mass with the new Mass, which most Roman Catholics of today are familiar. Many Catholic priests, however, such as Saint (Padre) Pio, continued, and still continue, to celebrate the Latin Mass. What has Pope John Paul II said about the Latin Mass? His Holiness Pope John Paul II has called for the “wide and generous” availability of the traditional Latin Mass. He has praised the Latin Mass for capturing a “sense of the sacred,” and he himself reportedly celebrates the Latin Mass in private. Latin is the official language of the Church, and Pope John Paul II has called for the greater use of Latin in the liturgy. Across the centuries, Latin has helped unify Roman Catholics from different countries and backgrounds. Because Latin is not an “evolving” language, the meaning of the prayers said at the Latin Mass do not change over time, but remain fixed. What is more, it is fitting to worship God in a special, sacred language reserved for this purpose alone. Why does the priest face the altar at the Latin Mass? The priest, like the rest of the congregation, faces east (“ad orientem”). East is the direction of the rising sun, which is symbolic of the Risen Christ. This demonstrates the unity of the priest and the people in worshipping God together. The Mass is an extended prayer to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, prayed by both the priest and people. Thus, for much of the Mass, the priest and the faithful face the same direction. How is Holy Communion received at the Latin Mass? At the Latin Mass, communicants kneel to receive Holy Communion on the tongue. This traditional form of receiving the Eucharist stresses the awesome reality that Holy Communion is indeed the Body of Christ, and should be received with the utmost of reverence. The communicants do not say “Amen” (which means: “so be it” or “I believe”) at the Latin Mass upon receiving Communion, This is because the act of kneeling speaks for them. Please note that only Catholics free of mortal sin may receive Holy Communion. Do I need to know Latin to follow the Traditional Latin Mass? No. Latin-English Booklet Missals (which are provided at the Mass) contain easy-to-follow, step-by-step translations of all the prayers, hymns, and responsorials of the Mass. The homily will be in English, and the scriptural readings will be read in both English and Latin. What are the “Ordinary Prayers” and the “Proper Prayers”? There are two sets of prayers at Mass: the “Ordinary Prayers,” and the “Proper Prayers.” The Ordinary Prayers are those fixed prayers that repeat week after week, such as the Kyrie, the Gloria, the Credo, and the Agnus Dei. These prayers are contained in the Missalette. The Proper Prayers, which are “proper” to the particular Sunday (such as the Gospel, the Epistle, and the Collect), change from week to week. You can find the Proper Prayers on a separate handout that is distributed before Mass each week. Why is the choir singing while the priest is praying? The choir sings several key parts of the Latin Mass. However, the priest says these same parts of the Mass independently (and quietly) at the altar. Except for the “Gloria” and the “Credo,” the priest does not wait for the choir to finish singing a prayer or canticle before he moves on to the next one. Why are the bells rung? Because the priest prays many of the prayers in a very low voice, bells are rung in the Latin Mass to alert the people to important moments in the Mass. You will notice that your Booklet Missals indicate at what moments of the Mass the bells are rung. The ringing of the bells tells you exactly at what moment in the Mass the priest currently is. What are the women wearing on their heads at the Latin Mass? You will notice that many of the women who attend the Latin Mass wear a “chapel veil,” also known as a “mantilla.” This traditional practice is a sign of modesty and reverence, and is highly recommended. (Conversely, men show reverence by removing any hats or head-coverings that they might be wearing.) What is the “Eucharistic Fast”? Current Church law requires that in order to receive Holy Communion all communicants must fast for one hour before receiving Holy Communion. Drinking water or plain (without sugar or cream) tea or coffee does not break the fast. The Eucharistic fast that was in place during 1962 was of no food or water for three hours before Holy Communion; keeping this fast is commendable. The Traditional Eucharistic Fast (prior to 1962) was of no food or water from Midnight until reception of communion; keeping this fast is highly commendable. . . . . . . |
| This page has been prepared to help acquaint (and re-acquaint) Catholics and other persons of good will with the splendor and beauty of the Church’s ancient liturgy – the traditional Latin Mass. What is the Traditional Latin Mass? For nearly 1,400 years, the traditional Latin Mass was the Liturgy of the Roman Catholic world. This is the Mass at which every Pope, and Saint and Christian of the West worshipped from 600 A.D. to 1970 A.D. This is the Mass Catholic martyrs gave their blood to preserve during the Protestant Reformation. This is the Mass that unites Christians across Continents and across centuries. The traditional Latin mass has been described as “the most beautiful thing this side of heaven.” |
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