The Order of the Mass
If you live in the West then it is highly likely that the Mass you attend every Sunday is the Novus Ordo, i.e., the New Order of the Mass, which was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970. The Novus Ordo succeeded what has now become known as the Old or Tridentine Rite of the Mass, which had been used by the Church since its promulgation by Pope Pius V on 5th December 1570.
As can be imagined, this change caused a great deal of controversy, which continues even to the present day. Unfortunately, the divisions that this controversy has created has made Bishops wary about allowing priests to celebrate Mass in the Old Rite even though Pope John Paul II - in his 1988 motu proprio Ecclesia Dei - called for greater provision to be made for just that to happen. This is very sad because the Tridentine Mass is a legitimate part of the tradition of the Church. The Old Rite connects Catholics ever more deeply, not only to their brothers and sisters of the last four hundred years, but to their brothers and sisters of the Middle Ages who celebrated various forms of the Mass that were eventually codified as the Tridentine Rite, to their brothers and sisters of the Dark Ages, Roman period, right back to the Apostles themselves.
Of course, one could reasonably argue that in this respect the harm caused by the Tridentine Rite falling out of use is limited because the Novus Ordo itself is the product of an archaeological expedition into ancient Church liturgical history and a subsequent recovery of ancient prayers and practises. There is much truth in this view, but also, there is much to criticise also. If you would like to read more on the subject there are certainly web sites that deal with the matter in an in-depth fashion. But it is not my intention or desire to debate the matter here.
What I would like to draw your attention to is the fact that the Mass you attend week in and out is not the only one of its kind and that if you would like to experience the Sacred Liturgy of Holy Mother Church in all its fullness you could do much worse than attend a Mass in the Tridentine Rite - the Mass of your mother and father, your grandparents, their parents and so forth.
For the reason mentioned above, it can be difficult to find a church where the Old Rite is celebrated, for this reason, I have included its text here. I heartily recommend praying both forms of the Mass. One will be very familiar to you and that will no doubt enrich your experience of praying over it; the other will probably feel altogether other - what with the Latin language (an English translation is provided) and different structure, yet I hope you will not find it so out of the ordinary as to make you consider it strange and unwelcome.
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