The Traditional Latin Mass
THE LIGHT OF THE FAITH IS STILL BURNING
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
is the unbloody sacrifice of the New Testament in which the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, are offered to God under the appearance of bread and wine.
“The celebration of the Holy Mass has the same value as the Death of Jesus on the Cross.”
-St. Thomas Aquinas
Old Mass Vs. New Mass
| Atmosphere of Reverent Worship: Peaceful, otherworldly atmosphere. Emphasis on individual “lifting his heart & mind to God.” Members of congregation direct attention to God, not each other. | Social, Classroom, Entertainment Atmosphere: Constant standing, sitting, amplified noise; atmosphere like a public meeting. Emphasis on “instruction.” Socializing in church before & after service, and handshaking during. |
| Profound Reverence for Real Presence: Sixteen genuflections. The hands of the priest alone touch the consecrated host. Communion given only on tongue. | Indifference, Irreverence towards Real Presence: Only three genuflections required. Lay men & women distribute communion. Communion given in hand – a practice protestants introduced to deny Christ’s Real Presence. |
| Fidelity to Catholic Doctrine: Over the course of a year, presents all facets of Catholic doctrine. | Systematic Omission of Catholic Doctrines: New prayers systematically omit references to hell, judgement, punishment for sin, merits of the Saints, the one true Church, the souls of the departed & miracles. |
| Antiquity: Bulk of Sunday prayers & their arrangement goes back at least to 300s and 400s AD. Canon essentially the same since St. Ambrose (d. 397). | Novelty: Old Sunday prayers omitted or stripped of doctrines, and rearranged in 1960s. Only 17% of old prayers remain. Chunks of ancient Canon are now “optional.” The words of consecration, Christ’s own words “For you and for many” are changed. Three substitute “Canons” invented & introduced in 1960s, and still more invented later. |
| Stability: Everything regulated by precise laws to protect purity of worship and doctrine. | Constant Change: Options, options and more options. Individual priests & parish liturgy committees get to pick, drop or invent texts to push what they think people should believe. |
| Priest is Sacrificer: Priest faces tabernacle, cross and altar (symbolically toward God). Priest performs all the actions & recites all the prayers of the Mass. | Priest is “President”, Actor: Priest faces people instead of symbolically “toward God.” Priest sits off to side. His functions given away to lay men and women. |
Key Issues
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What’s Wrong with the New Mass?
from “Vatican II, the Pope and the Mass” by Rev. Donald J. Sanborn. Among other things, the liturgical changes of Vatican II reflect the doctrinal errors of the Council concerning: (1) the unity of the Church; (2) ecumenism; (3) religious liberty and (4) collegiality. (See What’s wrong with Vatican II? FAQs) The new liturgy is […]
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What’s wrong with Vatican II? FAQs
from “Vatican II, the Pope and the Mass” by Rev. Donald J. Sanborn 1. What is wrong with the Second Vatican Council? The Second Vatican Council taught doctrines which had been already condemned by the Church, and enacted disciplines which are contrary to the Church’s teaching and constant practice. 2. What doctrines did it teach […]
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What about the Vatican II popes?
FAQs from “Vatican II, the Pope and the Mass” by Rev. Donald J. Sanborn 1. If what you are saying is true, what does it say about the Vatican II popes? It says that it is impossible that they be true Catholic popes. 2. Why can they not be true Catholic popes and true Catholic […]
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Do traditionalists defy papal authority?
from “Traditionalists, Infallibility and the Pope” by Rev. Anthony Cekada Catholics new to the traditional movement sometimes fear they are defying papal authority. Are they? No. Unlike many traditionalist groups, we do not believe one can simultaneously hold that (a) The changes in the Church were bad and (b) The popes who promulgated the changes […]
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Heresy and loss of authority
from “Traditionalists, Infallibility and the Pope” by Rev. Anthony Cekada It may seem surprising to Catholics who have been taught the doctrine of papal infallibility that a pope, as a private teacher, can nevertheless fall into heresy and automatically lose his office. Lest it be thought that this principle is a fantasy invented by traditionalist […]
Traditionalists, Infallibility and the Pope
By Rev. Anthony Cekada
A clear and concise survey of the sedevacantist argument, based on the teachings of pre-Vatican II canonists, dogmatic theologians and popes. First published in 1995 as a booklet, and revised in 2006 to address various objections, Traditionalists, Infallibility and the Pope has enjoyed a world-wide circulation. Despite its continuing popularity, it is the one major treatise on sedevacantism that the Society of St. Pius X has never even attempted to answer. We are happy to make it available
“If we knew the value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, how much
greater effort we would put forth in order to assist at it!”
-Curé d’Ars