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The official Vatican guide to the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass has arrived on YouTube, where you can find long sections of Ecclesia Dei’s DVD about the Extraordinary Form. The clip below shows a priest saying the canon of the Mass. Coming soon to a church near you? Not if certain bishops can help it.

Following their exchange in July, author Moyra Doorly and Aidan Nichols discuss the merits of post-Vatican II liturgical reform Dear Fr Aidan, In your kind reply to my first letter you made the point that I was drawing "unnecessarily sharp" contrasts between a theology of "propitiation and supplication" on one hand, and teachings on the "fruits of Communion" on the other. But what I was trying to demonstrate is that the pre-Conciliar sources give ample teaching on both, whereas the documents of Vatican II ignore the theology of propitiation and supplication. Now, to me this represents a doctrinal discontinuity of...

As an American arrived in the Vatican post that'll oversee the English-speaking church's global transition to the controversial new rendering of the Roman Missal, the US bishops did their part to keep the process moving, approving each of the four action-items on the new text presented last month in San Antonio... albeit on mail ballot given the meeting's "inconclusive vote" from the floor: The translation of the Order of Mass II (of the Roman Missal) received 191 votes in favor, 25 against and five abstentions. The translation of the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Intentions passed by...

RICHBORO, Pa. — Instead of saying “Good morning,” Father Joseph McLaughlin greets his secretary with a bright “Peace be with you.” There’s been a change recently in the way Jeanne Flower responds. “And with your spirit,” she says.It used to be: “And also with you,” just as at Mass. But she now replies with the revised version, which American Catholics will begin using liturgically sometime in the near future.That is one of the changes approved by Rome, reflecting the Vatican’s desire for translations more faithful to the Latin original. Realizing that it is important to catechize his parishioners regarding the...

After more than a year of assisting exclusively at Extraordinary Form Masses on Sundays, a Mass I have come to love, I had two occasions last summer to revisit the Roman Rite in its Ordinary Form in a large suburban Catholic parish—the same parish on both occasions. The following are my observations. I begin with the positive. The church operates a Catholic school. Together they form a large, sprawling physical plant. The Masses are well attended. When you walk into the church, you are greeted by holy water fonts at the entrance, a prominently displayed crucifix above the altar, candles,...

An English priest with an affinity for the extraordinary form of the Mass has been named the general secretary of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). The appointment highlights the transformation of an agency that was once the bane of conservative Catholics in the English-speaking world. Father Andrew Wadsworth, a priest of the Westminster archdiocese, will begin his work with ICEL in September. An accomplished linguist, he will guide the process of completing ICEL's new translation of the Roman Missal. His appointment, announced March 30, came with the approval of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship. ICEL...

Q: I am the parish priest for a dual-form parish and some of the complications are currently unavoidable. I have returned the tabernacle to the center and shifted the presider's chair to the side. The free-standing altar is used for both forms, with the placement of altar cards and candles in the traditional form and the resetting of the altar for the celebration of the ordinary form. I've returned the altar rail in two spots and cushions for kneeling at the reception of Communion. Part of the "experiment" of Pope Benedict XVI lies in the "working" of both forms where...

In a private conversation before the release of the motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum," a leading personality of U.K. Catholicism predicted that the reinstatement of the Traditional Latin Mass would grant again such an abundant flow of graces that it would even effect the restoration of society on sound Christian principles. While that outcome remains to be seen, the release of the motu proprio has certainly sparked a series of controversies and debates — especially in Italy, the heart of Catholicism, and that goes a long way in showing how sensitive the issue is among faithful and non-faithful alike. The...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Liturgical renewal launched by the Second Vatican Council is an "irreversible path" and has not been affected by Pope Benedict XVI's concession on wider use of the Tridentine rite, a Vatican official said. "The pope's decision has so far not produced any change in the celebrative practice of our ecclesial communities. His gesture was only one of service to unity," Archbishop Piero Marini, who arranged papal liturgies for more than 20 years, said in an interview April 25 in the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. "Therefore let's look ahead and let's continue with enthusiasm the path undertaken...

Kobler’s Key to the CouncilBOOK REVIEW: Kobler, John F., C.P.  Vatican II, Theophany and the Phenomenon of Man: The Council's Pastoral Servant Leader Theology for the Third Millennium.  (American University Studies, Series 7, vol. 100)  New York: Peter Lang, 1991.  0820414921, 9780820414928  $51.95 by Paul Zarowny, Ph.D. Whatever its multiple shortcomings, my book on the Council is the only published attempt to provide a synthesis, at least in a seminal way, of the religious ontology shaping the sense of the Council.[1]     Passionist priest Fr. John F. Kobler’s Vatican II, Theophany and the Phenomenon of Man (1991) is a follow-up to...

I offered the Sunday Vigil Mass in a suburban parish last Saturday in order to help out a friend and brother priest. Father is very dedicated and I have immense esteem for him. The observations that follow are no reflection on him. He inherited a difficult situation and hasn't yet completed his first year in the parish. But, like the prophet Jeremias, I am "weary with holding in." Chatter The first thing that disconcerted me was the idle chatter in church before Mass. It was like being in a theatre waiting for the lights to dim and the curtain to...

I'M SO EXCITED!! I just heard that they're having something called a "Traditional Latino Mass" at St. Peter's, so I'm driving there now. I sure hope they have a Mariachi Band! OK, I've driven all the way here and I'm already confused. The sign out front says "St. Peter's Catholic Church". Catholic Church? That isn't very inclusive! Faith Community, if you please. Oh well, I'll correct the Presider after the Communal Gathering Worship Service. I just hope I can find a parking space. Well, that wasn't a very long walk to the church proper. Hey, what's with all the coats...

The Rev. Joseph Looney will try anything to lead people to God. Es­pecially Latin. Starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem will begin offering a Novus Ordo Mass, or a Mass presented partially in Latin, at the request of parishioners. “If I can do anything to strengthen the culture that helped me become a priest, I will do it,” said Looney, who recently transferred to Nativi­ty from his longtime position at St. Margaret’s Church in Waterbury. “All of this is to put Jesus Christ first. If I have to use Latin to do it, I’ll...

Today is the 38th Anniverary of the Promulgation of Pope Paul VI’s Apostolic Constitution (the highest form of Church document) entitled Missale Romanum.  This was the instrument by which Paul VI established the Novus Ordo Missae. Let’s review this important document which has so affected our lives. My emphasis and comments. PROMULGATION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL REVISED BY DECREE OF THE SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCILMissale Romanum Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI issued on April 3, 1969. PAUL, BISHOP Servant of the Servants of God For an Everlasting Memorial The Missale Romanum was promulgated in 1570 by our predecessor St....

ROME, FEB. 26, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Speculation continues as to whether Benedict XVI will issue a document on a possible reform of the liturgy. The secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, spoke with Inside the Vatican magazine about rumors of a papal document that would loosen restrictions on the Tridentine Mass. If he were to issue a document "motu proprio" (on his own initiative), Archbishop Ranjith said that the Holy Father will "decide what is best for the Church." "The Tridentine Mass is not something that belongs to the followers of Archbishop Lefebvre only,"...

Cardinal Lehmann has used the German manifesto for the liberation of the old Mass to his own ends, by coming out with praise of the failed liturgy reform of the late 1960s. Translation of an article from the ever excellent kreuz.net. “There are mis-implementations here and there.” The Mainz bishop, Karl, Cardinal Lehmann has recently remarked on the “beauty” of the new Mass. A reason for this recent praise was the German language manifesto for the readmitance of the old Rite. These comments were made by Cardinal Lehmann for the latest edition of the Mainz Church News, “Glaube und Leben”...

Archbishop Raymond Burke, who previously consecrated his former Diocese of La Crosse, Wis., to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is known as one of very few bishops in the United States who has sincerely been "wide and generous" (Ecclesia Dei Adflicta, by Pope John Paul II, June 1988) in allowing all of the Classical Roman rite sacraments in his diocese. He has begun to show his benevolence toward the Classical Roman liturgy and sacraments also in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, as will be shown later in this interview. Bishop Fernando Rifan, the only traditionalist bishop in full communion with...

(by Msgr. Klaus Gamber) -- Excerpts from the preface to the French edition: "J.A. Jungmann, one of the truly great liturgists of our century, defined the liturgy of his time, such as it could be understood in the light of historical research, as a 'liturgy which is the fruit of development".... "What happened after the Council was something else entirely: in the place of liturgy as the fruit of development came fabricated liturgy. We abandoned the organic, living process of growth and development over the centuries, and replaced it--as in a manufacturing process--with a fabrication, a banal on- the-spot product."...

Is the New Mass Really a Return to Patristic Sources? by Fr. Romano Thommasi When a man such as His Excellency Bishop Piero Marini finds himself in a unique position of authority, every action and every word that he speaks is normally seen as symbolic or indicative of an ideology held by the same man. In drafting a response to the interview granted by His Excellency Bishop Piero Marini to John L. Allen Jr. of the National Catholic Reporter, some first impressions and observations ought to be expressed before critiquing some very troubling phrases that supposedly issued from the good...

[+] Benedict XVI Heresies and Errors Saving the BabyMost Rev. Donald J. Sanborn In a speech to the Curia, Benedict XVI uses desperate measures to try to save his baby — Vatican II — from the accusation of discontinuity with the past. Past church decisions, he says, are 'contingent because they are related to a reality itself changeable' — pure Modernism. The martyrs 'died for religious liberty' — pure blasphemy. (MHT Newsletter, Jan 2006)[17 Jan 2006] Damning Limbo to HellMost Rev. Donald J. Sanborn Benedict XVI prepares to 'suppress' Limbo — and promulgate a new feel-good heresy. (MHT Newsletter, Jan...

Ecumenism gone awry "Conservative" bishop OK with attending heretical worship services, while another warns against attending valid Latin Masses Brian Mershon Brian Mershon October 27, 2005 Remember Bishop Michael Sheridan of the diocese of Colorado Springs? Back prior to the 2004 presidential election, many Catholics hailed him for his defense of the Holy Eucharist by publicly stating he would forbid Holy Communion to pro-abortion "Catholic" politicians, elected officials and judges. But in this age of false ecumenism and religious indifferentism, warned against repeatedly by Pope Pius XII, Pope Pius XI (especially in the authoritative encyclical, Mortalium Animos) Pope Benedict XV...

On September 9, 2005, Fr. Robert J Levis of the EWTN Experts Forum and televsion program, Web of Faith, responded to a question about the Novus Ordo mass. This is his answer as it originally appeared:   Previous Question Next Question     Latin Novus OrdoQuestion from gem on 9/8/2005: Dearest Fr. Levis God Bless You! Our former Pastor stated that the Novus Ordo Mass was more historically accurate (going back further in history) than the Tridentine, what could he possibly mean by that? He also said that he once celebrated a Latin Novus Ordo, is that simply what it...

IMPORTANT MESSAGE from NovusOrdoWatch.org * * * * * Dear Reader,The recent election of Fr. Joseph Ratzinger as "Pope" Benedict XVI, the new head of the Concilar Church, marks the beginning of a new era. After almost 40 years since the end of the Second Vatican Council, and over 46 years since the selection of Cardinal Angelo Roncalli as John XXIII, in order to finish its triumph over the Catholic Church, the Conciliar Novus Ordo Church must now move into its final stages to complete its work of inquity, that is, the setting up of a universal one-world religion, under...

What We have Lost...and the Road to RestorationA critical look at the changes in the Catholic ChurchThis video gives you an intimate, up-close look at the destructive and wide-spread changes that have taken place in the two-thousand-year-old Catholic Church since the close of the Second Vatican Council in 1965.Much of what you see will surprise you, maybe even shock you, and -- unfortunately -- will sadden you. "What We Have Lost" not ony exposes the external damage that has been done to the Universal Church, but goes deep behind the scenes to reveal the hidden changes; how and when they...

As I have noted in several brief commentaries in the past three weeks since the election of Pope Benedict XVI, each Catholic must pray fervently for the Successor of Saint Peter. We are neither pessimists (sad idiots) or optimists (happy idiots). Catholics are called to grow in the Supernatural Virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity with every beat of their hearts, consecrated as they must be to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Although we must be concerned about the state of the Church in her human elements at present, we have to understand that...

De Musica Sacra, the 1958 instruction on sacred music for the liturgy, is an oft-ignored document in the Catholic music culture wars, usually due to the fact that most of the battles take place on the aesthetic level. My heart will always prefer chant, and in its absence, well-crafted sacred music. However, having made my intellectual peace with musical taste, I want once again to highlight the fact that the music reforms of the twentieth century were moving not only towards authentic sacred music, but also towards an expanded role for the psalms. De Musica Sacra 27a-c gives the explicit...

Today's Homily Some of the Catholic blogs that are written by priests and seminarians post the homilies they give every week. Well, I'm not a homily giver; I'm a homily receiver, and I often receive the homily in a state of partial somnolence. "Homily" is the Catholic term for "sermon," by the way, in case you didn't know. Anyway, today the priest was droning on about us being blind to the truth until Jesus opens our eyes, like He did to the guy in the Gospel, and, frankly, that priest was closing my eyes. All of a sudden, one of...

Bishop Lynch to FDLC: "Enough already" "I wonder when and where the current movement backward in liturgy will end and lead", said Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg in his speech to the national meeting of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC) held in Orlando, Florida, in October. Bishop Lynch, who worked at the US bishops' conference from the early 1970s, and was associate and general secretary of conference from 1984 until 1995 when he became bishop of St. Petersburg, recalled the "courage and resolve" of liturgical reformers working in the conference, who "courageously fought for proper liturgical implementation...

The New Mass: Inalienable Right or Inferior Rite? In this examination, I would like to guide you through the New Rite of Mass, and compare it with the Traditional Mass. My reason for doing so is to help you answer the question, "is the New Mass beneficial?" You may say to yourself, "why is there even a question?" I thought this same way myself, not too many months ago. The answer is quite simple: because there are two approved rites to choose from, and so naturally, the choice must be made. It is a choice, however, that cannot be...

An Examination of the Shocking Similarities Between the New Mass and Luther's "Mass" by His Grace Archbishop Lefebvre February 15, 1975, Florence, Italy Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to speak to you this evening about the evangelical Mass of Martin Luther, and of the striking resemblance between his Liturgical innovations of more than four centuries ago, and the recently promulgated new order of the Mass, the Novus Ordo Missae. Why are such considerations of significance? Because of the prominent role, according to the President of the Liturgical Commission himself, accorded to the concept of ecumenism in bringing about these reforms....

SCRANTON, Pa. (CNS) -- Bishop Joseph F. Martino of Scranton has decreed the suppression of the Society of St. John, citing its financial instability, its failure to follow church law and the scandal caused by allegations of sexual molestation of minors by two of its founders. The society has caused "grievous financial burdens for the diocese" that could amount to several million dollars, he said. Priests who had left a schismatic traditionalist organization, the Society of St. Pius X, to return to the Catholic Church, established the Society of St. John in 1998. They received canonical authorization for the society...

For those that are interested Dr. Tim Staples is hosting a discussion of traditionalism on EWTN on his show "Reasons for Faith.. I spoke with him today, although not on air.The next broadcast (repeat of today's show, now over) will be at 4am EST tomorrow (Wed 12/1). He says he'll be on the topic for "at least a couple weeks"

“What’s wrong with the New Mass? I like the Old Mass and know it is better, but don’t know how to explain this to my children, who prefer the Novus Ordo because they say they understand it better.” This was a question Jan put to me. Let me begin my response with a revealing statistic that shows that the New Mass is not easier to understand. In a recent article in Our Sunday Visitor, Russell Shaw draws attention to a serious problem: Mass attendance has halved in the last four decades since Vatican II. (1) How can this be, he...

St. John Cantius Church in ChicagoOn April 19, Cardinal Adam Maida of Detroit announced to his Presbyteral Council that beginning next fall the Tridentine (also known as the Traditional Latin Mass) will be celebrated in the Archdiocese. This will take place in perhaps two parishes. The frequency of these Masses has yet to be determined.While a few Council members expressed some reservations, there was a general acceptance of the Cardinal’s decision.One of the chief concerns voiced was that those who will the celebrate the Tridentine Mass and those who will participate in it must also accept as valid the Novus...

Several readers asked about my comments on the new instruction "Redemptionis Sacramentum," especially about the rights of the priest to celebrate Mass in Latin. The instruction states in No. 112: "Mass is celebrated either in Latin or in another language, provided that liturgical texts are used which have been approved according to the norm of law. Except in the case of celebrations of the Mass that are scheduled by the ecclesiastical authorities to take place in the language of the people, Priests are always and everywhere permitted to celebrate Mass in Latin." This right refers, of course, to celebrating according...

ROME, JUNE 1, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University. Q: 1) Is the crucifix essential to the celebration of the Mass? 2) When the priest comes to the altar, does he bow toward the altar? At the end of Mass, the priest venerates the altar; does he bows toward the crucifix or the tabernacle? 3) During the consecration prayer ("Take this ...") the concelebrants extend their hands, but they do not do this uniformly. Some extend the hand with palm downward, while others extend it with palm open toward the...

A draft translation of the new Mass in English is available here in the form of jpeg images. Each image contains one page of the Liturgy in Latin and in English. Click on the links below and images will open in a new window. You may need to scroll to view all of the image. Close the window after viewing and choose the next image in the list. Go to page http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/relrpt/liturgy.htm

Priests, wired for sound at Mass, are no longer supposed to work their audiences like talk-show hosts. Lectors must pause between Scripture readings, allowing time for meditation. And parishioners shouldn't genuflect or make the sign of the cross when receiving the Eucharist. From now on, a simple head bow is proper. The latest tweaking of Roman Catholic rules, gestures and postures is keeping people on their toes, according to Archbishop Michael Sheehan. "A little movement keeps them awake," says the archbishop with a chuckle. Sheehan uses humor to make a serious point: Catholics worldwide are learning about the church's revisions...

Worse Than Deja Vu All Over Again: Vatican caves on meaningful reform of disastrous New Mass Thomas A. Droleskey, Ph.D. “Certainly, we will preserve the basic elements, the bread, the wine, but all else will be changed according to local traditions: words, gestures, colors, vestments, chants, architecture, decor. The problem of liturgical reform is immense.” --Pope John Paul, while still Bishop of Krakow, as quoted in Mon Ami: Karol Wojtyla. P. 220 When last we left the saga of the Novus Ordo Missae, Pope John Paul II promised Catholics worldwide that a new set of instructions to correct liturgical abuses...

By necessity, parish director is ‘jack of all trades’ Daryl Olszewski is spiritual leader of parish without a full-time priest By Candy Czernicki Catholic Herald Staff A TEACHABLE MOMENT — St. Paul first grader Jacob Nook, age 7, listens intently as parish director Daryl Olszewski speaks to him. Education is one component of a parish director’s job. (Catholic Herald photos by James Pearson) MILWAUKEE — Daryl Olszewski is a jack of all trades and master of pretty much all of them, too. It’s his job, you see. Olszewski has been parish director at St. Paul Parish in Milwaukee for the...

The Construction of the New Mass Some Funny Things Happened Near the Roman Forum: Part II by Romano Tommasi - Summer 2002 In my previous article, I attempted to expose a number of seeming contradictions in the decision-making process of the Consilium (the group of scholars commissioned by Paul VI to reform the liturgy). In this present article I will investigate other specific areas of the so-called “reform.” Recall that the Consilium purported to restore ancient practices which had, “by an accident of history” or other unknown reasons, fallen into disuse.1 Using the Consilium’s own fundamental principles of “substantial uniformity”...

Revolutionaries hate everything about the past, which is why they must resort to physical violence against people and property so as to wipe out all traces of the past, to say nothing of teaching any possible counter-revolutionaries a lesson or two about what might befall then and their families and their property if they stand up to the inexorable march of the evolutionary forces of progress. The first real modern revolution was the Protestant Revolution (whose path was certainly made possible by the sophistries and lies of pretended “philosophers” in the Renaissance), which was a violent and bloody assault upon...

Everybody likes Mel Gibson. He’s an award-winning actor, he’s box-office gold and he seems like a nice guy. But because of his fame and The Passion, his forthcoming movie about Christ, a lot of his fans would like to be clear on where he stands with respect to the Catholic Church, a Dallas-based author says. Kevin Orlin Johnson, Ph.D., is an associate of the Canon Law Society of America and a best-selling writer whose book Rosary: Mysteries, Meditations, and the Telling of the Beads includes one of the most graphic accounts of the Crucifixion ever published. He’ll definitely see...

Q: Is it OK for the priest to come down during the peace offering to shake hands with the congregation? I hear this is wrong and I'd really like to know if it is or not since it makes me uneasy about our doing something inappropriate. -- I.S., San Ysidro, California A: The new General Instruction on the Roman Missal (GIRM), with approved adaptations for the United States, refers to this question in No. 154: "The priest may give the sign of peace to the ministers but always remains within the sanctuary, so as not to disturb the celebration. In...

Many of us take refuge in the Tridentine Mass to get away from many of the sometimes abused practices found in the Novus Order (Communion in the hand, giggling altar girls, armies of Eucharistic Ministers storming the altar, laughably bad hymns). Why on earth would anyone go to the Tridentine Mass and demand to receive Communion in the hand (an agenda perhaps)? They can go anywhere at anytime to a plethora of Novus Order Masses and boogie in the aisles with the liturgical dancers if they choose. We accept that. We may be lucky to have only one Sunday Tridentine...

Forty years on, we are only just beginning to understand the significance of the Council, says Fr Ian Ker. And we are still a long way from implementing it It is 40 years since the opening of the Second Vatican Council. The Council was convoked by Pope John XXIII for two purposes: the renewal or aggiornamento of the Catholic Church and Christian reunion - two goals which are surely integrally related. The Pope expressed the hope that it would be the beginning of a new Pentecost for the Church. There have, indeed, been substantial achievements. A nineteenth century Catholic would...

Dear Madame, You are asking me for my opinion on the recent letter of the month of June from the Dominicans of Avrillé to their friends and benefactors. I just became aware of it in my faraway Canada. I will gladly share it with you and in a straightforward manner. One part of the letter is consecrated to the last encyclical of the Holy Father on the Eucharist: Ecclesia de Eucharistia. You know already that I have studied it in depth, as so many of my confreres have done as well, a good census, such as Father Hery, Father de...

We have many inestimable treasures made available to us through Holy Church. Our Lord instituted the sacerdotal priesthood at the Last Supper so as to channel forth in the sacraments the graces He would win for us by the shedding of His Most Precious Blood on the wood of the Holy Cross. Most especially, obviously, men ordained to the priesthood have the great privilege of enfleshing Our Lord under the species of bread and wine in the Most Blessed Sacrament every time they celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Mere men are given the ability to speak ordinary words,...

<p>Worshipers read biblical lessons in Spanish, French and English -- the three languages spoken on the Caribbean islands.</p> <p>No matter the language or music, the message was clear at the 13th annual Caribbean Mass.</p> <p>“We all come from different roots,” said Heide Parreno of Rochester.</p>

3. Levels of Abuse - Invalid and IllicitBefore getting into the specific abuses, it is important to understand the rules for celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. These rules are officially called rubrics. These rubrics are contained in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM)[1], and many clarifications have been made in more recent documents such as Instruction Concerning Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery (Inaestimabile Donum). The most serious type of abuse makes the Mass "invalid." For a Mass to be invalid, the Consecration of the Eucharist does not occur. Going to an invalid Mass is like not...