Tridentine Mass to be More Available?
I thought this was interesting. I know there are people out there eager to get the Tridentine Mass more widely used. I've never been to one myself, but I hear it is a rather more grand and mystical rite than the Mass we've been using since I was small.
For that matter, though, why don't we ever hear from anyone wanting to have a regular "new" Mass in Latin rather than the vernacular? Isn't that part of the appeal of the "old" Mass. Saying the Mass in the universal language of the Church might strengthen the bond we Catholics have around the world.
An interesting note: A couple of years ago, I studied Mass and the Sacraments, a high-school-level textbook by Fr. John Laux. This was written, if I remember correctly, in the early 1950's. It definitely pre-dated Vatican II, so the chapter on the Eucharist revolved around the Tridentine Mass. In the section on the structure of the Mass, Fr. Laux did a side-by-side comparison of the structures of the earliest known Eucharistic celebrations and the then-current Tridentine rite. I was fascinated by the fact that our "new" Mass actually mirrors the structure of the early Mass more closely than the "old" Tridentine Mass does. In a sense, then, the "new" Mass is actually older than the "old" Mass.
I look forward to reading the document mentioned below. Maybe someday soon I will attend a Tridentine Mass and see what the differences really are.
Tridentine Mass Document Coming Soon
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 4, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone says the waiting is nearly over for the much-discussed papal document that will reportedly liberalize the use of the Tridentine Mass.
The Vatican secretary of state said this in an interview with the Catholic newspaper Avvenire on Sunday.
"I believe that we will not have to wait much longer for its publication," Cardinal Bertone said. "The Pope is personally interested in seeing this happen. He will explain it in an accompanying letter, hoping for a serene reception."