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Mass of Paul VI

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"Novus Ordo Missae" (New Order of the Mass) and Mass of Paul VI are terms used to refer to the revised liturgy of the Mass adopted by the Roman Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council. The "Ordo Missae" (literally, Order of Mass, but in English usually called the Ordinary of the Mass), the section of the Roman Missal that contains the common prayers and general rubrics for the celebration of Mass, is accompanied by a General Instruction that provides liturgical guidelines and theological orientations.

Revising the Liturgy of the Mass

Over the centuries alterations were made on various occasions to the Roman Missal[1] even in the form in which it was promulgated by Pope Pius V in 1570, seven years after the final session of the Council of Trent. However, the revision promulgated by Pope Paul VI provoked a strong reaction on the part of those who interpreted the changes as having important theological significance.[2]

Substance of the Revision

Perhaps the two most striking changes have been the use of languages other than Latin, and the adoption of the orientation facing the people by the priest. The use of the vernacular is integral to the Novus Ordo Missae, as the Apostolic Constitution Missale Romanum (3 April 1969), which promulgated the Rite, sets aside Latin and refers to a "great diversity of languages".[3] This change would then apply to all Masses offered by the Church. Using diverse languages was thought to be a way of being open to the world.

Before the revision of the Roman rite, priest and people customarily faced in the same direction, with the altar, on which a tabernacle was generally placed, constructed in a way that made no other orientation possible (a small number of altars were different: in Rome itself there were altars in churches large -- such as all four major basilicas -- and small -- such as the church of the Four Crowned Saints -- at which the priest faced the people throughout the Mass, and this was explicitly allowed for in the pre-revision Missal qua "Ritus servandus in celebratione Missae," VI, 3). The Novus Ordo Missae does not make obligatory any particular orientation of the priest in relation to the people, but Cardinal Lercaro, who was the president of the Concilium charged with creating the New Rite, states: "[this orientation] makes for a celebration of the Eucharist which is true and more communal...."&sup1 This change in the priest's customary orientation when doing in memory of Jesus what Jesus did at his last supper (cf. Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24,25) is intended to complement the changes in emphasis that the Novus Ordo Missae is to encourage, that is from less of a focus on the Sacrificial aspects of the Mass, to more of a "celebratory meal" in keeping with the new "Paschal Theology." For its part, the tabernacle was removed from the altar and placed either "in a chapel suitable for private adoration and prayer ... or other place in the church that is prominent and properly decorated" (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 277).

Criticisms of the Revision

Critics make several observations pertaining to the theology, prayers, and liturgical directives of the Novus Ordo Missae.

Loss of Centrality of the tabernacle associated with the revision

The General Instruction preceding the Novus Ordo Missae states: "The Lord's Supper or Mass is the sacred assembly or congregation of the people of God gathering together, with a priest presiding, to celebrate the memorial of the Lord,"[4] placing special emphasis on the supper element. At a supper, the people face each other; as the priest faces the people, the tabernacle is set aside, no longer in nobilissimo loco, apparently not in keeping with liturgical tradition, a key portion of critics' observations. They also note that in the liturgical and architectural changes that were coterminous with and supported by the new theology of the Novus Ordo Missae, the tabernacle was placed in locations lacking liturgical significance, and were also redesigned often by modern artists, a trend documented by Michael S. Rose in his work, Ugly as Sin. In some churches it became difficult to locate the tabernacle that had always been central. The tabernacle was always to be given the most prominent location in the Church, according to Paul VI, who, in the Latin translation of Mysterium Fidei, called that place "the 'most prominent place' ('in nobilissimo loco')"[5], [6]. The removal of the tabernacle is intimately connected with the New Rite of Mass which is designed to emphasize the concept of a communal Jewish Seder Supper, an association emphasized to catechumens, and to de-emphasize the sacrificial nature of the Mass.

Remission of sins de-emphasized

Critics propose that a primary purpose of the Mass is compromised by the new liturgy: "instead of emphasizing remission for sins for the living and the dead, the new rite [in the prayers included and excluded] stresses the nourishment and sanctification of those present."[7] This relates also to the communal aspect in which the priest faces the people: there shall be a nourishing meal, rather than a prayer session led by the priest for the remission of sins.

Awareness of Real Presence de-emphasized

Critics believe that by selective omission and emphases, awareness of the sacrificial nature of the Mass is diminished, as is awareness of the dogmatic Catholic concept of the Real Presence, previously recognized with the prayer "Receive, Most Holy Trinity, This Oblation," a prayer now omitted entirely.[8] Related to this is a reduction in number, duration, and application of acts of reverence for the Eucharist: the new liturgy calls for fewer Signs of the Cross, and fewer genuflexions for both priest and faithful. Critics believe that these actions are key to participation in the Mass. Some attribute altered patterns of reverence to changes in cultural conventions, mores, religion, dress, and ceremony in civil life, but it is possible that the Church, by invoking less reverence, effectively exaggerates these trends. Critics also note that now the priest is the center of attention,[9] rather than the Eucharist, almost encouraging a focus on the human rather than the divine. The previous construction of churches, not presenting, in most cases, any easy means for the priest to face the people for Mass, confirms a liturgical norm that had existed for centuries, during which the experience of most Latin-rite Catholics was to pray in union with the priest who would be seen clearly to lead the people and worship with them as opposed to being seen as "performing."

The question of passivity

The centuries-old Mass in its essentials goes back to St. Gregory the Great and beyond, which critics of the changes propose to be a tratition too lengthy to ignore. Yet advocates of the changes suggest that the traditional Mass may be too passive for the faithful. It may not be a fair argument that the Novus Ordo Missae has truly engaged the people, as passivity has been cited as a problem in the Novus Ordo Mass, which is guided by the Missae: "Crisis Magazine" has proposed solutions to the problem of "boredom during the liturgy" which "all Catholics have felt from time to time", going on to suggest that "boredom is a reality that good liturgy can help fight."&sup2 The great spiritual literature of the Catholic faith suggests that the Mass was not a hollow experience for the faithful before the changes, which are integral to the liturgical actions of the Novus Ordo Missae and to the Roman Missal as a whole.

Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical 'Mediator Dei," wrote just 13 years before the Second Vatican Council what is meant by active participation:

93. Now it is clear that the faithful offer the sacrifice by the hands of the priest from the fact that the minister at the Altar, in offering a sacrifice in the name of all His members, represents Christ, the Head of the Mystical Body. Hence the whole Church can rightly be said to offer up the victim through Christ. But the conclusion that the people offer the sacrifice with the priest himself is not based on the fact that, being members of the Church no less than the priest himself, they perform a visible liturgical rite; for this is the privilege only of the minister who has been divinely appointed to this office: rather it is based on the fact that the people unite their hearts in praise, impetration, expiation and thanksgiving with prayers or intention of the priest, even of the High Priest himself, so that in the one and same offering of the victim and according to a visible sacerdotal rite, they may be presented to God the Father. It is obviously necessary that the external sacrificial rite should, of its very nature, signify the internal worship of the heart. Now the sacrifice of the New Law signifies that supreme worship by which the principal Offerer himself, who is Christ, and, in union with Him and through Him, all the members of the Mystical Body pay God the honor and reverence that are due to Him.
94. We are very pleased to learn that this teaching, thanks to a more intense study of the liturgy on the part of many, especially in recent years, has been given full recognition. We must, however, deeply deplore certain exaggerations and over-statements which are not in agreement with the true teaching of the Church.
96. They are mistaken in appealing in this matter to the social character of the eucharistic sacrifice, for as often as a priest repeats what the divine Redeemer did at the Last Supper, the sacrifice is really completed. Moreover, this sacrifice, necessarily and of its very nature, has always and everywhere the character of a public and social act, inasmuch as he who offers it acts in the name of Christ and of the faithful, whose Head is the divine Redeemer, and he offers it to God for the holy Catholic Church, and for the living and the dead.This is undoubtedly so, whether the faithful are present - as we desire and commend them to be in great numbers and with devotion - or are not present, since it is in no wise required that the people ratify what the sacred minister has done.
97. Still, though it is clear from what We have said that the Mass is offered in the name of Christ and of the Church and that it is not robbed of its social effects though it be celebrated by a priest without a server, nonetheless, on account of the dignity of such an august mystery, it is our earnest desire - as Mother Church has always commanded - that no priest should say Mass unless a server is at hand to answer the prayers, as canon 813 prescribes.
98. In order that the oblation by which the faithful offer the divine Victim in this sacrifice to the heavenly Father may have its full effect, it is necessary that the people add something else, namely, the offering of themselves as a victim.
99. This offering in fact is not confined merely to the liturgical sacrifice. For the Prince of the Apostles wishes us, as living stones built upon Christ, the cornerstone, to be able as "a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." St. Paul the Apostle addresses the following words of exhortation to Christians, without distinction of time, "I beseech you therefore, . . . that you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service." But at that time especially when the faithful take part in the liturgical service with such piety and recollection that it can truly be said of them: "whose faith and devotion is known to Thee," it is then, with the High Priest and through Him they offer themselves as a spiritual sacrifice, that each one's faith ought to become more ready to work through charity, his piety more real and fervent, and each one should consecrate himself to the furthering of the divine glory, desiring to become as like as possible to Christ in His most grievous sufferings.
100. This we are also taught by those exhortations which the Bishop, in the Church's name, addresses to priests on the day of their ordination, "Understand what you do, imitate what you handle, and since you celebrate the mystery of the Lord's death, take good care to mortify your members with their vices and concupiscences." In almost the same manner the sacred books of the liturgy advise Christians who come to Mass to participate in the sacrifice: "At this . . . Altar let innocence be in honor, let pride be sacrificed, anger slain, impurity and every evil desire laid low, let the sacrifice of chastity be offered in place of doves and instead of the young pigeons the sacrifice of innocence." While we stand before the Altar, then, it is our duty so to transform our hearts, that every trace of sin may be completely blotted out, while whatever promotes supernatural life through Christ may be zealously fostered and strengthened even to the extent that, in union with the immaculate Victim, we become a victim acceptable to the eternal Father.


103. Let this, then, be the intention and aspiration of the faithful, when they offer up the divine Victim in the Mass. For if, as St. Augustine writes, our mystery is enacted on the Lord's table, that is Christ our Lord Himself, who is the Head and symbol of that union through which we are the body of Christ and members of His Body; if St. Robert Bellarmine teaches, according to the mind of the Doctor of Hippo, that in the sacrifice of the Altar there is signified the general sacrifice by which the whole Mystical Body of Christ, that is, all the city of redeemed, is offered up to God through Christ, the High Priest: nothing can be conceived more just or fitting than that all of us in union with our Head, who suffered for our sake, should also sacrifice ourselves to the eternal Father. For in the sacrament of the Altar, as the same St. Augustine has it, the Church is made to see that in what she offers she herself is offered.
104. Let the faithful, therefore, consider to what a high dignity they are raised by the sacrament of baptism. They should not think it enough to participate in the eucharistic sacrifice with that general intention which befits members of Christ and children of the Church, but let them further, in keeping with the spirit of the sacred liturgy, be most closely united with the High Priest and His earthly minister, at the time the consecration of the divine Victim is enacted, and at that time especially when those solemn words are pronounced, "By Him and with Him and in Him is to Thee, God the Father almighty, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory for ever and ever"; to these words in fact the people answer, "Amen." Nor should Christians forget to offer themselves, their cares, their sorrows, their distress and their necessities in union with their divine Savior upon the cross.

That all abuses be thoroughly corrected

The authorities of the Roman Catholic Church have also criticized many of the problems that have surfaced in the decades following the promulgation of the new Rite. One problem the faithful themselves have faced is that various portions of the hierarchy have attempted to prevent the faithful from kneeling to receive communion, as is the Latin-rite custom. Catholics in the United States and elsewhere have had to correspond with the Roman Catholic hierarchy in order to investigate whether they may still receive communion on their knees,[10] which, they are assured, they may do (Redemptionis Sacramentum §91). That 25 March 2004 document listed many problems and asked: "In an altogether particular manner, let everyone do all that is in their power to ensure that the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist will be protected from any and every irreverence or distortion and that all abuses be thoroughly corrected. This is a most serious duty incumbent upon each and every one, and all are bound to carry it out without any favouritism." The hope in promulgating the Novus Ordo Missae was that "the faithful will receive the new Missal as a help toward witnessing and strengthening their unity with one another; that through the new Missal one and the same prayer in a great diversity of languages will ascend, more fragrant than any incense, to our heavenly Father, through our High Priest, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit."[11] Critics consider it plausible that it has had the opposite effect, in declining Mass attendence, declining seminary enrollments, and a loss of reverence among the faithful. Pope John Paul II wrote that "we must admit realistically and with feelings of deep pain, that Christians today in large measure feel lost, confused, perplexed and even disappointed; ideas opposed to the truth which has been revealed and always taught are being scattered abroad in abundance... the liturgy has been tampered with..." &sup3

In summary, critics of the Novus Ordo Missae believe that the theology, prayers, and liturgical actions that it comprises do not adequately support the faith. Some of those critics believe that the Novus Ordo Missae is entirely invalid, while others consider it merely deficient.

Footnotes

  • 1 Documents on the Liturgy 1963-1979, Conciliar, Papal and Curial Texts, Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1983, §428. Quoted in "Problems with the New Mass".
  • 2 Arlene Ooost-Zinner and Jeffrey Tucker, "Fourteen Easy Ways to Improve the Liturgy", in Crisis, May 2004, pp. 36-41.
  • 3 Quoted by Romano Amerio in Iota Unum: A Study of Changes in the Catholic Church in the XXth Century, 1996, Sarto House, §7 ISBN 0963903212.
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