Latin Mass FAQs

To answer this question, we must give a very brief and condensed history.

The Mass has not always been as it is today celebrated across the Catholic world. Before the twentieth century, it had been relatively stable and in the same form for many centuries. The original language of the Roman Mass was Greek, but early on – sometime in the third or fourth century – it was translated into elegant and poetic Latin; this Mass came to be recognizable around the sixth century, when Pope Gregory I regularized it. It is from St. Gregory that we have many of the beautiful chants that bear his name – “Gregorian.” Over time throughout the Christian world, certain distinctive features were added – the prayers at the foot of the altar before Mass begins, the names of various saints during the Canon (Eucharistic prayer), and certain offertory prayers, for example – and different regions had their own variations of the Mass. But for the most part these were minor, and the Catholic world remained united in worship. The language of worship throughout the world was Latin, and it was this Mass that was adopted by the converts of Europe and Britain, and, later, peoples of the New World, Africa, and the Far East.

The Protestant Reformation of the 1500s provided grave new challenges. As the Church fought to maintain proper doctrine and worship against many heretical ideas and practices, Pope Pius V saw the importance of codifying the Mass, making sure that every faithful priest throughout the Catholic world was saying the Mass in union with Rome. It was at the Council of Trent (1545-1563) that this codification took place. It did not create a new version of the Mass, but rather it issued the official version of the Mass, which was based on what the pope himself celebrated and which still allowed local longstanding variants. This was a great gift to the Church, since it safeguarded the deposit of faith enshrined in each element of the Mass. From this codification comes one name for this Mass: Tridentine (from “Trent”). Another name sometimes used is “The Mass of Pius V.” For the next 500 years, this Mass remained stable and universal.

 Fast forward to the twentieth century, an era of enormous violence, upheaval, and loss of faith. After the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), Pope Paul VI approved the Novus Ordo Missae (“new order of Mass”), which revised, edited, and changed much of the text of the traditional Mass. The calendar and cycle of readings were both reworked, and new elements were introduced. In addition, the use of Latin was in large part discontinued.

The Novus Ordo Mass was translated into the spoken languages of all nations and in 1970 became the norm. It is the Mass almost universally celebrated today, the one that almost all of us grew up with.

However, the older form still continued to be prayed in some places, with Pope Paul VI giving limited permissions and Pope John Paul II extending those further. In 2007, his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, issued Summorum Pontificum, a document granting every priest the authority to say the old Mass. In that edict, Benedict gave the Novus Ordo the name “Ordinary Form” and the old Mass the name “Extraordinary Form”. However, today it is commonly called the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM).

First and foremost, because the Church continues, in her love for souls, to make provision for its celebration.

 Other key reasons:

• As Catholics, we treasure what has been handed on to us from earlier ages. The TLM is the fruit of many centuries of prayer and inspiration. In fact, some parts of the Canon are of such ancient origin that they may have come directly from the apostles! The TLM is the Mass in which most saints worshipped. We love all the works of the Holy Spirit throughout the ages and are grateful for them.

• The TLM emphasizes mystery, reverence, awe, and humility before God’s majesty. The orientation of the altar, the gestures of adoration, the sacred language, and the silence that surrounds the consecration all manifest the Church’s desire to worship Almighty God in self-forgetful love and devotion.

• This Mass is beautiful and deeply moving, despite seeming strange at first. The texts of the prayers are noble and elevated. Gregorian chant, which developed entirely within and for this liturgy, lifts our spirits to contemplate the utter beauty and transcendence of God. Sacred polyphony adorns and embellishes prayer. Even the concerted movements and gestures of the clergy and servers raise our minds to the orderly peace of heaven. Many people feel that, for the duration of Mass, they are “outside of time,” transported away from the mundane world, with all its squalor and trouble.

Latin is the mother tongue of the Roman Rite. For most of the history of the western Church, Latin was the language of government, education, theology, prayers, and above all, liturgy. It is the language in which most saints prayed. Patrick, Augustine, Margaret of Scotland, Francis of Assisi, Ignatius Loyola, Therese of Lisieux, Kateri Tekakwitha, Charles Lwanga, Padre Pio, Gianna Molla, and countless Catholic faithful prayed at Mass in Latin. Also, Latin has a certain solemn quality, uniquely suitable to the richness of the Mass with its reverence, symbolism, and beauty, and so it is singularly fitting to be used.

Some other important reasons why Latin has remained a sacred language for more than 1500 years:

• It is a veil of mystery and protection over this most sacred work (which is what “liturgy” means).

• Latin belongs to no particular nation or ethnic group but to all Catholics, thus strengthening and highlighting our unity, despite race, region, government, and culture.

• The fact that Latin is no longer a spoken language means that its vocabulary does not evolve – words have precise and unchanging meanings – and therefore the specific content of worship remains fixed for us as it was for our ancestors and will be for our descendants.

As the priest offers the prayers of the Mass, be reassured if you have problems following the Latin or keeping up with the priest in the missal. Those who are new to the Mass can still assist fruitfully by meditating on Jesus: His suffering, death, and resurrection; the divine love for us that these reveal; the reality of His presence upon the altar and the ultimate redemption He offers to us, unworthy sinners.

For those who would like, we have paper worship guides in the narthex (entryway) that include all the texts of the day’s chants and readings, translated into English, so that you can read and pray those prayers. After all, interior prayer – especially praise and adoration of God, as well as sorrow for our sins – is the most important form of participation while at Mass.

In addition, the order of Mass, with English translations, appears in the center of the gray St. Edmund Campion hymnals, also in the narthex. Those who have the means can purchase a hand missal, which contains the order of Mass as well as English translations of every prayer, reading, and chant for every day of the year. The 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal, published by Angelus Press, is one commonly used.

Do not worry if you do not know when to sit, stand, or kneel. Historically, there were no postures, gestures, or responses required of laity attending Mass, although worshippers have generally followed certain customs, differing in various places. Feel free to find a spot in church where you are able to observe what parishioners do and follow along that way. Be assured that no one is keeping score!

At All Saints, as at most TLM parishes today, here are the customs generally followed:

•   Stand as the priest enters and departs;

• Kneel throughout the prayers at the foot of the altar (before Mass itself begins) until after the Collect;

• Sit for the Epistle and Gradual;

• Stand for the Gospel;

• Sit through the Offertory;

• Kneel at the Sanctus until Holy Communion;

• Stand for the Last Gospel;

• Kneel for prayers after Mass.

There are two ways of saying the TLM: spoken or “Low” Mass, and the Sung or “High” Mass. Both have identical prayers and readings, but one is more still and quiet, while the other features prayers that are sung and other extravagant tokens of worship and love. Low Mass is celebrated by the priest assisted by one or more servers. The prayers are spoken, not sung, and much of the Mass is inaudible. During Low Mass, only the servers make the responses, and generally there is no singing. There are two candles lit upon the altar. After Mass, the Leonine Prayers are recited. (See below, “What prayers are said after Mass?”)

A Sung (“High”) Mass is normally celebrated once a week on Sundays, Holy Days of Obligation, and special feasts. It includes a sprinkling rite (the Asperges) beforehand, and the prayers and readings of the Mass are sung by the priest, choir, or schola. Sung Mass sometimes uses incense, and the responses are often sung by the congregation as well as the servers and choir. There are six candles lit upon the altar. A Solemn Mass (a type of Sung Mass) is the full ceremonial form of the TLM, requiring most of the parts of the Mass to be sung and the use of incense. It is celebrated by the priest assisted by a deacon and subdeacon, who often are other priests wearing vestments proper to those roles.

The priest is facing “liturgical East” together with the congregation. A longstanding tradition, rooted in Scripture, tells us that Christ will come again from the East. Thus, the priest, as alter Christus (“another Christ”) leads the people, all facing East, in the supreme act of worship: the re-presentation to the Father of the sacrifice of the Son through the power of the Holy Spirit. The priest is not turning his back on us, but rather, he humbly faces God to offer this true sacrifice with us and on our behalf.

In the TLM, the priest uses three tones of voice – low, medium, and high. The low voice is used, for example, during prayers surrounding the consecration and the consecration itself, in which the bread and wine become, through these most sacred prayers and by God’s power, the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. It is fitting that these prayers, which are addressed to God alone, are heard by Him alone. The priest uses the medium voice to be heard by the clergy and servers who are near the altar assisting him, and the high voice is used to speak those words and exhortations that are heard by all. Those often require responses, which can be found in the order of Mass in the missal.

When you first walk in the door of the nave of the Church of All Saints, you will notice that it is very quiet. This comes from a desire to show the greatest respect in the house of God and to Christ’s presence in the tabernacle. Arriving a few minutes early helps us to shift out of the mundane world and center our attention on the Lord. This air of prayerfulness and silence allows worshippers to recollect themselves for assisting at the holy sacrifice of the Mass; before the high Mass on Sunday, those who would like can join in the Rosary.

Many parish families have babies and small children, whose “joyful noise” is a normal part of attendance at Holy Mass. For those parents who need more space to calm their little ones, however, there is a mothers’ room available in the narthex, to the right as you enter from the street. This can also be used for nursing in a more private area, if needed.

Don’t be put off if we do not greet you inside the church. We enjoy fellowship, conversation, and good cheer after Mass in the narthex, on the grounds (in good weather), and in our new parish center, leaving the church itself as a place of silent prayer and contemplation whenever Mass is not being celebrated. Visitors are very welcome to stop in and have some coffee and conversation!

Many women cover their heads while in church, either with a hat, scarf, or lace mantilla (chapel veil). Like the tabernacle, a woman traditionally is veiled in church. This act of piety shows the holiness and dignity of womanhood and indicates respect, honor, and protection for that which is holy. Veiling, which finds its scriptural basis in 1 Corinthians 11: 2-16, was universal in the Roman Catholic Church until the twentieth century, and many eastern-rite Catholics, as well as some Orthodox Christians, still follow this pious practice. However, the Church no longer officially requires head-covering, and women who do not wear a veil or hat are welcome.

Only baptized Catholics in a state of grace and who are properly disposed should receive Holy Communion. This means you must be a practicing Catholic in good standing, striving to live by the Church’s moral law, and having no unconfessed mortal sin on your soul. Also, a one-hour fast from food and beverages (excluding water and medicine) is required by the Church for those who receive communion. This small fast is a way of remembering that our deepest hunger is for God Himself. 

However, some people choose to fast for longer than one hour, as in earlier times, either fasting three hours before receiving, or as in the earliest recorded manner, fasting from midnight until reception in the morning. These personal pious deeds can yield great spiritual fruit, but only the one-hour fast is necessary.

As was the practice for many centuries, communicants come forward to the communion rail and kneel (of course, anyone who cannot kneel may stand). Communion is distributed only on the tongue, a practice that developed early in the life of the Church for two main reasons: To safeguard our Lord’s sacramental Body from profanation and theft, and to emphasize our utter dependence on the Lord’s grace, by allowing ourselves to be fed like little children. Some helpful points for those who have the normal feeling of awkwardness with this unfamiliar posture:

• Tilt your head back slightly and close your eyes (this helps you to hold still);

• Open your mouth fairly wide and stick out your tongue;

• The priest’s prayer (given below) does not require you to say “amen,” so simply close your mouth as soon as the priest’s hand has moved from your mouth, to avoid a dropped Host (a serious matter);

• Return to your pew to commune with the Lord God who has just deigned to come to you as life-giving food, the Bread of Life.

The priest’s Latin prayer before each Host is distributed, in English, says, “May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen.”

After low Mass, the priest will kneel at the steps in front of the altar to lead the congregation in the “Leonine Prayers” (so called because they were instituted by Pope Leo XIII in the early 1900s) in English. These include three Hail Marys, a Hail Holy Queen, the St. Michael prayer, and a threefold invocation of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, to which we respond, “Have mercy on us.”

After a sung Mass, the priest and servers process out as the congregation sings a closing hymn. At All Saints, the people wait in silent prayer until the priest and servers return to kneel at the foot of the altar. At this time, either the Angelus or Regina Coeli (chants honoring the Blessed Virgin) will be sung.

Very often, people who attend the TLM begin to feel that the sacred nature and dignity of the Mass call them to wear their best clothing (according to their financial means), and that doing so facilitates a spirit of prayer and recollection. It also enhances charity toward our neighbor by removing certain distractions, especially those caused by immodest or revealing attire. Finally, many have found that wearing their “Sunday best” sets this time apart, contributing to the realization that Mass is the most important event of our week. That said, no one should feel judged if their best clothes are humble. When we try to dress to please the Lord, He knows it.

This brief FAQ page provides a small introduction to learning about and coming to feel more comfortable in the Traditional Latin Mass. But there is a great wealth of information and background for those who want a more comprehensive understanding. Below we recommend some good books and online resources, but you can also contact our priests at 612-379-4996 or allsaints@fsspminneapolis.org. Once again, welcome to the Church of All Saints. May God bless you.

• Ven. Fulton Sheen, Calvary and the Mass, published by Angelus Press (original publication 1936) – profound meditations on the parts of the TLM, through the lens of the “Seven Last Words” that our Lord spoke on the Cross.

• Lisa Bergman, Treasure and Tradition: The Ultimate Guide to the Latin Mass, published by St. Augustine Academy Press (2014) – a beautifully produced and clearly detailed explanation for those who are new to the TLM; lovely illustrations and short, helpful descriptions.

• YouTube: “How To Follow the Latin Mass in 10 Minutes – Low Mass,” on The Joy of the Faith channel. This very short video has footage of a TLM with helpful basic commentary. The format allows you to see the bare bones of the liturgy and explains the meaning and purpose of each element.

• Website: LatinMassHelper.com is a good resource for those who do not have a daily missal. This site tells you the saint being commemorated, as well as all the proper prayers and readings for the current day.