1962 Missal

[JaMc]

I have noticed that, even before the M.P. was issued last year, a lot of traditionalist groups have shown a great affinity for the “1962 Missal.” I was just wondering why - is it because it was the “last” TLM missal issued before the N.O. Mass?

Another question - my grandmother has an old “Maryknoll Missal” (zippered cover - very nice, actually) which was given to her by a priest in 1961. If, God willing, we ever get a Latin Mass in my parish, what would differences be between the 1962 Missal, which the Mass would be celebrated according to, and the 1961 Missal?

 

[Eric_Olsen]

There is no “1961 missal”. It may be that the missal was printed in 1961 or earlier The missal your grandmother has may contain the mass for the 1956 missal or earlier.

I have noticed that, even before the M.P. was issued last year, a lot of traditionalist groups have shown a great affinity for the “1962 Missal.” I was just wondering why - is it because it was the “last” TLM missal issued before the N.O. Mass?

Another question - my grandmother has an old “Maryknoll Missal” (zippered cover - very nice, actually) which was given to her by a priest in 1961. If, God willing, we ever get a Latin Mass in my parish, what would differences be between the 1962 Missal, which the Mass would be celebrated according to, and the 1961 Missal?

 

[BeansOnToast]

There should be precious little difference between the 1962 missal and those of earlier versions (minus the feast day arrangements, which were revamped under Pius XII).

And yes, the 1962 missal was the last missal using the Pian liturgy rater than the Vatican II-inspired Pauline one.

 

[JaMc]

It was printed in 1961, but there is a notation that it incorporates changes made in 1960, so it would be the one that was issued immediately before the 1962 Missal.

Now, the only thing we need is a TLM in our Parish - our pastor was ordained in 1977, so he was not trained in the earlier liturgy, and the closest FSSP priest is located over 50 miles away and says a regular TLM weekly at his own parish (there is an SSPX church over there, so they had an “indult Mass” even before the Motu Proprio to keep traditionally minded Catholics “home”). The only other possibility would be a retired priest who is located about 45 miles away, but, due to his age and health, is not able to come over and celebrate a Latin Mass (he came over a few years ago when our pastor was out of town, and would fall asleep at various points during the NO Mass)…

 

[palmas85]

It was printed in 1961, but there is a notation that it incorporates changes made in 1960, so it would be the one that was issued immediately before the 1962 Missal.

Now, the only thing we need is a TLM in our Parish - our pastor was ordained in 1977, so he was not trained in the earlier liturgy, and the closest FSSP priest is located over 50 miles away and says a regular TLM weekly at his own parish (there is an SSPX church over there, so they had an “indult Mass” even before the Motu Proprio to keep traditionally minded Catholics “home”). The only other possibility would be a retired priest who is located about 45 miles away, but, due to his age and health, is not able to come over and celebrate a Latin Mass (he came over a few years ago when our pastor was out of town, and would fall asleep at various points during the NO Mass)…

Well lets be honest here, Depending on the involvement of the choir or band or stumbling readers or whatever, there could be vast stretches of time where the Priest is just sitting there doing nothing. For a younger well rested Priest that might not pose a problem. For an older Priest, tired after a long drive, it just might.

You don’t see Priests doing that much in the Traditional Mass as they are pretty much actively involved during the bulk of it.

 

[JaMc]

Well lets be honest here, Depending on the involvement of the choir or band or stumbling readers or whatever, there could be vast stretches of time where the Priest is just sitting there doing nothing. For a younger well rested Priest that might not pose a problem. For an older Priest, tired after a long drive, it just might.

You don’t see Priests doing that much in the Traditional Mass as they are pretty much actively involved during the bulk of it.

That’s certainly true - actually, the increased involvement is part of why I do not think the retired priest would be able to celebrate a TLM anymore - he is in his eighties, has severe arthritis in his knees and legs, which is exacerbated by the fact that he is extremely overweight. He is a good priest, and has a brilliant mind for history - he has written books on the histories of different parishes, and is working on a book on the history of the Redemptorists, to which he belongs (he’s also a little eccentric - always taking pictures and literally has storage sheds full of rolls of undeveloped film). But, he is just not physically up to it anymore - he hasn’t even come over to fill in when our pastor is out of town in some years.

There was some talk in the parish a while back about having the FSSP priest come over on a Saturday to say a Latin Mass, but I haven’t heard any more mention of it since then.

 

[Cranch]

I have noticed that, even before the M.P. was issued last year, a lot of traditionalist groups have shown a great affinity for the “1962 Missal.” I was just wondering why - is it because it was the “last” TLM missal issued before the N.O. Mass?

The use of the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal was mandated by the Vatican for celebrations of the EF Mass under the 1984 indult *
Quattuor abhinc annos* and reiterated in Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Ecclesia Dei of 1988.

 

[FrRJBoyd]

I have noticed that, even before the M.P. was issued last year, a lot of traditionalist groups have shown a great affinity for the “1962 Missal.” I was just wondering why - is it because it was the “last” TLM missal issued before the N.O. Mass?

Basically, it was seen as the last TLM before the transitional missals of 1964-1969 (vernacular translations, deletions of prayers from the ordinary of the Mass, and insertion of new prefaces, Eucharistic prayers and new lectionary readings leading to the new order of Mass promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969). The 1962 Missal was chosen by Archbishop Lefebvre for the SSPX, and then adopted by Church for the indult Mass and now the “Extraordinary form.”

I don’t think that traditionalists really have any great attachment to the 1962 form of the Missal over pre-1962 Missals. Many of us actually prefer the “second” confiteor before the people’s Communion, which was omitted in the 1962 rubrics, and some of us even prefer the pre-1955 Holy Week liturgies. However, we need to be obedient to Holy Mother Church, and so we are very grateful for the wide use of the 1962 Missal granted by the Holy Father.

God bless,

Fr. Boyd