Data that young people are attracted to the Latin Mass?

[PetraG]

That was my thought. People walk away from the faith when leaving their parents all the time but many do return and when they do they usually look for what they remember being taught and sometimes more.

I think that the draw of doing something sacrificial, something that requires going above and beyond, is part of the atraction of the TLM for young people. Young people have heroic hearts. When something captures their hearts, they want to find a way to dedicate themselves deeply, to go above and beyond. Learning Latin and finding a Mass that is both novel to them and yet also deeply connected to the huge cloud of witnesses of the past can be very attractive. It is not the only thing that will attract young people, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone that it is one of the things that does.

 

[JoeShlabotnik]

If you believe that having Mass said in Latin would be a unifier, I would say I beg to differ with you.
I grew at the time that the Vatican II changes were being made.
Part of the parish (mostly the older parishioners) liked Mass being said in English, while part of the parish (mostly the young parishioners) loved the Mass being said in Latin.
As time went on, Latin Mass slowly died out as more and more parishioners began to embrace Mass said in English.
Tradition, conservatism, Catholic values, and all that we hold dear about our faith, translates from Latin to English or from Latin to any other language.

 

[MagdalenaRita]

As time went on, Latin Mass slowly died out as more and more parishioners began to embrace Mass said in English.

I am not sure I would say that it died out but it was taken away. How many at that time would have continued to attend the Latin Mass if it had been available.

 

[PetraG]

If you believe that having Mass said in Latin would be a unifier, I would say I beg to differ with you.
I grew at the time that the Vatican II changes were being made.
Part of the parish (mostly the older parishioners) liked Mass being said in English, while part of the parish (mostly the young parishioners) loved the Mass being said in Latin.
As time went on, Latin Mass slowly died out as more and more parishioners began to embrace Mass said in English.
Tradition, conservatism, Catholic values, and all that we hold dear about our faith, translates from Latin to English or from Latin to any other language.

I think St. Paul identified the “unifer” very early on:
Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible.
To the Jews I became like a Jew to win over Jews; to those under the law I became like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win over those under the law.
To those outside the law I became like one outside the law—though I am not outside God’s law but within the law of Christ—to win over those outside the law.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.
1 Cor. 9:19-23

and

If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but everyone for those of others.
Phil 2:1-4

As Steven Covey says so often, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. I don’t think that means hiding Latin from anybody or denying the value it has, but rather encouraging people in whatever is valid that also encourages them to be more devoted to God.

St. Paul even went so far as this!!
Of course, some preach Christ from envy and rivalry, others from good will.The latter act out of love, aware that I am here for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not from pure motives, thinking that they will cause me trouble in my imprisonment.What difference does it make, as long as in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed? And in that I rejoice.
Phil. 1:15-18

 

[JoeShlabotnik]

Taken away? No, I would say that the Mass said in English just got so popular that there were few people attending the Latin Masses.

 

[MagdalenaRita]

Taken away?

In all charity, yes, when the new Mass was instituted we were given new missalettes. I remember exactly where I was when we got our crisp white new missalettes and the new Mass was explained by our priest. I even remember his name. And at least in our diocese every parish received the Missalette and every parish was saying the new Mass. There would continue to be revisions over the next 5 years and by then the TLM was gone. My father searched diligently for the Latin Mass and continued searching until his death 11 years ago. My Catholic upbringing was moving from parish to parish in my father’s strong attempt to make sure we had respect and reverence for the Mass. Whenever liturgical abuses started to happen we moved on and every single Sunday we were up and at the 8 AM Mass because he felt that was the most respectful Mass. Parishners were not given a choice. It wasn’t about popularity of one form of the Mass over another. It was due to liturgical changes instituted in 1964.

God bless.

 

[Bushum]

It was taken away in essence until Summorum Pontificum.

 

[StephenBales]

At least around me, in central Texas about a half hour south of Austin, I don’t see much appreciation for the Latin mass. The only TLM I know of around me is at 3pm at St. Mary’s Cathedral, the seat of our diocese. I’ve desperately wanted to attend for a while, and I’m fairly young (18), but now that I’ve joined the Knights of Columbus at my parish, I feel I’m stuck a little, at least for a while. The small irreverences, annoying little Protestant tics in the parish, Novus Ordo aside, this is the parish where I entered the Church. I feel I’m indebted to them, at least a couple years.

 

[MagdalenaRita]

It was taken away in essence until Summorum Pontificum .

Yes, I completely agree and there were priests before that who continued to say the Latin Mass because they felt it was right, but there were not many of them.

 

[snarflemike]

The only TLM I know of around me is at 3pm at St. Mary’s Cathedral, the seat of our diocese.

We were in Austin a few months ago visiting our daughter and attended this Mass. It was a beautiful celebration (and packed with young families).

 

[snarflemike]

Taken away? No, I would say that the Mass said in English just got so popular that there were few people attending the Latin Masses.

Rightly or wrongly, most people assumed the previous form of the Mass was outlawed. That includes most priests and bishops, and many were very militant in forbidding any Latin Mass.

 

[snarflemike]

BTW, speaking of Latin, we were talking with a young priest who took a group of kids to a recent World Youth Day, and he said that the American kids were the only ones who couldn’t sing their Mass parts in Latin, and they were embarrassed about that.

 

[JoeShlabotnik]

I guess I missed all that at the parish I attended back then. Back then, we were happy to hear the Mass in English.

 

[JoeShlabotnik]

Why should they feel embarrassed. I can’t speak French, but if I were traveling in France, I would not be embarrassed that I could not converge with French folks.

 

[snarflemike]

Why should they feel embarrassed. I can’t speak French, but if I were traveling in France, I would not be embarrassed that I could not converge with French folks.

C’mon, you were young once. You’re a young person in a gathering of young people, and they can all sing or do something and you’re the only one who can’t. Of course you’re embarrassed.

 

[PetraG]

Why should they feel embarrassed. I can’t speak French, but if I were traveling in France, I would not be embarrassed that I could not converse with French folks.

OK, but they’re Roman Catholics who can’t pronounce the most common prayers in Latin surrounded by other Roman Catholics who can.

 

[Prodigal1984]

The first time I saw the EF was when I watched the funeral of John F Kennedy on YouTube some years back. Although a somber occasion, I remember feeling so touched, like the Prayers before the Altar while Ave Maria was playing. I was so happy to learn I was not alone in being attracted to it!
I had grown up with the OF, didn’t even know the mass was different ( my mother had told me mass was said in Latin when she was a kid but I always assumed it was the OF just said in Latin.)
I was so happy to learn Pope Benedict XVl made the use of the 1962 missal an official liturgy of the Church again, and I frequent it so often!
I also think the OF made sense in the modern world and understand why the Second Vatican Council called for a reform. With that said I think the OF is beautiful if said with reverence. Just as the EF. I’ve also seen the OF said in predominantly Latin which happens albeit rarely at some churches.
I am 35 and wish I knew of it when I was younger!

 

[OrbisNonSufficit]

That’s like saying Tridentine Mass and EF aren’t same thing cus there were changes from Trent… people use Novus Ordo to refer to OF, it’s that simple. That’s just the slang of it and I don’t even think it’s wrong given that many Bishops do so as well.

 

[dochawk]

people use Novus Ordo to refer to OF, it’s that simple.

Far from it.

The majority of the time that people on this forum use “NO” for “OF” it is meant either derisively, dismissively, or a put down. No, not all of the time, but it usually a diminutive around here–as well as being incorrect.

You are on to something, though, that “Tridentine” may not be accurate for later versions of the EF . . .

 

[ProVobis]

You are on to something, though, that “Tridentine” may not be accurate for later versions of the EF .

There really is no such thing as the Tridentine Mass if you read Trent documents well. As well as Quo Primum which protects all Rites that were in effect in 1370 AD some 200 years before Trent. Thus the older Rite would have had to exist at least back to 1370AD.