Prior to Vatican II, the bulk of the Mass was said in Latin. Most “born Catholics” did not learn Latin, and they literally had no idea what most of those prayers were saying. Even using a Missle, they could not keep up properly.
I was a convert in 1953, and I learned the Latin of the Mass, and what it meant. I could never understand (and I still don’t) why most people raised in the Catholic Faith did not bother to learn what their own Mass was all about.
The Priest faced toward the Alter, with his back to the people most of the time. This was to show that he was a “part of the congregation”. However, this was a HUGE change when it was instituted, as for centuries before that version of the Mass, the Priest had always faced the people.
The Epistle, the Gospel and the Homily were all done in the local language. They were NOT read in Latin first, they were only read in the language used by the majority of the people in the congregation.
Generally, Priests also wore much more elaborate vestments, much heavier than they do today. In many cases the vestments were made with real gold thread. They were very expensive, and even poor parishes would have families do without, in order to vest their priest elaborately.
As one who converted in the “Old” Mass days, I have to say that I miss those Masses, especially the “High” or sung Masses. BUT, I would NOT want to see the church go back to that era, as the vast majority of the people didn’t have a clue about what was going on.
It is much better to have the people understand the Mass, and be able to actively participate in it, that to just go through rote activities.
Most of the “conservatives” that advocate going back to pre-Vatican II days are not old enough to remember what it was like back then. I do remember it, I went to Mass daily from 1953-1969 (even in the Army, I went to Mass daily whenever possible). I saw the changes of Vatican II being slowly introduced (beginning with the Priest facing the people), and although I found it strange at first, I would never want to see the Church go back to that.
Far too many people were excluded by language and custom. Far too many people “deified” the priests, and treated them as something other than “human”. For all too many, they Church was more dead than alive. It was much more habit for many people, and not really choice.
It was said that “The Mass was the same, the world around” during those days. That was true, you could go to Mass in Germany, Vietnam, France, England, anywhere in the US, Mexico, Korea, or anywhere else, and the basic Mass was the same (except for the Epistle, Gospel and Homily, which were in the local language) I know, I went to Mass in all of those countries (and several others).
BUT, so was the lack of participation by the Laity the same the world around. I sincerely pray that the church NEVER goes back to that kind of situation.
