Terminology/differences in types of masses?

[CountryMom27]

Hi - I was just browsing through - I’m a relatively new Catholic (converted last year), and I’m confused by the terminology of the various masses.

Can someone explain what the various masses are? i.e. I see references to the NO mass…

Thanks!

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Hi - I was just browsing through - I’m a relatively new Catholic (converted last year), and I’m confused by the terminology of the various masses.

Can someone explain what the various masses are? i.e. I see references to the NO mass…

Thanks!

NO stands for Novus Ordo or Novus Ordo Missae. This is the Mass that was promulgated by Pope Paul VI following the Second Vatican Council. This Mass is usually celebrated in the vernacular.

You may also see reference to OF or EF. This stands for the Ordinary Form of the Mass or the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. This terminology comes from Pope Benedict’s moto proprio (a type of papal writing) called Summorum Pontificum that came out last summer.

The Ordinary Form is also the Mass of Paul VI or the Mass in English.

The Extraordinary Form is also referred to as the Tridentine Mass, TLM, or the Mass promulgated by Pope John XXIII. It’s celebrated in Latin and there are other differences with the ordinary form of the Mass.

In short:
OF or NO refer to the same thing.
EF or TLM refer to the same thing.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Note that the Ordinary Form is also properly celebrated in Latin.

 

[I_Believe]

Mass of St Pius V, Tridentine Mass, Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), Extrordinary Form (EF), Forma extraordinaria (FE).

All these refer to the Mass you will find in Missals authorized by Rome 1962 and earlier. The Novus Ordo was introduced in 1969 or 1970, depending who you ask, and is the mass the majority of Catholics attend. Also known as the NO, the new Mass, the Mass of Paul VI.

Much controversy arose with the introduction of the Novus Ordo. The Mass of St Pius V was never abrogated, nor was it officially suppressed by Rome. Thus many priests and some bishops refused to switch to the NO. The term “renegade catholics” was coined and became the uncharitible label bestowed on the clergy and their followers who rejected the NO.

Pope John Paul II decided to erase the myth that the Mass of St. Pius V had been abrogated, and released a Motu Proprio allowing priests to pray the old Mass, as long as their local Bishops approved.

Last year, Pope Benedict XVI issued his own Motu Proprio, freeing all Roman Catholic priests from the need to seek their Bishop’s approval.

A very important event is scheduled in June…

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos to Celebrate Pontifical High Mass in the Traditional Latin Rite in Westminster Cathedral, Saturday 14 June 2008

The Latin Mass Society is proud to announce that Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, President of the Ecclesia Dei Commission in Rome and Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy, has accepted its invitation to celebrate a Pontifical High Mass in the Traditional Latin Rite (the Extraordinary Form) in Westminster Cathedral on Saturday 14 June at 2.00 pm…"

latin-mass-society.org/2008/cardcastrillonvisit.html

I’m sure EWTN will broadcast this Mass

 

[muffinmojo]

The biggest practical difference between the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary is that:

1- the Extraordinary Form prayers are much longer, and generally focus a whole lot more on us being sinners and seeking forgiveness, and about the sacrifice being offerd
2- the Extraordinary Form includes a big section at the beginning called the ‘prayers at the foot of the altar’
3- the Ordinary Form is broken up into the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, with the homily separating the two. The Extraordinary focuses around the altar the whole time, and is divided into the Mass of Catechumens and the Mass of the Faithful, and the gospel/epistle readings are said as an aside rather than a distinct ‘focus’.
4-The Ordinary Form is more variable and has many different options the priest can choose
5-the Extraordinary Form has two distinct ‘versions’, the Low Mass and the High Mass, one having only a priest, and the High having a priest, a deacon, and subdeacon(the deacons are usually priests, they fill in the role of deacon). There is no concelebration in the TLM. The Ordinary Form does not have ‘High’ or ‘Low’ Masses.

There are many more small difference and customs pertaining to the two, but those are the biggies.

Some things that are commonly done(but not always) in the NO that are not done in the TLM:

-celebration with the priest facing towards the people
-vernacular
-lay people reading the epistles, distributing Holy Communion
-standing to recieve Communion
-no bells rung during consecration
and so on.

 

[I_Believe]

The biggest practical difference between the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary is that:

1- the Extraordinary Form prayers are much longer, and generally focus a whole lot more on us being sinners and seeking forgiveness, and about the sacrifice being offerd
2- the Extraordinary Form includes a big section at the beginning called the ‘prayers at the foot of the altar’
3- the Ordinary Form is broken up into the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, with the homily separating the two. The Extraordinary focuses around the altar the whole time, and is divided into the Mass of Catechumens and the Mass of the Faithful, and the gospel/epistle readings are said as an aside rather than a distinct ‘focus’.
4-The Ordinary Form is more variable and has many different options the priest can choose
5-the Extraordinary Form has two distinct ‘versions’, the Low Mass and the High Mass, one having only a priest, and the High having a priest, a deacon, and subdeacon(the deacons are usually priests, they fill in the role of deacon). There is no concelebration in the TLM. The Ordinary Form does not have ‘High’ or ‘Low’ Masses.

There are many more small difference and customs pertaining to the two, but those are the biggies.

Some things that are commonly done(but not always) in the NO that are not done in the TLM:

-celebration with the priest facing towards the people
-vernacular
-lay people reading the epistles, distributing Holy Communion
-standing to recieve Communion
-no bells rung during consecration
and so on.

Note that the Low Mass often has a server(s).
sanctamissa.org/en/serving/rubrical-guide/index.html

Also, at some Novus Ordo Masses, bells are still used.

 

[thistle]

The biggest practical difference between the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary is that:

1- the Extraordinary Form prayers are much longer, and generally focus a whole lot more on us being sinners and seeking forgiveness, and about the sacrifice being offerd
2- the Extraordinary Form includes a big section at the beginning called the ‘prayers at the foot of the altar’
3- the Ordinary Form is broken up into the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, with the homily separating the two. The Extraordinary focuses around the altar the whole time, and is divided into the Mass of Catechumens and the Mass of the Faithful, and the gospel/epistle readings are said as an aside rather than a distinct ‘focus’.
4-The Ordinary Form is more variable and has many different options the priest can choose
5-the Extraordinary Form has two distinct ‘versions’, the Low Mass and the High Mass, one having only a priest, and the High having a priest, a deacon, and subdeacon(the deacons are usually priests, they fill in the role of deacon). There is no concelebration in the TLM. The Ordinary Form does not have ‘High’ or ‘Low’ Masses.

There are many more small difference and customs pertaining to the two, but those are the biggies.

Some things that are commonly done(but not always) in the NO that are not done in the TLM:

-celebration with the priest facing towards the people
-vernacular
-lay people reading the epistles, distributing Holy Communion
-standing to recieve Communion
-no bells rung during consecration
and so on.

That’s not the case at my church. It is an NO Mass and the bells ARE rung during consecration.

 

[rwoehmke]

The TLM or EF existed in at least three formats, the low Mass with one priest and no singing, the high Mass or sung Mass with one priest, and the solemn high Mass with a priest, deacon, and sub-deacon. The high Mass and solemn high Mass were sung and in most parishes the deacon and sub deacon roles were taken by priests. When a Bishop was involved there may have been other formats, but I never experienced any of those occasions.

There were usually two servers for low Mass and four for high Mass, and a larger number for solemn High. The number of candles lit on the altar were two, six, and more depending on which format. Bells were rung at all Masses and prayers at the foot of the altar and the Leonine prayers after Mass.

Funerals and Black Masses, those said for the dead, were usually high Masses with a slightly different set of prayers and readings.