What is EF & OF?

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OF = Ordinary Form
EF = Extraordinary Form

The Ordinary Form of the Mass is the normal Mass used today (post Vatican II)

The Extraordinary Form of the Mass is the “traditional” Latin Mass celebrated pre Vatican II. You see the priest’s back the entire time, it is entirely in Latin, and the High version requires multiple clergy to preform it plus the choir chants in Latin almost the entire time.
 
The OF is the Mass you see in your everyday parish. The EF is the Mass that was celebrated before the OF came out, which is in 1970. It is said entirely in Latin, the priest is facing the altar, and communion is received kneeling and on the tongue.

This is a link to a Low Mass, which is the average EF Mass: youtube.com/watch?v=gk9iioWl_uc Note there there are 3 types of EF Masses: Low, Sung, and High.

This is an OF Mass, which is your everyday Mass: youtube.com/watch?v=yZUtXMtY7jM

Let’s see how many people are going to insult the Ordinary Form before a moderator closes this thread. 🍿
 
9 pages of insults to the EF (no one will bat an eye)

1 misread comment took out of context about the OF (everyone in thread banned)
 
Let us not get off topic. This thread already has 8 posts, and only 2 of them relate to the OP’s question. 👍
 
phil19034 said:
OF = Ordinary Form
EF = Extraordinary Form

The Ordinary Form of the Mass is the normal Mass used today (post Vatican II)

The Extraordinary Form of the Mass is the “traditional” Latin Mass celebrated pre Vatican II. You see the priest’s back the entire time, it is entirely in Latin, and the High version requires multiple clergy to preform it plus the choir chants in Latin almost the entire time.
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Prior to 1969, the “traditional” Latin Mass was the ordinary form. It was the norm.

The word ordinary means what is normally done. Prior to 1969, the Latin Mass, was the norm, AKA ordinary.

That same Mass is now extra-ordinary - out of the norm. The everyday parish Mass we see today is the norm - ordinary.

-Tim-
 
bben15 said:
The OF is the Mass you see in your everyday parish. The EF is the Mass that was celebrated before the OF came out, which is in 1970. It is said entirely in Latin, the priest is facing the altar, and communion is received kneeling and on the tongue.

This is a link to a Low Mass, which is the average EF Mass: youtube.com/watch?v=gk9iioWl_uc Note there there are 3 types of EF Masses: Low, Sung, and High.

This is an OF Mass, which is your everyday Mass: youtube.com/watch?v=yZUtXMtY7jM

Let’s see how many people are going to insult the Ordinary Form before a moderator closes this thread. 🍿
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I don’t know. The Extraordinary Form was insulted in the first response or at a bare bare minimum seriously stereotyped. The sword cuts both ways.
 
Some seem to forget the OF would not exist without the EF. Vatican II actually said that priests need to teach their flocks Latin and most have, certainly regrettably, disregarded that. Both masses should be offered in every parish.
 
phil19034 said:
The Extraordinary Form of the Mass is the “traditional” Latin Mass celebrated pre Vatican II. You see the priest’s back the entire time, it is entirely in Latin, and the High version requires multiple clergy to preform it plus the choir chants in Latin almost the entire time.
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That’s not a really accurate description of it. You don’t see the priest’s back the entire time; the only place where it’s noticeable in comparison to the OF is during the Eucharistic Prayer, but ad orientem is not only permitted but the more traditional way to do it in the OF.

It’s not necessarily “entirely” in Latin. The homily almost certainly won’t be. Furthermore it’s very normal to hear the readings in the vernacular after they’re read/chanted in Latin.

High Mass doesn’t require a choir. That’s what makes it a Solemn High Mass. But a Low Mass can have a choir (it’s then called a Missa cantata), and a High Mass can be very quiet (it’s then called a Missa lecta). What separates Low and High is the presence of subdeacons and deacons.
 
itshannahbelle said:
May I ask someone to explain EF & OF?
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New ways to describe the traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo. The terms are pretty much only useful in some parts of the Internet.

I’ve learned that if you invite people to an “EF Mass” they just scratch their heads. Then you say “I mean, a Latin Mass” and they go, “oooh, got it. Sure.”
 
The EF and the OF done according how it was originally designed aren’t as far off as we like to think. However, as done in your normal parish they’re more different.

In the OF the Propers are supposed to be sung. The main type of music is supposed to be Gregorian chant. The priest is supposed to face ad orientem. Altar rails should be used for distributing Communion. Among other things.

I think some of the major differences are
  1. In the EF servers give the responses on behalf of the people and play a major role in the Mass. They are always in the sanctuary. In the OF the servers just provide help and do not give any responses beyond what is asked of the whole congregation. Many times they just sit off to the side out of the way.
  2. The biggest is that many of the prayers in the EF have been omitted/shortened. Some examples include the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, Offertory Prayers, Prayers Before the Priest’s Communion, the Prayers of Ablution, and the Last Gospel.
  3. There are more Eucharistic prayers in the OF. However, EP #1 is more in line with what was in the EF. The rest are much shorter.
  4. The EF used much more symbolism. Priests/servers were expected to genuflect fairly often rather than just giving a bow or a head bow. The sign of the cross was done many times over the gifts and as well as to themselves. I think the sign of the cross is done 52 times. Many of the actions done by the priests/servers are done a specific number of times out of symbolism. Three symbolizing the Trinity being the most prevalent.
  5. One extra reading in the OF
  6. The priest was required to say all of the prayers even if they were sung by a choir. For example, while the Gloria is sung, the priest also says the Gloria. Once he’s done he sits down for the rest of the hymn. He also bows when specific parts are sung.
I’m sure there are some others, but you can Google some websites to help you find all of that.
 
Rich_C said:
New ways to describe the traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo. The terms are pretty much only useful in some parts of the Internet.

I’ve learned that if you invite people to an “EF Mass” they just scratch their heads. Then you say “I mean, a Latin Mass” and they go, “oooh, got it. Sure.”
Click to expand...
More precisely, the OF is supposed to be the liturgical norm for a rite. So before 1965ish, what we know now as the EF was the OF.
 
Cojuanco said:
More precisely, the OF is supposed to be the liturgical norm for a rite. So before 1965ish, what we know now as the EF was the OF.
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If you really get precise, I’m not sure this is true.

As far as I know, the terms “OF” and “EF” originated in 2007 (Summorum Pontificum), and they were created to draw a distinction between the Roman Rite having two forms of the Mass. But I don’t think this distinction was ever drawn thus before.

If the Missal of Bl. John XXIII was the OF in 1962, what was the EF? I don’t think you could say the Ambrosian Rite or the Seraphic missal really fit the bill.

I think we’re in a pretty unique situation in having two globally standardized (i.e. not merely local color, like Sarum, Toledo or Milan, or order specific, like Dominic, Franciscan, etc.) forms of the Roman Rite coexisting. Doesn’t seem to have happened before.
 
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