Mass of Paul VI

This article is about the post-Vatican-II changes to the Mass; for an explanation of the current structure of the Mass, see Mass (Catholic Church).

The term Mass of Paul VI refers to the liturgy of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite as revised after the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). For the terms "Novus Ordo" and "Novus Ordo Missae", sometimes applied to it, see below.

The text

The current official text of the Mass of Paul VI is the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated in 2000 and issued in Latin in 2002; translations into the vernacular are in production. Two earlier typical editions of the revised Missal were issued in 1970 (promulgated in 1969) and 1975. The liturgy contained in the 1570-1962 editions of the Roman Missal is frequently referred to as the Tridentine Mass, though some Catholics (including both supporters and opponents of the revision) object to the use of this term, as it implies the traditional Latin Mass was written during the Council of Trent rather than with roots many centuries before the 16th.

History

The revision of the rite of Mass had its origins in the Liturgical Movement of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Movement, which was associated most notably with Dom Prosper Guéranger, founder of the Abbey of Solesmes, sought to have what it regarded as inappropriate practices in the Mass liturgy removed or replaced with more ancient practices. It focused on promoting Gregorian Chant and encouraging the congregation to participate (in a spiritual sense) more fully in the celebration of Mass.

The Liturgical Movement did not advocate a full-scale revision of the rite of Mass. However it argued for changes to practices such as:

the priest blessing the Host and Chalice with many signs of the cross after the consecration, while on the other hand speaking before the consecration of already offering a sacrifice;
the priest reciting many of the most important prayers inaudibly.

Another objective of the Movement was the introduction of the vernacular language into some or all parts of the Mass (in particular, into the Biblical readings). This, it was believed, would assist the congregation's spiritual development by enabling them to participate in the celebration of Mass with understanding. Pope Pius XII, who had a particular interest in the liturgy, wrote in his 1947 encyclical Mediator Dei that "the use of the mother tongue in connection with several of the rites may be of much advantage to the people", though he stated at the same time that only the Holy See had the authority to grant permission for the use of the vernacular.^* He granted permission for the use of local languages in the renewal of baptismal promises in the Easter Vigil service.

By this time, scholars had discovered how and when many elements of varied provenance had come to be incorporated into the Roman Rite of Mass and subsequently preserved in Pope Pius V's 1570 revision of the liturgy. In section 4 of Mediator Dei, Pope Pius XII praised the work of these scholars, while insisting that it was for the Holy See to judge what action to take on the basis of their findings. Their work showed that, because of the insufficient resources at its disposal, the commission established by Pope Pius V had not succeeded in achieving its aim of restoring the liturgy to "the original form and rite of the holy Fathers", a fact of which Pius V's bull Quo Primum indicates he was unaware. ^*

Beginnings of the revision

The Roman Missal was revised on a number of occasions after 1570: after only 34 years, Pope Clement VIII made a general revision, as did Pope Urban VIII 30 years later. Other Popes added new feasts or made other minor adjustments. It was not until the twentieth century, however, that work began on a more radical rewriting.

In response to a decree of the First Vatican Council (1870), Pope Pius X introduced in 1911 a new arrangement of the Psalter for use in the Breviary. In the bull Divino afflatu, he described this change as "a first step towards a correction of the Roman Breviary and Missal". It has been claimed that even this limited revision of the Breviary "significantly unsettled" clerics - the laity were almost totally unaware of it - and encountered some criticism. ^*

In 1955, Pope Pius XII made substantial changes to the liturgies for Palm Sunday, the Easter Triduum and the Vigil of Pentecost.^* The Palm Sunday blessing of palms was freed from elements, such as the recitation of the Sanctus, that were relics of an earlier celebration of a separate Mass for the blessing, and the procession was simplified. Among the changes for Holy Thursday were the moving of the Mass from morning to evening, thus making room for a morning Chrism Mass, and the introduction into the evening Mass of the rite of the washing of feet. Changes to the Good Friday liturgy included moving it from morning to afternoon, and allowing the congregation to receive Holy Communion, which had formerly been reserved to the priest. There were more numerous changes to the Easter Vigil service:

The service was to be celebrated on Easter Saturday night rather than Easter Saturday morning;
The triple candlestick which had previously been lit at the start of the service was replaced with the Paschal candle and candles held by each member of the congregation;
New ceremonies were introduced, such as the renewal of baptismal promises (in the vernacular) and the inscribing of the numerals of the year on the Paschal candle;
The prayer for the (Roman) Emperor in the Exsultet was replaced with a newly composed prayer;
Eight Old Testament readings were omitted, another was shortened, and the priest was no longer obliged to read the passages quietly while they were being read or chanted aloud;
The "Last Gospel" (John 1:1-14) that had customarily ended Mass was omitted.

At the Vigil of Pentecost, the traditional blessing of baptismal water, accompanied by the Litany of the Saints and six Old Testament readings, was omitted completely, though still printed in the Missal.

Pope John XXIII, who succeeded Pius XII in 1958, added some new feasts and made some other changes to the liturgical calendar, as well as amending some of the rubrics. In his 1962 edition of the Missal, he also deleted the word "perfidis" (Latin: "faithless") from the Good Friday prayer for the Jews, and added the name of St. Joseph to the Canon of the Mass. The second change was particularly significant, as many had considered the text of the Canon to be practically untouchable.

The Second Vatican Council and its immediate aftermath

The liturgy was among the matters considered by the Second Vatican Council of 1962-1965. On 4 December 1963, the Council issued a Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy known as Sacrosanctum Concilium, section 50 of which read as follows:

The rite of the Mass is to be revised in such a way that the intrinsic nature and purpose of its several parts, as also the connection between them, may be more clearly manifested, and that devout and active participation by the faithful may be more easily achieved.

For this purpose the rites are to be simplified, due care being taken to preserve their substance; elements which, with the passage of time, came to be duplicated, or were added with but little advantage, are now to be discarded; other elements which have suffered injury through accidents of history are now to be restored to the vigor which they had in the days of the holy Fathers, as may seem useful or necessary. ^*

Sacrosanctum Concilium further provided that (amongst other things) a greater use of the Scriptures should be made at Mass, and that vernacular languages should be more widely employed.

In 1964, Pope Paul VI, who had succeeded John XXIII the previous year, established the Consilium ad Exsequendam Constitutionem de Sacra Liturgia to implement the Council's decree. In 1964, the instruction Inter Oecumenici was issued by the Sacred Congregation of Rites, coming into effect in January 1965.^* This made significant changes to the existing liturgy, though the form of the rite was substantially preserved. Many sources speak of a "1965 Missal", but Inter Oecumenici represented a series of directions relating to the 1962 Missal and other matters, and no new Missal was published. Its changes included the following: use of the vernacular was permitted; the priest was permitted to face towards the congregation if he wished; there were some textual changes; and the Mass vestments were simplified. Further changes followed in the succeeding years, notably in 1967, with the publication of the document Tres abhinc annos, and in 1968, when three additional Eucharistic Prayers were authorized for use alongside the traditional Roman Canon.

By October 1967, the Consilium had produced a complete draft revision of the liturgy, and this revision was presented to the Synod of Bishops that met in Rome in that month. The bishops attended the first public celebration of the revised rite in the Sistine Chapel. When asked to vote on the new liturgy, 71 bishops voted placet (approved), 43 voted non placet (not approved) and 62 voted placet iuxta modum (approved with reservations). In response to the bishops' concerns, some changes were made to the text.

The 1970 Missal

Pope Paul VI promulgated the revised rite of Mass with his Apostolic Constitution Missale Romanum of 3 April 1969, setting the first Sunday of Advent at the end of that year as the date on which it would enter into force. However, the revised Missal itself was not published until the following year, and full vernacular translations appeared much later.

Missale Romanum made particular mention of the following changes from the previous edition of the Roman Missal:

To the single Canon of the previous edition (which, with minor alterations, was preserved as the "First Eucharistic Prayer or Roman Canon") were added three alternative Eucharistic Prayers, and the number of prefaces was increased.
The rites of the Ordinary of the Mass (in Latin, Ordo Missae) - that is, the largely unvarying part of the liturgy - were "simplified, due care being taken to preserve their substance." "Elements that, with the passage of time, came to be duplicated or were added with but little advantage" were eliminated, especially in the rites for the presentation of the bread and wine, the breaking of the bread, and communion.
"Other elements that have suffered injury through accidents of history" were restored "to the tradition of the Fathers," for example, the homily and the general intercessions or prayer of the faithful.
The proportion of the Bible read at Mass was greatly increased. Prior to the reforms of Pius XII (which reduced the proportions further), 1% of the Old Testament and 16.5% of the New Testament had been read at Mass. Since 1970, the equivalent proportions for Sundays and weekdays (leaving aside major feasts) have been 13.5% of the Old Testament and 71.5% of the New Testament.^* This was made possible through an increase in the number of readings at Mass and the introduction of a three-year cycle of readings on Sundays and a two-year cycle on weekdays.

In addition to these changes, Missale Romanum noted that the revision considerably modified other sections of the Missal, such as the Proper of Seasons, the Proper of Saints, the Common of Saints, the Ritual Masses and the Votive Masses, adding that "number [of the prayers has been increased, so that the new forms might better correspond to new needs, and the text of older prayers has been restored on the basis of the ancient sources".

Traditionalist Catholics sometimes argue that the promulgation of the revised liturgy was legally invalid due to alleged technical deficiencies in the wording of Missale Romanum.^*

Some dispute whether the revision corresponded to the intentions of the Second Vatican Council. Some even question whether it fitted the intentions of the Pope who promulgated it. According to some, the 1965 reform implemented the Council's decree sufficiently, while yet others question the need for any substantial reform whatever.

Other changes

Vernacular language

The Second Vatican Council stated in Sacrosanctum Concilium:

Since the use of the vernacular... may frequently be of great advantage to the people, a wider use may be made of it, especially in readings, directives and in some prayers and chants. (section 36)

A suitable place may be allotted to the vernacular in Masses which are celebrated with the people, especially in the readings and 'the common prayer', and also, as local conditions may warrant, in those parts which pertain to the people. (section 54)

The document further empowered Bishops' Conferences to make adaptations, with the consent of the Holy See (section 40).^*

Bishops' Conferences from all over the world soon voted to expand the use of the vernacular, and requested confirmation of this choice from Rome. In response, from 1964 onwards, a series of documents from Rome granted general authorization for steadily greater proportions of the Mass to be said in the vernacular. By the time the revised Missal was published in 1970, priests were no longer obliged to use Latin in any part of the Mass. Today, a very large majority of Masses are celebrated in the language of the people, though Latin is still occasionally used (in some places, on a regular basis). The translation employed must be approved by at least a two-thirds majority of the relevant Bishops' Conference, whose decision must be confirmed by the Holy See.

The present rule, as set out in the 2004 Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum, is as follows: "Mass is celebrated either in Latin or in another language, provided that liturgical texts are used which have been approved according to the norm of law. Except in the case of celebrations of the Mass that are scheduled by the ecclesiastical authorities to take place in the language of the people, priests are always and everywhere permitted to celebrate Mass in Latin". ^*

Changes in the Ordinary of the Mass

The Ordinary (or unchanging part) of the Mass had previously been regarded as consisting of two parts: the Mass of the Catechumens and the Mass of the Faithful. In the revised liturgy, it is divided into four sections: the Initial Rites, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the Concluding Rites. There were some noteworthy textual changes in the first two sections, and the dismissal formula in the Concluding Rites (Ite, missa est) was moved to the end of the Mass; previously, it was followed by a inaudible personal prayer by the priest, the blessing of the people (which has been retained), and the reading of the "Last Gospel" (almost always John 1:1-14). The most extensive changes, however, were made in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Almost all of the Offertory prayers were altered or shortened, and (as noted above) three new alternative Eucharistic Prayers were introduced alongside the Roman Canon, which is now infrequently used. Moreover, whereas almost the entirety of the Canon had traditionally been said inaudibly by the priest, the words of the Canon or Eucharistic Prayer are now spoken aloud, and the 25 signs of the cross that the priest had made over the host and chalice during the Canon (15 of them after the consecration) have been reduced to a single sign shortly before the consecration. Aside from the introduction of an optional exchange of a sign of peace, the changes in the remainder of the Liturgy of the Eucharist are less notable.

Communion under both species

The 1970 Roman Missal allowed laypeople to receive Holy Communion under the appearances of both bread and wine. The circumstances in which this was permitted were initially very restricted, but were gradually extended. Regular distribution of Communion under both kinds requires the permission of the bishop, but bishops in some countries have given blanket permission for the administration of Communion in this way. This practice had largely fallen into disuse in Western Europe even before the Council of Trent, and the revised Roman Missal therefore insisted that priests should use the occasion to teach the faithful the Catholic doctrine on the form of Communion, as affirmed by the Council of Trent: they were first to be reminded that they receive the whole Christ when they participate in the sacrament even under one kind alone, and thus are not then deprived of any grace necessary for salvation.

Liturgical orientation

The priest and the congregation had traditionally faced in the same direction (usually the east) during Mass, so that the priest had his back to the people. Almost all Latin-rite altars of recent centuries were accordingly built against a wall or backed by a reredos, with a tabernacle placed on the altar or inserted into the reredos. There were some exceptions to this orientation, however. The Tridentine Missal itself speaks of altars "versus populum" (facing the people), and gives corresponding instructions for the priest when performing actions that would normally have involved his turning to face the people (Ritus servandus in celebratione Missae, V, 3). In several ancient churches in Rome, it was physically impossible for the priest to celebrate Mass facing away from the people, because of the presence, immediately in front of the altar, of the "confession", an area sunk below floor level to enable laypeople to come close to the tomb of the saint buried beneath the altar. The best-known such "confession" is that in St Peter's Basilica, but several other churches in Rome have the same architectural feature, including the Church of the Four Crowned Saints in Via dei Santi Quattro, which has the apse to the east^*. It is said that the Pope traditionally faced the people when celebrating Mass in St Peter's because, due to the difficult terrain, the basilica was built with its apse to the west. It is even claimed that at one time (though certainly not in recent centuries), when the Pope celebrated Mass, the people had their backs to him and to the altar (Ratzinger, 2000, The Spirit of the Liturgy).

Without requiring priests to face the people throughout the Mass, the 1970 Missal called for this orientation to be made possible: "The main altar should be freestanding so that the ministers can easily walk around it and Mass can be celebrated facing the people" (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, hereinafter referred to as GIRM, 262). The 2002 edition of the GIRM ^* added a phrase declaring a free-standing main altar "desirable wherever possible" (GIRM 299). Accordingly, altars that imposed the east- and/or tabernacle-facing orientation have generally been moved closer to the people and away from the apse wall or reredos, or, where this was unsuitable, a new freestanding altar has been built closer to the people. This, however, is not universal, and in some churches and chapels the facing-the-people orientation during the whole of Mass is physically impossible.

The 1975 GIRM prescribed that the priest should face the people:

For the opening greeting;
For the invitation to pray;
Before beginning the Eucharistic Prayer (or Canon of the Mass);
When displaying the consecrated host before receiving and giving communion; and
When inviting to pray at the postcommunion prayer.
The 2002 edition adds the point at which the priest gives the greeting of peace.

The priest had been required to face the people at most of these points in the Tridentine Mass.

The current GIRM directs the priest to face the altar at several points, as in the Tridentine Mass. Because of the side of the altar at which he stands, this means that he usually also faces the people at these points.

Repositioning of the tabernacle

From the second half of the seventeenth century, it had been customary to place the tabernacle on the main altar of the church. Such a location, however, is arguably inconvenient for a celebration in which the priest faces the people. Accordingly, the revised Roman Missal states:

^*t is preferable that the tabernacle be located, according to the judgment of the Diocesan Bishop,

a. Either in the sanctuary, apart from the altar of celebration, in a form and place more appropriate, not excluding on an old altar no longer used for celebration;

b. Or even in some chapel suitable for the faithful’s private adoration and prayer and which is organically connected to the church and readily visible to the Christian faithful. (GIRM 315)

The Missal does, however, direct that the tabernacle be situated "in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent, readily visible, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer" (GIRM 314).

Other matters

A procession is now allowed at the Offertory or Presentation of the Gifts, when bread, wine, and water are brought to the altar. The exchange of a sign of peace before Communion, previously limited to the clergy at High Mass, is permitted (not made obligatory) at every Mass, even for the laity. "As for the sign of peace to be given, the manner is to be established by Conferences of Bishops in accordance with the culture and customs of the peoples. It is, however, appropriate that each person offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest and in a sober manner" (GIRM 82). A simple handshake is most common, though sometimes family members will exchange a kiss on the cheek, especially in Latin countries. In countries such as India, the sign is given by bowing with joined hands.

Criticism of the revision

There are two distinct forms of criticisms: criticisms of the text itself, and criticisms of the way that text has been acted upon since 1970.

Criticisms of the text itself

Critics of the revised liturgy (many of whom are Traditionalist Catholics) claim that its specifically Catholic content is markedly deficient compared with that of the liturgy as it existed prior to the revision. Some regard the revised rite as so seriously defective that it is displeasing to God and a Catholic ought not to attend celebrations of it. Some very radical Traditionalists claim that it is sacramentally invalid (see below). Others agree that there are deficiencies in the revised liturgy, but believe that these should be rectified by a "reform of the reform" rather than by a wholesale return to the Tridentine Mass. They attributed this position to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, when he was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Critics often point to the following (alleged) examples of defects in the liturgy:

It is claimed that prayers and phrases clearly presenting the Mass as a sacrifice have been removed or substantially reduced in number.
It is claimed that words and actions suggesting that the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Jesus Christ have been removed or replaced. It is said, for example, that the rubrics have reduced the number of genuflections and other gestures associated with reverence for the sacred elements; that phrases such as "spiritual drink" are deliberately ambiguous; and that the GIRM directs the removal of the tabernacle from its previous place on the main altar to another part of the church (albeit one that is "truly noble, prominent, readily visible, beautifully decorated and suitable for prayer" - GIRM 314).
It is claimed that the Propers of the Mass omit or soften important traditional Catholic teachings whereas those of the pre-revision Mass affirm them in their fulness.

It has been affirmed that the changes were made in the rite in order to make the Mass less unacceptable to non-Catholics, or even to erode the Catholic faith of Mass-going laypeople. Whether or not the changes (together with the other changes in the Church that followed the Second Vatican Council) have in fact caused a loss of faith is disputed. Critics cite opinion polling evidence in their support; supporters of the reform point to polling evidence of their own. Critics point to the large drop in attendance at Mass in the Western world; supporters ascribe this development to the general decline in religiosity in the West.

Vincentian Father Annibale Bugnini, who was secretary of the group that drew up the text that Pope Paul VI examined and promulgated, and who later became Archbishop, is believed by Traditionalist Catholics to have been a Freemason. They attribute to him a major influence on the form taken by the revised Roman Missal.

Some Traditionalist Catholics believe that the revised liturgy, when celebrated in languages in which the phrase "pro multis" (Latin for "for many" or "for the many") in the words of consecration is translated as "for all", is sacramentally invalid and brings about no transubstantiation. English is currently one such language, though the new English translation currently in preparation may perhaps render the phrase literally as "for many" or "for the many".

Criticisms of practices introduced since 1970

Aside from criticisms of the text of the liturgy, some Catholics are critical of practices which have been introduced into the celebration of Mass since 1970. Some of these practices are authorized by official Church documents such as the revised Roman Missal itself (specifically, by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal contained within it) and the revised (1983) Code of Canon Law. They include the following:

Lay people may proclaim Biblical readings and lead the Responsorial Psalm at Mass (though the Gospel reading remains reserved to clerics)
Lay people may act as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, distributing Holy Communion with the priest - the use of the terms such as "Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist", though once common in some countries, has been condemned as an abuse (Redemptionis Sacramentum, 154-155)
The consecrated Host may be received on the hand, rather than directly into the mouth
Females may act as altar servers

Other practices criticized arose because of changes of taste. These would include the use of plainer vestments with simple designs and no lace, and innovative architectural designs for churches and sanctuaries. Criticism is also directed at the removal of kneelers from some churches, and the use of non-traditional music, sometimes accompanied by percussion instruments.

Many regret the general abandonment of the use of the Latin language and Gregorian Chant. Some claim that this development was not authorized by the Second Vatican Council. The Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, before stating: "since the use of the mother tongue ... frequently may be of great advantage to the people, the limits of its employment may be extended," also stated that "particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites." (36) "Particular law" refers to decisions by national or regional Episcopal Conferences, ratified by the Holy See. Redemptionis Sacramentum provides an option to use Latin, but some view a simple option as insufficiently preserving the Latin language.

On Gregorian chant, the adaptation of which to languages other than Latin is generally considered to be aesthetically defective, Sacrosanctum Concilium said: "The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services. But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action" (116).

Some critics see these changes as due to, or leading to, a loss of reverence. Some of them would consider the revised liturgy acceptable, if some or all of these changes were removed or were addressed though catechesis. However, many Traditionalist Catholics regard the revised rite as inherently unacceptable.

Preparing a more literal English translation

On 28 March 2001, the Holy See issued the Instruction Liturgiam authenticam "on the use of vernacular languages in the publication of the books of the Roman liturgy". This included the requirement that, in translations of the liturgical texts (the originals of which are always in Latin), "the original text, insofar as possible, must be translated integrally and in the most exact manner, without omissions or additions in terms of their content, and without paraphrases or glosses. Any adaptation to the characteristics or the nature of the various vernacular languages is to be sober and discreet." The following year, the third typical edition in Latin of the revised Roman Missal was released, an edition announced in 2000. (The "typical edition" of a liturgical text is that to which editions by other publishers must conform.)

These two texts made clear the need for a new official English translation of the Roman Missal, particularly because the previous one was at some points an adaptation rather than strictly a translation. An example is the rendering of Et cum spiritu tuo (literally, "And with your spirit") as "And also with you." A revised translation may therefore make more evident to English speakers that the Second Vatican Council revision of the Ordinary of the Mass left most of the text unchanged.

The body responsible for producing English translations of liturgical texts of the Roman Rite is the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). It promptly began work on a completely new translation of the Roman Missal, intending it not to be a rushed job. On 2 February 2004, ICEL Chairman Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds, England issued a first draft of the Ordinary of the Mass part of the Missal; a definitive version of the Missal is expected to become available in 2007 at the earliest.

The term "Novus Ordo (Missae)"

In advance of the 1969 decision on the form of the revision of the Roman Missal, a preliminary draft of two sections was published. The section containing the unvarying part of the Mass had the Latin title Ordo Missae (Ordinary of the Mass), the same title which the equivalent section had had in previous editions of the Missal. To distinguish the proposed new Ordo Missae from that of the existing Missal, it was referred to as the "novus Ordo Missae" - "the new Ordinary of the Mass", "novus" being the Latin for "new" (see, for example, this speech by Pope Paul VI).

Novus Ordo Missae, or simply Novus Ordo, has since become a specific composite term used to refer to the revised rite of Mass in its entirety. It is frequently (though not exclusively) used by Traditionalist Catholics who are strongly opposed to the revision of the Mass liturgy and to other changes in the Church. For this reason, while some mainstream Catholics are comfortable with the term Novus Ordo, others reject it. It is not used in official Church documents or by academics working in the field.

Other terms for the revised liturgy include "Post-Tridentine Mass", "Missa Normativa", "New Mass" (in wide use in the 1970s, but now perhaps dated), and "Pauline Mass" (which is perhaps imprecise, since there have been six popes named Paul). The title of this article - Mass of Paul VI - is arguably the most proper (and neutral) term. The Catholic Church officially refers to Mass liturgies simply by the date of the edition of the Roman Missal used in the celebration, e.g., "Roman Missal 2002", or "Roman Missal 1962".

The other section of the Roman Missal also published in preliminary draft form was the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), with more detailed directives than those in the rubrics of the Ordinary of the Mass.

External links

A) Revision of the Roman Missal

B) Polemics

Catholic Liturgical Rites | Second Vatican Council

Novus Ordo Missae | Novus Ordo Missae | Novus Ordo Missae

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