Theological Richness: Like the liturgies of the Eastern Church, both Catholic and Orthodox, the Tridentine Latin Mass is very rich theologically. The concept of the Mass as a mystical reality in which the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross is renewed is very evident in the text. As the Council of Trent declared, "The same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross, is present and offered in an unbloody manner" in the Mass. There is little room for departure from the rubrics (rules) of the Tridentine Latin Mass, and the prayers and readings for each feast are strictly prescribed.

 

The term “the Latin Mass” is most often used to refer to the Tridentine Mass—the Mass of Pope St. Pius V, promulgated on July 14, 1570, through the apostolic constitution Quo Primum. Technically, this is a misnomer; any Mass celebrated in Latin is a “Latin Mass.” However, after the promulgation of the Novus Ordo Missae, the Mass of Pope Paul VI, in 1969, which allowed for more frequent celebration of Mass in the vernacular for pastoral reasons, the term has come to be used almost exclusively to refer to the traditional Latin Mass—the Tridentine Mass.

The Ancient Liturgy of the Western Church:

Even the phrase “the Tridentine Mass” is somewhat misleading. It takes its name from the Council of Trent (1545-63), which was called largely in response to the rise of Protestantism in Europe. The council addressed many issues, however, including the proliferation of modifications of the traditional Latin Rite Mass. While the essentials of the Mass had remained constant since the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great (590-604), many dioceses and religious orders (particularly the Franciscans) had modified the calendar of feasts by adding numerous saints’ days .Read ...