The importance of the Tridentine Mass, and the dangers of partisanship
I. Introduction
This issue was one of the reasons I chose to begin sharing my notes more publicly. As a Catholic returning to the Church after a long absence, I’ve been struck by two related trends. On one hand, the beauty and reverence of the traditional Latin Mass have had a real impact on me. On the other, I’ve noticed a concerning rise in factionalism among Catholics, especially around liturgical preferences.
The Latin Mass offers something deeply meaningful: a connection to the Church’s historical worship and a profound sense of reverence. However, the temptation to turn liturgical preference into tribal identity is clearly present here on both sides. I want to explore both of those things: the spiritual richness of the Tridentine Mass and the dangers of partisanship in the Church.
I see growing attendance at the Extraordinary Form Masses in my own country and abroad. There’s something powerful in watching young people reconnect with the faith of their fathers, discovering the Mass of the Saints, and really engaging in reverent worship. The flip side, though, is the emergence of us-versus-them thinking, which is deeply troubling.
II. The Beauty and Importance of the Tridentine Mass
There can be some confusion when people talk about the “Traditional Latin Mass.” The form of this Mass has changed over the centuries, but it still represents a living tradition that stretches from Apostolic times to the present. While there are distinctions between the Tridentine Mass, the Extraordinary Form, and the older uses of the Roman Rite, for simplicity I’ll use these terms more or less interchangeably here.
This is the form of the Mass that many of the saints knew. The structure and prayers would have been familiar to them. And when we participate in it today, we share in something continuous with their worship. That matters.
At my own parish, which is theologically and liturgically conservative, a visitor might be surprised by just how much of the Mass is sung or chanted, how much Latin is still used, and how reverently the Sacrifice is offered in the Novus Ordo. On feast days, it’s celebrated ad orientem. At times, if you didn’t know better, you might think you had stumbled into a Latin Mass. But once you’ve experienced both, the differences between the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms are clear. I usually attend the new Mass, but have been attending the Tridentine Mass once a month, and it’s been a fruitful experience for me.
There is a weight to using the historic language of the Church. It takes more effort, it’s not easy; but it is beautiful. I also like the idea that one could travel any place on Earth where the TLM is offered and participate equally with one’s ability as at home. It allows the Catholic Church to remain catholic, i.e. universal.
I am reminded that this (or something very like it) is the Mass that the saints attended. I, like them, am witnessing this beautiful thing, one part artifact from the time of the Apostles and one part developed reverence as we follow Christ’s command: do this in memory of me.
III. Attending the Traditional Latin Mass
If you haven’t been to a Tridentine Mass before, I recommend it. But you should be prepared for some differences.
Communion is almost always received kneeling, and you won’t say “Amen” aloud. Much of the Mass is quiet or silent. It moves slowly, but intentionally. There are more physical changes of posture than in the new Mass, and you’ll probably spend a fair amount of time kneeling or standing.
If your Latin is rusty (or nonexistent) you might not follow everything. That’s fine. At my parish, there are booklet missals available that include side-by-side translations, helpful margin notes, and clear instructions. The lectionary is different, too, as it doesn’t follow the A/B/C cycle. The readings repeat each year, and there are usually fewer of them. Sometimes they’re read only in Latin, sometimes in Latin and the vernacular. That was a relatively recent change in liturgical terms, and I think it helps.
The priest will occasionally turn toward the congregation and speak more loudly. If you’re following along in your missal and get lost, this is your chance to catch up.
Expect the congregation to be quiet and focused. People tend to dress more formally. Some women wear veils, though this isn’t required. I’ve also noticed fewer small children than at a typical Novus Ordo Sunday Mass, though that could vary. Since many folks travel long distances to attend, you’ll likely see unfamiliar faces each time.
If you’re planning to go, review the Propers ahead of time and bring a missal if you have one. Follow along as best you can. Engage in interior prayer. Let the rhythm and stillness shape you. It may feel unfamiliar, but it’s worth experiencing.
IV. The Danger of Factionalism and Partisanship
Now to the other side of the coin.
If you’ve spent time in Catholic spaces online, you’ve probably seen terms like “TradCath,” “RadTrad,” or “Clown Mass.” The first time I encountered this kind of language, it was before I had returned to the Church. The person using it seemed proud of the label. My gut response was revulsion, that basically skipped all of the logical processes of my brain.
After I had returned to the Church, I began looking for information, people, references, and more to help me along this new-to-me path on which I found myself. I came across those same terms again, along with a whole ecosystem of partisan Catholic commentary.
Yet, the Church catholic is the universal church, and the Holy Roman Catholic Church claims to be (and has good arguments for being) just that, that visible church. There are of course going to be trends, beliefs, and disagreements over doctrine, procedure, and development. I am not so naive as to think that wouldn’t exist. But I was shocked to see partisan labels applied in these cases. Us-versus-them is not a trend I would desire to see for the Church.
I, maybe incorrectly, assumed that the universal Body of Christ would view each other as fellow members. Instead, I was disheartened to see parties. What really drove the point home for me was the election of Pope Leo XIV. I saw YouTube channels displaying graphics of potential papal votes, labeling Cardinals as “liberal,” “moderate,” or “conservative.” The visual layout looked just like American election coverage. At least they didn’t color-code it red and blue.
It’s important to point out that the terms “liberal” and “conservative” don’t map cleanly onto Catholic theology. They shouldn’t correspond directly to Anglo-American or European political categories. At best, they’re clumsy. At worst, they’re misleading.
One of the things that I think Pope Francis did particularly well was extending the olive branch of ecumenical dialogue to others, especially the Eastern Orthodox Churches. I hope and pray for our Churches to once again be in full communion, as hopefully may happen with all denominations of the visible, Nicaean churches. That is the spirit that we should have when discussing matters as this, not creating terms and camps, tribes and parties of us-versus-them. In that vein, the Mass is not (or should not be) a political weapon.
I personally find deep value in being able to attend the Tridentine Mass. I also find the curtailing of its availability to be concerning. Pope Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum was a generous and thoughtful allowance. I hope Pope Leo will preserve what’s good in that.
But even as I say that, I want to be clear: neither form of the Mass is more “true,” more “valid,” or more “Catholic” than the other. Both are expressions of the one Roman Rite. This is more obvious in reverent parishes like mine, but it holds true everywhere.
The Gospel is not served by creating teams inside the Church. The message of Christ suffers when the faithful are split into camps. I hope to continue attending the Latin Mass. But more importantly, I hope we as a Church can reject the urge to divide.
V. Moving Beyond Tribes
The Roman Rite is the most familiar expression of Catholic worship, but it’s not the only one. The Church includes Eastern Rite Catholics as well: Byzantine, Alexandrian, Antiochene, Chaldean, and Armenian. That diversity of liturgy and vestment, tone and gesture, all fits within the life of the Church.
By comparison, the differences between the Tridentine and Novus Ordo forms are relatively small. Both fall within the Roman Rite. Especially after the 2011 revision to the English translation, the continuity in language and theology is easier to see.
There is no dogmatic divide between the two forms. Nothing in the worship of either diverges from the core teachings of the Church. Both are valid. Both are reverent. And the faithful should have access to both.
It’s not about choosing sides. It’s about receiving the Sacrifice of the Mass in the way that best draws us into union with Christ, and resisting the temptation to turn preference into pride.
VI. Conclusion
The Tridentine Mass is a spiritual treasure. It connects us with the saints, with centuries of faithful worship, and with a profound sense of the sacred. I encourage anyone who has not experienced it to attend, thoughtfully, prayerfully, and with an open heart.
Reverence must never become rivalry, however. The Church is not a battleground for aesthetics or ideology. She is the Body of Christ: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. When we draw lines between “us” and “them,” we lose sight of that.
Let us cherish the richness of our liturgical heritage without turning it into a dividing line. Let us pray for unity in our worship, humility in our discourse, and charity in all things. The Mass is not ours to weaponize, it is Christ’s gift to His Church.