[mike182d]

I don't understand traditionalists' obsession with the Tridentine Mass. Certainly the Novus Ordo Mass has been very poorly implemented by ill-doctrinated liturgists, but in its purest form the Mass is quite beautiful and perfectly legit.

Even the Tridentine Mass was a radical "change" from the celebration of the first Christians. If we follow their line of thought, the only acceptable form of worship would be in Greek or Aramaic and we should abandon the Latin rite entirely for the Maronite.

[B Knotts]

Something can be valid (e.g., "legit"), yet inferior at the same time.

Even the best examples of the Missa Normativa are still lacking something when compared to the "Mass of all Ages."

And I say this as someone who has only assisted at the Tradtional Latin Mass a handful of times. It's just too obvious to miss.

I think the best thing for the Church to do with the liberty is to go back to 1965 and start over with the reform, doing it incrementally and organically this time.

[NYer]

we should abandon the Latin rite entirely for the Maronite.

:-)

Not surprisingly, following a similar train of thought, many American Maronites prefer the soft homiletics and quick liturgy at the NO Mass over the more orthodox reminders of their sins and the 1 1/2 hour Divine Liturgy in the Maronite parishes. There is no pleasing everyone.

[TradicalRC]

Even the Tridentine Mass was a radical "change" from the celebration of the first Christians.

If it had been imposed three years after the Ascension it would be, however it was merely the formalization of the liturgies that had evolved organically over time. The idea that primitive = pure is a modernist fallacy i.e. Rousseau's "noble savage".

The Tridentine liturgy was a mature form of worship and the Novus Ordo was a radical departure from it, imposed on Catholics over a very short period of time.

I'm sorry that you do not understand this.

[right-wingin_It]

Where is this pure form of the Novus Ordo that you speak of, besides Rome???

Certainly the NO Mass with the 10+ Eucharistic ministers in shorts, sandals and T-Shirts...the priests who skip sections of the Mass like creeds and homilies...Churches with no kneelers etc. IT AIN'T PURE. I'm Fed up with it.

Now Tridentine, Marionite, any of it is Fine with me and I know their Masses are valid for each other. But I do belong to the Latin Rite, and I have to take care of my corner.

[nickcarraway]

So you disagree with Pope Benedict? Pope Benedict wrote that the new Mass was the only significant change or break in the mass in the history of the Church and was very disturbing. But what does he know, right?