Compare... | With... |
the traditional
Latin Mass
|
the New Mass
|
Atmosphere of Reverent Worship:
 | Peaceful, otherworldly atmosphere. |
 | Emphasis on individual "lifting his heart & mind to God." |
 | Members of congregation direct attention to God, not each other. |
| Social, Classroom, Entertainment Atmosphere:
 | Constant standing, sitting, amplified noise; atmosphere like a public meeting. |
 | Emphasis on "instruction." |
 | Socializing in church before & after service, and handshaking during. |
|
Profound Reverence for Real Presence:
 | Sixteen genuflections. |
 | The hands of the priest alone touch the consecrated host. |
 | Communion given only on tongue. |
| Indifference, Irreverence towards Real Presence:
 | Only three genuflections required. |
 | Lay men & women distribute communion. |
 | Communion given in hand—a practice protestants introduced to deny Christ's Real Presence. |
|
Fidelity to Catholic Doctrine:
 | Over the course of a year, presents all facets of Catholic doctrine. |
| Systematic Omission of Catholic Doctrines:
 | New prayers systematically omit references to hell, judgement, punishment for sin, merits of the Saints, the one true Church, the souls of the departed & miracles. |
|
Antiquity:
 | Bulk of Sunday prayers & their arrangement goes back at least to 300s and 400s AD. |
 | Canon essentially the same since St. Ambrose (d. 397). |
| Novelty:
 | Old Sunday prayers omitted or stripped of doctrines, and rearranged in 1960s. |
 | Only 17% of old prayers remain.
Chunks of ancient Canon are now "optional." |
 | The words of consecration, Christ's own words "For you and for many" are changed. |
 | Three substitute "Canons" invented & introduced in 1960s, and still more invented later. |
|
Stability: Everything regulated by precise laws to protect purity of worship and doctrine. | Constant Change:
 | Options, options and more options. |
 | Individual priests & parish liturgy committees get to pick, drop or invent texts to push what they think people should believe. |
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Priest is Sacrificer:
 | Priest faces tabernacle, cross and altar (symbolically toward God). |
 | Priest performs all the actions & recites all the prayers of the Mass. |
| Priest is "President", Actor:
 | Priest faces people instead of symbolically "toward God." |
 | Priest sits off to side. |
 | His functions given away to lay men and women. |
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