Sanctum Sacrificium

The Holy Mass

Sacrosanctum Missæ Sacrificium

One Sacrifice, two venerable forms of the Roman Rite. Trace each from the first sign of the Cross to the last dismissal.

Novus Ordo

The Ordinary Form

The Mass of the Roman Rite as renewed after the Second Vatican Council — the same one Sacrifice of Christ, offered in the Church’s living tongue and her ancient Latin alike.

Vetus Ordo

This order of Mass, properly referred to as the Vetus Ordo, or old order of Mass, generally corresponds to the way Mass was celebrated in the Roman Rite preceding the Second Vatican Council. It is also commonly called the Traditional Latin Mass (T.L.M.), the Tridentine Mass, the Extraordinary Form, the Usus Antiquior, or the Mass of John XXIII. Notable features of the Vetus Ordo include the following: it is said only in Latin; the priest faces ad orientem, or towards liturgical East (representing the expectation of the second coming and facing God as a representative of the people acting in the perons of Christ); there are many more gestures such as genuflections, bows, crosses, etc; Mass is distinctly divided into Low, High, and Solemn forms; different prayers and readings are said at certain areas of the altar; more parts of the Mass are said quietly, such as the Eucharistic prayer; communion may only be received while kneeling and on the tongue; and the readings are on a one year calendar.

Comparatio

The Two Forms

An annotated, side-by-side reading of the Roman Canon — what the reform kept, cut, and added.

The Ordinary Form

The Traditional Latin Mass

The Two Forms