DOCUMENTS ON THE TRIDENTINE MASS

In this section you will find three important documents relating to the Tridentine Mass, which is the Mass celebrated within the North American Old Roman Catholic Church.

• The first document is the Apostolic Constitution, Quo Primum, of Pope St Pius V, who issued the Roman Missal in its Tridentine form and codified and mandated that except under certain specific circumstances, which are enumerated in this Apostolic Constitution, the Mass of the Latin Rite of the Western Church was to be celebrated in perpetuity according to the Tridentine Rite. It was not a new ritual form but rather a codification of this existing rite with some minor adjustments to include the variations of this ritual found already existing throughout the Catholic world in the various dioceses and provinces of the Latin Church.
• The second document contained in this section is known as the De Defectibus Decrees. This document has been published in the front of every edition of the traditional Roman Missal since the first edition in 1474, even before the Tridentine Mass was formally promulgated in Quo Primum. It documents in clear detail, the various possible defects that can occur in the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
• The third document is the Ritus Servandus, (Rite To Be Observed). This is a version issued by Rome for those who are celebrating Holy Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal (Tridentine Rite). It is a revision of the earlier Ritus Celebrandi Missae which has been found in one form or another in every Roman Missal since the promulgation of the Tridentine Rite. It gives clear direction on the proper method of celebrating Holy Mass, including posture, tone of voice etc.