Because the source we are using is from My Catholic Faith and was written by the orthodox Bishop Louis Laravoire Morrow first in 1949 well before the Novus Ordo was ever a gleam in Archbishop Annibale Bugnini's evil eye, we have the Roman Rite Mass when it was untainted, also known today as the Traditional Latin Mass. However today so much has been altered and moved or omitted that one may not be able to decipher the vast differences unless the Traditional Roman Catholic Mass - the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as practiced for over 1400 years in the Latin rite is shown alongside the new bastardized sacrilegious version foisted on the faithful by Archbishop Giovani Montini and his cohorts in crime from Vatican 2.

    Therefore we will endeavor to show the stark differences by going through the Plan of the Mass and compare so the reader can realize the fullness of the Mystery of Faith in the Holy Sacrifice of the Roman Rite.

    In this installment we will cover the Entrance, also called the Introibo, to the Confiteor and Kyrie through the Gloria. The Prayers at the foot of the Altar and Confiteor and subsequent Miseratur and Indulgentiam represent contrition. The Kyrie is a cry for mercy to God.

Introibo - Prayers at the Foot of the Altar

    As the priest enters the sanctuary, the people should always stand, out of respect for the representative of Christ for he is the alter Christus They then should kneel for the beginning of Mass. In the Traditional Catholic Mass - the Roman rite celebrated for over 1400 years - the priest places the covered chalice on the center of the altar, having first spread the corporal. He opens the Missal. He then goes to the foot of the Altar, and begins Mass by making the Sign of the Cross. You'll note this is the first of 52 Signs of the Cross he makes throughout the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, signifying each week of the year to encompass the whole of the year, the whole of our lives for nothing is more important to us in worshipping God and doing His holy Will than assisting at Mass.

    The priest's first words following his Sign of the Cross is Introibo ad altare Dei, hence the Introibo. This is the beginning of various acts that replicate what happened to Our Lord during His Passion for this is the Holy Sacrifice. Going to the foot of the altar represents Jesus going to Mount Olivet and Him beginning to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane.

    In the Novus Ordo Rite respect is no longer paid by making this humble act at the foot of the altar. Today the presider ascends his throne immediately, taking his place front and center in front of the sedelia or celebrant's chair in the very same location where the Tabernacle of the Holiest of Holies used to be. Thus, where God once was in the Traditional Catholic Mass, man has now usurped it in the New Order Mass. Forget Gethsemane.

    In the true Mass the people should make the sign of the cross with the priest. They should direct their intention for offering Mass. Those who come after this point are late for Mass. That is an interesting point for many are under the false belief that if they make it in time for the Gospel they're not late. Some even believe if they make it by the Offertory, thus missing the sermon, they've fulfilled their obligation for Mass.

    What so many fail to realize is "intent" - the intent of the heart of the person attending Holy Mass. If they truly believe Christ Jesus is present, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist, if they truly believe He is the King of Kings, if they truly believe that the Holy Mass is the 'Living Bread of Life,' why would they not make a special effort to be on time? Why would they not make a special effort to be early so as to properly prepare. We daresay were they going to meet anyone of royalty, they would arrive early enough and they would dress respectfully. Why then do so many fail to show the proper respect for Christ the King? That is beyond any comprehension.

    The priest says an introductory Psalm, to express his trust in God, and his awareness of his own unworthiness. The prayers said at the foot of the altar symbolize the thousands of years during which man was far from God, and longing for the Redeemer. Why, you might ask, have the architects of the Novus Ordo eliminated these important prayers? Some might say for expedience. Others, more honest, would say so there's more time to sing the opening song and more verses. In truth, defenders of the New Mass can provide no logical explanation or reason for the sacking of the Introibo and the Psalm Judica me, which is a the first prayer of contrition.

    Only in the Masses for the dead, and from Passion Sunday to Easter Sunday, exclusively, was this psalm 42 ever omitted. In the Novus Ordo it is omitted altogether as is the Confiteor in the true sense. In the true Roman Rite Mass after the Judica me, the priest bows and says the Confiteor, a confession of his sin, as a preparation, an expression of humility before God. This represents Jesus, still in the Garden of Olives, falling down and sweating blood while praying for all until the end of time, seeing each sin we have committed or will commit and weeping so over our infidelity to Him, the Holy Ghost and His heavenly Father.

Confiteor

    The Confiteor , first introduced by Pope Saint Pontian in the third century, is repeated by the altar server on behalf of the people. In the Novus Ordo the Confiteor is often omitted altogether even though it is called the "Penitential Rite" and when it is said, it leaves out Saint Michael, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, including them as "all the angels and saints." Also left out is "my most grievous fault" - mea maxima culpa. In the new rite only one 'mea culpa' is included. Also, the Confiteor is said only once by all (when said) whereas in the True Mass it is said twice, first by the priest, then by the altar servers on behalf of all the people and again just before receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion. You'll also note that those who remember will strike their breast three times at the mea culpa even though it is only said once in the Novus Ordo. Now you know why.

    The Confiteor is grounded on the Judaic custom of confessing before sacrificing and dates back to the earliest of Jewish rites. When you understand this and the purpose of the Confiteor you'll see how the sacrifical aspect in the Novus Ordo has been diluted. Immediately after the second Confiteor there is also a major difference between the true Roman rite and the New rite. In the former, the priest turns and says the Miseratur translated "May Almighty God be merciful unto you, and forgiving you your sins, bring you to everlasting life. Amen." Then he signs himself with the sign of the cross, blessing all at the same time and invoking God to pardon all - himself and the faithful in attendance. All this well before the Kyrie Elieson. In the New Order, the celebrant omits the Miseratur and goes right to the ablution after the Kyrie.

    There is a big difference here as well. In the Roman Rite Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the priest, in the Indulgentiam says "May the Almighty and Merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins. Amen." In the New Order Mass, he says "May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen." You'll note the absolution part is left out and the intent is changed because in the Latin rite the priest first asks God to forgive the faithful before including himself in the Indulgentiam. In the New rite there is no difference between celebrant and those celebrating with him for community - brotherhood of man - is stressed over individual accountability.

    In fact, many today assume this is a public confession in the Novus Ordo and therefore it is no longer necessary to go to confession, at least not as often. And speaking of the Sacrament of Penance, or as it's called in CONciLIAR circles "Reconciliation" is that only a true priest can absolve sin. That brings us back to the fact that with Paul 6's new order Holy Orders much is missing, making the would be 'priest' not a consecrated one who has that power. For any questions about that, see Pope St. Pius V's Quo Primum and Pope Leo XIII's decree Apostolicae Curae, which decreed Anglican orders of 'priets' and 'bishops' and their 'masses' as "totally null and uterly void", and Pope Pius XII's Sacramentum Ordinis which also includes episcopal consecrations. So yes, this means

Anyone 'ordained' a 'priest' in the new rite, or 'consecrated' a 'bishop' is "totally null and utterly void"

    As we mentioned, in the Novus Ordo the Kyrie is said before the Confiteor. Also in the New rite the Kyrie is one of those prayers that is often extemporized since the presider - or those liturgists in the parish directing him to - slip in various phrases that are not really part of the Mass. Yet, the Kyrie first introduced into the Mass by Pope Saint Gelasius I late in the fifth century, was intoned at the end of each petition of a litany and so therefore in the New rite that is the concept that has been adopted. In and of itself it does not change the meaning of the Mass. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass the Kyrie is a cry for mercy from the Almighty as part of a sacrifice of prayer in which we speak to God.

    The Kyrie, in effect, is part of the Introit, which comes from the Latin introitus meaning "Entrance," is really the beginning of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the prayers at the foot of the Altar are the preparatory prayers of contrition. All the prayers from the Introibo through the Collect are times we speak to God and we offer to God the Sacrifice of Prayer. The Introit consists of an antiphon, which is most often from one of the Psalms. It varies each day, as do certain other parts of the Mass, like the Collect, Epistle, Gradual, Gospel, Offertory, Secret, Communion and Postcommunion prayers.

    After the Indulgentiam the priest recites the Deus, tu conversus vivificabis nos - "O God, Thou wilt turn again and quicken us." To which the altar servers, on behalf of the faithful, respond Et plebs tua latabitur in te - "And Thy people shall rejoice in Thee." The priest follows with Ostende nobis Domine, misericordiam tuam - "Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy." The altar servers reply Et salutare tuum da nobis - "And grant us Thy salvation." The priest intones Domine, exaudi orationem meam - "O Lord, hear my prayer" with the servers saying Et clamor meus ad te veniat - "And let my cry come unto Thee." The priest completes the penitential rite with the Dominus vobiscum - "The Lord be with you." Those serving the Mass reply Et cum spiritu tuo - "And with thy spirit." The Dominum vobiscum was also inserted into the Holy Mass by Pope St. Pontian. It is an ancient form of Christian salutation that in the Roman Rite is said eight times during the Holy Mass. It is interesting again to note in the New rite of the Mass, that the wording has been changed. "The Lord be with you" is followed now by "And also with you." "Thy spirit" is evidently no longer necessary in the Conciliar rite even though it was perfectly fine for nearly 1800 years.

Introit

    Before the Introit The priest says Oremus - "Let us pray and ascends to the altar. In the long-standing Roman Rite, the priest proceeds to the right or epistle side, and says the opening prayer Aufer a nobis, quaesimus, Domine, iniquitates nostras; ut ad Sancta sanctorum puris mereamur mentibus introire. Per Christum Dominum nostrum - "Take away from us our iniquities, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we may be worthy to enter with pure minds into the Holy of Holies, through Christ our Lord. Amen." The "Amen" was first introduced into the Roman Rite of the Mass by Pope Saint Clement I - fourth successor of Peter in the very first century. You'll note this prayer is one in which the priest implores God to make all worthy to enter into the Mass with a clean heart. We ask if there is such a prayer in the Novus Ordo? There are the 'have mercy on us' and 'forgive us our sins' but few humble gestures or entreaties to make us worthy. Dr. Tom Droleskey pinpoints this problem in his treatise on the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal (G.I.R.M.) in his column Minimizing the culpability of mea culpa He also points out that, in fact, it is no longer called the 'Holy Sacrifice of the Mass' but the 'People's Mass.'

    Add to this that a true priest's actions at the true Mass when he ascends the altar and during the Aufer a nobis, kisses the altar in the center where should contain the altar stone containing sacred relics. This represents Christ being betrayed by Judas with a kiss. All we need to do is look at what passes in the counterfeit church of conciliarism as the "Ordinary Form" and we see betrayal shouting from the rooftops. There are plenty of room for the echoes to move since it's highly doubtful the angels are present, whereas in a true Mass the angels in adoration at each Mass are countless.

    The priest then proceeds to the Epistle side of the Altar which represents Christ being captured, bound and taken to Annas. Then, as he reads the Introit it represents Our Lord being falsely accused by Annas and blasphemed. The Introit is the first prayer of the Proper of the Mass. Proper means the Mass for that day, either a feast day or Octave, Within the Octave, Feria (preceding Sunday Mass) or Requiem Mass. It is identified by the first word or few words of the Introit, thus, for example, more often than not a Mass for a Doctor of the Church is the Mass of "In medio Ecclesiae" while a Mass for the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday is the Mass of "Salve, sancta parens". The Introit is most often verses from a Psalm where the priest prays it, followed by a Gloria Patri. The latter is omitted during Advent, Lent and Requiem Masses.

    After the Introit the priest then returns to the center, hands joined and bowing down over the altar he says, Oramus te, Domine, per merita Sanctorum tuorum - "We beseech Thee, O Lord, by the merits of Thy Saints" Here he kisses the sacred stone beneath three altar cloths again or the place beneath which relics of one or more saints are cemented in the altar stone. As you know in the New rite the altar has been removed in all remodeled churches, or, if still there, it stands as merely a 'shelf' in the background. Few of the new tables that serve as the 'altar' today have the embedded relics. What does that say about the sacrifice and commemoration of martyrs that was first introduced by Pope Saint Anterus in 236 and set in stone, so to speak, by Pope Saint Felix I in the third century? Evidently a custom - a mandatory custom dating back over 1700 years no longer applies. The priest then completes this prayer quorum reliquiae hic sunt, et omnium Sanctorum; ut indulgere digneris omnia peccata mea. Amen - "whose relics are here, and of all the Saints, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to forgive me all my sins. Amen."

Kyrie

    Following this, the priest recites the Kyrie eleison alternately with the server, imploring God's mercy. The prayer is repeated nine times; three in honor of God the Father, three in honor of God the Son, and three in honor of God the Holy Ghost. It also represents Christ being brought before Caiphas and these three times of Kyrie, Christe, and Kyrie represent the three times Peter denied Our Lord.

Gloria

    After the Kyrie, the Gloria in Excelsis Deo is said when the Mass requires it. It is sometimes omitted, especially during the penitential seasons, and in Requiem Masses. At the end the priest kisses the altar. The Gloria in Excelsis Deo repeats the songs of praise of the angels on Christmas night. The Greeks called the Gloria the Greater Doxology or a paraphrase of the Gloria Patri. In high Masses the Gloria is sung. Just as in so many prayers, in the Novus Ordo the wording has been changed as part of the exclusivity clause for tolerance of all. This can be noted in the words Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis - "And on earth peace to men of good will." That is the true translation. In the New Mass it is translated: "And peace to his people on earth." Again, this is just one of the places where the pro multis syndrome plays its hand for to say 'peace to men of good will' would exclude those who do not choose to follow Christ's teachings fully and the new church is all about tolerance and ecumenism. Just another example of compromise at the expense of something sacred. Also in the Novus Ordo often the choir takes over in place of the celebrant who is the one who should lead. Not only this, but often it is sung with a new version just as the Agnus Dei is so often obliterated.

    Next we will cover the second part of the Mass of the Catechumens, the Instruction covering the Collect to the Credo.

Next: Step Forty-Nine: Mass of the Catechumens: Collect through the Credo

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Previously: Step Forty-Seven: Assisting at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

For all steps to date, see Archives of Catholicism Made Simple