Should Applause Take Place During Mass?

Q: Should Applause take place during Mass?

No, applause is not proper during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for any reason except at Ordination Masses. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a solemn occassion, and applause is not proper for the Mass, which is the Sacrifice of Calvary.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (future Pope Benedict XVI): "Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment."

Pope St. Pius X: "It is not fitting that the servant be applauded in His Masters House".

Hab. 2:20: "But the Lord is in His holy temple, silence before Him, all the earth!"

Zeph. 1:7: "Silence in the presence of the Lord your God!"

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The Errors of Protestantism

An Earnest Plea to Protestants from Pope Pius IX's Apostolic Letter, Iam vos omnes, September 13, 1868:

"With all our hearts, we await the return of wandering children [i.e., Protestants] to the Catholic Church with open arms, to welcome them with infinite love in the house of the Heavenly Father and to be able to enrich them with His inexhaustible treasures. Precisely on this much-desired return to truth and communion with the Catholic Church depends...the salvation of each of them."

If you are a member or are considering joining any of these denominations, please read the material below. This concerns your very salvation.

• Can Non-Catholics Be Saved
• The Errors of Protestant "Reformers"
• Protestant Worship is a Mortal Sin
• Faith Alone? Is that What Christ Taught?
• Sola Scriptura Is Not Biblical
• What's Wrong with Martin Luther?

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Tridentine Latin Mass Resource List

Called the Mass of the Ages, the Most Beautiful Thing This Side of Heaven, the Tridentine Latin Mass, the Usus Antiquor, and most recently, the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, this Mass truly is one of the most beautiful forms of worship for the Catholic Church.

This post is a means to provide links to some of my many posts on this topic.  Since the Traditional Mass is at the very heart of living a traditional Catholic life, nearly all of my posts will touch on this topic. Please browse by the tag of Traditional Latin Mass in addition to visiting these posts linked below.

What is the Tridentine (Traditional) Latin Mass?

It is all too common that Catholics unfamiliar with the Church’s Traditions may think that the Traditional Latin Mass is simply the same as the standard Novus Ordo Mass, albeit said in Latin and with the priest having his “back to the people.” It is, after all, simply called the “Latin Mass” by many traditionalists. This is completely false. The Tridentine Mass is about much more than Latin - it is about the very prayers themselves which are said. The Novus Ordo Mass vastly differences from the Tridentine Mass in dozens of ways. Read how here.

For an English explanation of the Latin Mass, click here.  For the English/Latin texts of the Mass, including the actual prayers and much more, please purchase a 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal.

Basic Information on the Mass:

• Why have a Mass for a deceased loved one?
• What graces do I receive at Mass?
• Common Questions on the Eucharist and the Mass
• A Prayer for Before & After Mass

Basic Information on the Tridentine Mass:

• What Should I Do For My First Time At A Latin Mass?
• Traditional Sunday Latin Mass Readings and Prayers

Videos of the Tridentine Latin Mass:

• The Mass of the Ages Trilogy
• FSSP Instructional DVD
• Series of Explanatory Videos on Youtube
• Video Meditation on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross

Latin Mass Locations:

• Traditio Mass Directory (PDF including all societies and groups but details are often outdated and need independently verified)
• SSPX USA Mass Locations (MAP)
• Latin Mass Directory (Always updated but doesn't list independent or SSPX locations)
• Latin Mass Locator (Includes SSPX, FSSP, ICKSP, Diocesan but no independent chapels)

Recommended Reading on the Mass and Liturgy and Liturgical Year:

• Roman Missal in Latin and English by Rev. F. X. Lasance
• Know Your Mass by Fr. Demetrius Manousos, O.F.M
• The Church's Year by Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine
• An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine by John Henry Cardinal Newman
• Calvary and the Mass by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
• How Christ Said the First Mass by James Luke Meagher
• The Mass of All Time by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
• Explanation of the Holy Mass by Dom Prosper Gueranger, OSB
• How to Understand the Mass by Dom Gasper Lefebvre, OSB
• Christ Acts Through the Sacraments by Father A.M. Roguet, OP
• Treasure and Tradition: The Ultimate Guide to the Latin Mass by Lisa Bergman
• The Latin Mass Explained by Msgr. George Moorman
• The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by Father Michael Mueller

Recommended Reading on the Crisis in the Modern Church:

• Catechism of the Crisis in the Church by Fr. Matthias Gaudron
• The Great Facade: Vatican II and the Regime of Novelty in the Roman Catholic Church by Christopher Ferrara and Thomas E Woods, Jr.
• Open Letter to Confused Catholics by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
• Against the Heresies by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
• Iota Unum: Study of the Changes in the Catholic Church in the 20th Century by Romano Amerio
• Love in the Ruins: Modern Catholics in search of the ancient Faith by Anne Larson
• Old Errors and New Labels by Archbishop Fulton J Sheen
• Peace of Soul by Archbishop Fulton J Sheen
• The Restoration of Christian Culture by John Senior
• SSPX: The Defence by Kennedy Hall

Traditional Altar Server Resources:

• How to Serve the Traditional Latin Mass: Comprehensive Resource List

Learning Latin:

• Cursus Linguae Latinae Vivae
• Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin by Leo F. Stelten
• Book: Latin I by Henle (recommended text)
• Latin Study
• Thesaurus Precum Latinarum (Latin Prayers)
• Latin Prayers (with audio)

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EWTN: Live “Tridentine” Mass on September 14, 2007

EWTN to Televise Live Tridentine Mass Celebrated by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter

DENTON, Nebraska – AUGUST 17, 2007 – For the first time in its 26 year history, Mother Angelica’s Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) will be broadcasting a live Solemn High Mass at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama on September 14, 2007 at 8:00AM EST. EWTN has asked for the assistance of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, an international Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right, to help celebrate this "extraordinary" form.

This past July 7th, Pope Benedict XVI affirmed the beauty and importance of the Tridentine Mass by issuing Summorum Pontificum, a papal document encouraging and confirming the right of all Latin Rite priests to use this more ancient use of the Mass starting September 14th. The Tridentine Mass was the normative liturgy experienced by Latin Rite Catholics prior to the Second Vatican Council.

"Most Catholics have not seen this heavenly celebration in over 40 years," said Father Calvin Goodwin, a professor at the Society’s international English-speaking seminary located in Denton, Nebraska. "We are very excited to help EWTN and to support the Holy Father’s call for a wider presence of this form of the Mass. This is a cause for great joy."

Priests and seminarians from Denton, Nebraska will travel to Alabama and provide the celebrant, deacon, subdeacon, preacher, master of ceremonies and altar servers.

About the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter

Established in 1988 by Pope John Paul II, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter is an international society of Catholic priests entrusted with the preservation and administration of the Catholic Church’s ancient Latin liturgical traditions. Over 120 seminarians are preparing for the priesthood in the Fraternity’s two seminaries in Bavaria, Germany and Denton, Nebraska.

About EWTN

Founded by Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare nun, the Eternal Word Television Network has become the largest religious media network in the world, transmitting programming 24 hours a day to more than 123 million homes in 140 countries and territories on more than 4,800 cable systems, wireless cable, Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), low power TV and individual satellite users.

Contact:

Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary
7880 West Denton Road
Denton, NE 68339 U.S.A.
(402) 797-7700

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Tridentine Latin Mass returns to Holy Rosary Parish in Sacramento

Holy Rosary will celebrate Mass in Latin at 7 p.m. tonight for the first time in nearly 40 years. This is in accordance with Pope Benedict XVI's recent Motu-Proprio Summorum Pontificum, which brought back the Catholic church's 2,000-year-old Latin Mass.

"What's that saying? 'Lost in translation?'" asked Father Uriel Ojeda of Holy Rosary. "Nowadays everything tries to be inclusive. At least having the Latin keeps us unified in a certain way in that if we can't agree on the translation, we can agree of the source."

Traditionally, Mass was celebrated in the church's official language, Latin. In order to modernize things, the 2nd Vatican Council, who met in the 1960s, decided to suppress the long-established, Latin Mass in favor of the vernacular.

...

Father Jerome Lebel, FSSP, from St. Stephen, The First Martyr, Catholic Church in Sacramento, will give the Mass at Holy Rosary Catholic Church on the corner of Walnut and Court Streets.

Source: Daily Democrat Online

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USCCB: Summorum Pontificum

The following article was emailed to me by a blog reader. I was given permission to post it publically:

The USCCB is either quite the entrepreneurial group, or they just wish to provide every single bit of information to US Catholics, or maybe a little of both. An example of this is their publishing website. You can find Church documents like Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) by Pope John XXIII. You can find things broken out between Vatican Documents, Papal Documents, Ecumenical & Interfaith Texts, even Bishops Statements.

What makes this all confusing though is that if you go to sections like "Papal Documents, Pope Benedict XVI" or if you go to "Vatican Documents - Worship" you'll be unable to find the recent document titled "Summorum Pontificum". Why? Here is the official response from Therese Brown of Marketing for USCCB Publishing:

"We have not and will not be planning on publishing this text in printed form. You may find the complete text at the Vatican website or it may be published by someone like the Pauline Sisters."

Pacem in Terris, John XXIII, place your order. Summorum Pontificum, Benedict XVI, no plans to publish...

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Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Assumption has been believed and celebrated since the earliest times of Christianity. Today's feast was celebrated under various names (Commemoration, Dormition, Passing, Assumption) from at least the fifth or sixth century. Homilies concerning the Assumption go back to at least the Sixth Century. However, in order to make it a dogma of the faith meaning all Catholics must believe it, Pope Pius XII dogmatically declared Mary's Assumption into Heaven in 1950:

"... by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory" (Munificentissimus Deus)

[Watch a video of the historic event]

Today is a Holy Day of Obligation as Catholics are required to attend Mass. For more information, see my post from 2005.

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Tutorial on Celebrating the Tridentine Latin Mass

For an excellent tutorial on how to celebrate the Tridentine Mass according to the Rite of 1962, visit Sancta Missa. I highly encourage readers to pass along this link to interested priests.

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Assumption Novena

Pray this daily from August 6 - 14 in preparation for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven.

• Assumption Novena: Day One
• Assumption Novena: Day Two
• Assumption Novena: Day Three
• Assumption Novena: Day Four
• Assumption Novena: Day Five
• Assumption Novena: Day Six
• Assumption Novena: Day Seven
• Assumption Novena: Day Eight
• Assumption Novena: Final Day

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Traditional Propers: Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

Vestments: Green

INTROIT
Psalms 54:17,18,20,23
When I cried to the Lord He heard my voice, from them that draw near to me; and He humbled them, who is before all ages, and remains for ever: cast thy care upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. -- (Ps. 54. 2). Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication; be attentive to me and hear me. V.: Glory be to the Father . . . -- When I cried to the Lord.

COLLECT - O God, who dost manifest Thine almighty power most chiefly in sparing and showing mercy: multiply upon us Thy mercy: that as we hasten towards Thy promises, Thou mayest make us partakers of the heavenly treasures. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth . . .

EPISTLE
I Corinthians 12:2-11
Brethren, You know that, when you were heathens, you went to dumb idols, according as you were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man, speaking by the Spirit of God, saith Anathema to Jesus; and no man can say: The Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit; and there are diversities of ministries, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but the same God, who worketh all in all. And the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man unto profit. To one indeed, by the Spirit, is given the word of wisdom; and to another, the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; to another the grace of healing in the one Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the discerning of spirits; to another, divers kinds of tongues; to another, interpretation of speeches. But all these things one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one according as He will.

GRADUAL
Psalms 16:8,2
Keep me, O Lord, as the apple of Thine eye: protect me under the shadow of Thy wings.1 V.: Let my judgment come forth from Thy countenance: let Thine eyes behold the thing that is equitable.

Alleluia, alleluia. V.(Ps. 64. 2). A hymn, O God, becometh Thee in Sion: and a vow shall be paid to Thee in Jerusalem. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Luke 18:9-14

At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one was a pharisee, and the other a publican. The pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give Thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers; as also is this publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican standing afar off would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven, but struck his breast saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner.2 I say to you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: because every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted

OFFERTORY
Psalms 24:1,3
To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed: neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded.

SECRET - Let the appointed Sacrifices be offered to Thee, O Lord: which Thou hast granted so to be offered to the honor of Thy Name, that they may themselves become healing remedies unto us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost . . .

PREFACE (Preface of the Most Holy Trinity) - It it truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God; Who, together with Thine only-begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost, art one God, one Lord: not in the oneness of a single Person, but in the Trinity of one substance. For what we believe by Thy revelation of Thy glory, the same do we believe of Thy Son, the same of the Holy Ghost, without difference or separation. So that in confessing the true and everlasting Godhead, distinction in persons, unity in essence, and equality in majesty may be adored. Which the Angels and Archangels, the Cherubim also and Seraphim do praise: who cease not daily to cry out, with one voice saying:

COMMUNION
Psalms 50:21
Thou wilt accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and holocausts, upon Thine altar, O Lord.

POST COMMUNION - We beseech Thee, O Lord, our God, that in Thy goodness Thou wilt not deprive of Thine aid those whom Thou dost not cease to renew with Thy divine Sacraments. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity...

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