Commentary 25/09/26 Reviving the "Old Latin Mass" would be a colossal mistake

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A number of traditionalist bishops – encouraged by young, self-appointed "Catholic influencers" on social media– are trying to pressure Pope Leo to undo the restrictions on the pre-Vatican II liturgy.

View of the procession of the Council Fathers on December 08, 1962 in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, at the end of the first session of  the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II. The Vatican II Council was opened under Pope John XXIII on October 11, 1962 and, with bishops from all over the world, sought to define the nature, scope, and mission of the Church, and closed under Pope Paul VI on December 08, 1965. (Photo by AFP)

By Robert Mickens

Published: September 26, 2025 03:32 PM GMT

Updated: September 26, 2025 05:12 PM GMT

At a time when the world is plunged into a deep darkness not seen in many decades – and some would say is being held captive and being destroyed by a handful of evil, cynical men – it's flabbergasting that the Catholic Church is so self-absorbed to think it has the luxury to spend even 10 minutes fighting over an internal affair such as its liturgy.

And while the latest skirmish over the reform of the Mass that followed the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) does not rise to the acrimony that marked the early decades immediately after that council, a number of traditionalist/retrodox bishops – led by Cardinals Raymond Burke and Robert Sarah – have seized on the election of a new pope to once again try to bring back the Mass that was celebrated from the 16th century Council of Trent up until the crushing majority of bishops at Vatican II some 400 years later approved the broad guidelines for it to be reformed and replaced (although the pro-Tridentinists continue to deny this last caveat).

Gen Z, somewhat clueless

Burke and his cohort are being encouraged in their efforts by a cadre of Gen Z youth on social media who call themselves "Catholic influencers". It seems obvious enough that these young people were never catechized adequately about the broader and deeper Tradition of the Church.

In fact, they admit as much, and some even loudly complain about it. This is not entirely their fault. The implementation of Vatican II and its doctrinally rich decrees and teachings was not always handled well. But to complain about that instead of diving into the text themselves, is a lazy way to shift blame onto a previous generation.

Yet despite their admitted lack of solid theological training, they still believe that the pre-Vatican II liturgy is somehow superior to the current ritual we celebrate. How is that?

In my opinion, the traditional Latin Mass, with all its ritual precision and theological depth, continues to attract young Catholics because it refuses to compromise the signs of the sacred," said one of them in an article titled, 'That Black Catholic Chick' hopes Pope Leo embraces Gen Z's desire for tradition," which was recently posted on the National Catholic Reporter website.

The use of Latin, incense, chant, sacred silence, and the like are not frivolous or outdated. They engage the whole person — body, mind, and soul — in an act of worship that lifts us out of ourselves and into the presence of God," wrote the author, Roxy Beckles.

Yes, and – guess what? – "Latin, incense, chant, sacred silence, and the like" were never eliminated from the liturgy after Vatican II, even if some presbyters and their communities undervalued or decided not to avail themselves of these elements. But you'll find them every Mass, the pope celebrates, and in many cathedrals (and some parishes) around the world.

Regarding ritual precision, it was originally rubricism before the liturgical reform, which meant that even the smallest mistake or gesture could be considered a sin. This often resulted in obsessive scrupulosity about how the priest "said" the Mass, while the people in the pews observed from afar, praying their rosaries or other "fulfilling devotional practices" from prayer books.

It's not about the Latin

To suggest that the Tridentine Mass has "greater theological depth" than the current liturgy, as the article's author appears to do, is biased. It overlooks the principle of trial doctrinal development, which has always been regarded as valid and crucial in the Church's history.

However, one thing the so-called "Traditional Latin Mass" is not about, at least in its distinction from the post-Vatican II liturgy approved and promulgated by a legitimately elected Roman Pontiff – Pope Paul VI – is the use of Latin.

You can say Mass in Latin right now. If it’s the Vatican II rite, there’s no problem," Pope Leo recently told Elise Harris Allen during a wide-ranging interview with Crux.

That's because Latin is the official language of the Roman Rite or ritual, which includes the prayers used at the Eucharist and other sacraments. The Latin text is the official version. It is called the editio typica, meaning it is the reference text that translations in modern languages are based on – like the problematic one that was imposed on English-speaking Catholics some years ago.

So, it's not about Latin, but rather two rites separated by 400 years of history – the Tridentine and the Novus Ordo.

"Obviously, between the Tridentine Mass and the Vatican II Mass, the Mass of Paul VI, I’m not sure where that’s going to go. It’s obviously very complicated," he added.

Leo XIV did not delve into it in the interview, but the complication lies not with the use of Latin or even the so-called "smells and bells.” It's actually something much more profound and foundational. It's called ecclesiology, which regards what the Church believes about its very nature, identity and mission within its own house, towards other ecclesial bodies and religions, and even in its engagement with the world at large.

Liturgy expresses what the Church believes about God, itself and the world around it

The fact is that the Second Vatican Council deeply developed and reformed the Catholic Church's ecclesiology. On the strictly liturgical level, the main goal of the reform was to encourage active participation of everyone in the assembly. One way it achieved this was by creating a "dialogue" between the assembly's presiding officer (the ordained priest-presider) and its members.

The Church’s changed identity

The major guidelines of the liturgical reform were set down in the document Sacrosanctum Concilium, which was approved in 1963. However, the reform itself took place over the next several years and was based on the principle of lex orandi, lex credendi (essentially, that the Church's worship is an expression‎ of what it believes – which includes its ecclesiology).

The liturgical reform that was eventually promulgated after the council attentively considered the theological and ecclesiological developments that are found in the other 15 documents that the bishops of Vatican II approved and Paul VI promulgated. Those documents marked a clear development in the Church's ecclesiology, particularly inits relationship to the world.

For instance, before the Council, the Church saw itself as a perfect society, fortified as an unassailable city on a hill —a self-contained entity that had no need to dialogue with the world or any others outside its ecclesiastical house.

The Church before Vatican II could only communicate with its own members, especially those outside its boundaries. Internally, it was clericalist, misogynist, patriarchal, moralistic, and highly regimented. It was rigid, and at times cold and unwelcoming. Externally, it was often anti-Semitic, intolerant of differing views, and largely reluctant to collaborate on humanitarian or social projects with other groups it did not control. While some of these traits still linger today, the Church is now a very different institution than it was before Vatican II.

After the council, the Church—without betraying its main mission of spreading the gospel to all creation—opened itself to dialogue with other Christian believers and the Jews, rejecting antisemitism more clearly than ever before. It also tentatively reached out to other people of other religions, too, and even to nonbelievers.

Before the council, these people were considered pariahs, unworthy of any meaningful engagement. Today, thanks largely to Popes John Paul II and Francis, the Church's outreach beyond its borders has become productive, and many religious and secular groups worldwide now depend on and expect the Catholic Church to speak out and actively help foster peace and harmony in society.

Lex orandi lex credendi

The so-called Old Latin Mass, codified over 400 years ago at Trent, no longer reflects the Church's current beliefs or identity. Many poorly catechized Catholics of Gen Z might not realize this, although the revanchists among them definitely do.

Latin is not the main reason figures like Cardinal Burke support the Tridentine Mass. Instead, it’s pre-Vatican II ecclesiology that justifies their support for a "muscular, patriotic, white supremacist" form of "Christianity," promoted by figures like Donald Trump and his followers.

That's why there is no room for the pre-Vatican liturgy in a post-Vatican II Church. It is also why Pope Leo must strongly and clearly say no to any efforts to bring it back.