which was first assembled by Pope St. Gregory the Great in the 6th century based on the traditions he received. Then, prayers and gestures grew in use and were codified and formalized for the universal church by Pope St. Pius V in 1570. The 1962 Missal, known today as the ‘Traditional Latin Mass’ or ‘Extraordinary Form’, retains these traditions.
After the release of the New Mass, Pope St. Paul VI allowed priests in England and Wales to use the 1962 Missal. Pope St. John Paul II expanded these permissions so that any bishop could approve it. He also established priestly societies who exist to celebrate the Latin Mass, like the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) and the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP). Pope Benedict XVI expanded these permissions to any priest anywhere in the world.
While these universal permissions for diocesan priests were removed by Pope Francis, the priestly societies still continue to grow. 2/3 of Bishops worldwide haven't restricted any Latin Masses in their dioceses.
All three episodes are available for free here.
This is a common misconception. Vatican II wrote the guidelines for how the new Mass was to be created in a document called 'Sacrosanctum Concilium.' Then a commission called 'the Consilium' created the new Mass.
No. Episode 2, A Perfect Storm, explores what happened after Vatican II. It shows how the creation of the new Mass went far beyond the prescriptions of Vatican II. We are critical of those who pushed through their own radical agenda to destroy the silence, mystery, and transcendence of the Mass.
We don't believe that going to TLM automatically makes you a better Catholic. Both forms of the Mass are valid and approved by the Church.
But we believe that the TLM is a better setting for the mystery taking place. The same diamond in different settings will have different effects. Some rings will allow the light to shine through more clearly. We believe the Catholic faith (the diamond) is more clearly expressed in a Traditional Latin Mass.
Traditionis Custodes remains in force, and Pope Leo XIV has signaled he does not intend to abrogate it.
But the tone coming from Rome has changed. In the fall of 2025 the Holy Father granted the Una Voce Federation’s request for Cardinal Burke to offer the ancient rite in St. Peter’s Basilica for their annual pilgrimage — permission that had been denied the previous two years. And in March 2026, a letter sent on the Pope’s behalf to the French bishops described the division over the Mass as a wound still open in the Church, and asked the bishops for concrete solutions enabling the “generous inclusion” of those sincerely attached to the Vetus Ordo.
We are NOT advising anyone to disobey their bishop or the Holy Father. We are producing the educational courses and online resources that keep the Traditional Latin Mass alive in the minds and hearts of priests and faithful. A priest’s prayer life is richly blessed by learning this form of prayer, so we will keep training priests even where they cannot yet offer this Mass publicly — so that when the day comes, they are ready.
Our plan to train priests, educate the faithful, and DOUBLE Latin Masses continues. The timeline is in God’s hands.
Yes! Mass of the Ages Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
The data suggests the concern may have been overstated. After bishops were given the tools to restrict the older Mass in their own dioceses, about 70% restricted no celebrations at all, and only about 10% banned it outright. That is not the response you would expect if the problem were as widespread as described.
Five years on, the question is being revisited rather than closed. Pope Leo XIV has kept Traditionis Custodes in place, but he has also asked bishops to find ways to welcome the faithful attached to the ancient rite, and he has granted permissions that had previously been withheld. We take that as an invitation to keep doing what we do: presenting the beauty, the history, and the fruits of the Roman Rite honestly, so that bishops, priests, and faithful can judge for themselves. Read the bishop's responses HERE.
Mass of the Ages: Guardians of Tradition unpacks the data and shows how the future of the Latin Mass is filled with hope.
.png)
