Some Southeast Texas Catholics go back to Latin Mass

Posted: Nov 05, 2013 10:20 PM EST



There is a movement among conservative Catholics worldwide to revert to the Latin Mass. It's a move that is happening right here in Southeast Texas.

Parishioners at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Vidor are going back to the beginning. They are going back to Catholicism roots which originated in the 16th century. From 1570 to 1962, the traditional mass, also known as the Latin Mass, was commonly celebrated around the world. In 1970 Pope Paul the 6th revised the tridentine mass and ordered that masses world- wide should be said in vernacular, the language of the country.

Latin speaking masses dwindled and countries began worshiping in their native tongue.

Then in 2007, Pope Benedict the 16th sent a letter to bishops around the world allowing them to make the old new again. At that time, Bishop Curtis Guillory appointed one church in the Diocese of Beaumont to perform this Latin Mass. At Our Lady of Lourdes in Vidor, Father Paul Sumler offers Latin prayers to the old and the young.

Women at the church wear veils. It was required in the past and although it's no longer required, many women prefer the traditional attire.

Priest facing the front in what's called an ordinary mass, priests face the people. But in an "Extra-ordinary Mass" - The Latin Mass - priests face the same direction as the people.

While receiving the body and blood of Christ, parishioners kneel.

The Church says the younger generation is attracted to the newer way of worship, bot all Catholics approve.

Bishop Guillory said, "The feedback I get is most people prefer the norm the ordinary form of celebrating the Eucharist. People really don't understand Latin."

Pope Francis has made two public references that some would say may reflect his stance on the Latin mass. The first reference was this past summer when he restricted the use of Latin by Franciscan friars of the immaculate. The other was in a statement while he was in Buenos Aires in June, calling the movement a, "restorationist group," that takes the church back 60 years.

To be clear, Pope Francis has never made a direct public statement about the use of Latin, so officially the church stands behind Pope Benedict's 2007 standards.

There are an estimated 80.000 registered Catholics in the diocese of Beaumont.