At a glance: Differences between Tridentine Mass & the Novus Ordo

Catholic News Service, while getting some of the points correct, seems to have missed a great number of other points in addition to being wrong on others:

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Here at a glance are the basic differences between the Tridentine Mass, promulgated in 1570, and the Roman Missal published in 1969 in response to the reforms called for by the Second Vatican Council:

-- While Latin is the original language of both liturgical texts, the new missal permits use of the vernacular language; because it called for full, active participation, the use of a local congregation's language became customary.

Partially correct up to the "permits use of the vernacular language", then CNS goes off the tracks completely...

For the reality of what true and authentic "active participation" means, check out Archbishop Burke's timely column on "Sacramentum Caritatis" here in which he states, in part:

...it does not mean "mere external activity during the celebration." It means, rather, a deeply interiorized participation, that is, participation in the sacred action of the Mass with awareness of its profound significance for our daily living...

This is from his continuing series of articles on the Holy Father's The Sacrament of Charity ...

-- With the exception of readings for the feast days of individual saints, the Tridentine Mass has a one-year cycle of Scripture readings. The Vatican II liturgy has a three-year cycle for Sunday readings and a two-year cycle for weekday readings.

OK...

-- The old penitential "prayers at the foot of the altar," recited by priests and other ministers before Mass, were replaced by the penitential rite within the Mass, recited by the entire congregation.

Maybe, except when the "penitential rite" ALWAYS excludes the Confiteor...

-- In the Tridentine Mass, the first half of the liturgy was called the Mass of the Catechumens and almost always included a reading from one of the New Testament epistles and from one of the four Gospels. The new Liturgy of the Word, in accordance with ancient church tradition, almost always begins with a passage from the Old Testament.

OK...

-- The Liturgy of the Eucharist, formerly called the Mass of the Faithful, begins with the preparation of the gifts. The old offertory prayers were revised in the new liturgy to avoid what some people saw as a duplication of the eucharistic prayers.

...

-- Instead of one eucharistic prayer, there are now nine -- four for general Sunday and weekday use, two for Masses focusing on reconciliation and three for Masses for children.

I believe there are more than this, but there is no indication if this refers to the number of "approved" Eucharist Prayers or not...

-- In the new Mass, the Communion rite was simplified, allowing communicants to receive the Eucharist under the forms of both bread and wine.

Simplified? With a plethora of EMHCs all over the place? It's simplified, alright!

-- The new Mass eliminated the recitation at the end of every Mass of what was known as the "last Gospel" -- the beginning of the Gospel of St. John.

It certainly did...

-- A priest celebrated the Tridentine Mass facing east, which -- given the layout of most churches -- meant he celebrated with his back to the congregation. Since the promulgation of the Roman Missal, the priest normally faces the congregation.

Again, partially correct...the priest, however, has his back to the people as he LEADS them in offering glory and worship to God...

Certainly, there are many other differences, some of which are profound, including the horrid translations we've endured in the Mass of Paul VI, as well as the innumerable liturgical abuses which have spread like wildfire in many places.

CNS Source

By the way, CNS reports that Cardinal Sean O'Malley and Archbishop Raymond Burke were the only bishops from the United States participating in the meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on the upcoming Motu Proprio on the Latin Mass...CNS also notes:

Like Cardinal O'Malley and Archbishop Burke, some of the participants were neither presidents of their national bishops' conference nor chairmen of their conference's liturgy committees, a Vatican source said.

Bishop Trautman and Bishop Skystad evidently could not attend...