Is FSSP mass ok to go to?

[havok579257]

So one of my sons wants to experience the Latin Mass and so I told him I would find a mass we could go to this weekend that was the Latin Mass.  I found one that is not to far away to attend but it says it is an FSSP institution.  Is this ok to go to?  Are they in communion with Rome?  Is it licit just like the Novus Ordo Mass?  I know the SSPX are not in communion with Rome.  I keep seeing things mentioning FSSP and the latin Mass but am unsure if they are in communion with Rome.  I just obviously don't want to go to a mass Sunday that is not a proper valid mass to go to on Sunday.  I don't really know a whole lot of the FSSP.  Any help would be appriciated?  I have only been to a latin mass I think once because they are not relatively close to where we live, so I am unsure about a lot of it.

 

Oh and one final question, on this parish website is says they offer the low mass and high mass.  What's the difference?  Is one longer?  Is it  good to go to either?  

[DominicanHeart]

FSSP is fine. 

 

Low Mass is way less singing. Therefore it is shorter. High Mass is all sung. It is usually longer

[truthfinder]

Yes, FSSP is completely in communion with Rome - it's why they exist (they broke from the SSPX in the late 1980s in order to re-unite with Rome). 

(Also, as an aside, SSPX aren't exactly not in communion, they're more so canonically irregular - particularly as Pope Francis has basically acknowledged their confessions. But you're still better off at the FSSP).

Low Mass is also called a 'said Mass' - but depending on the priest, this could mean more like whispered Mass. I think I would have been completely lost if that's the first EF that I went to. 

(And DominicanHeart beat me to it)

[Nihil Obstat]

FSSP is literally the greatest thing.

[Amppax]

There's several walkthroughs of the EF available online, so if you're worried about being lost or confused, maybe take the time to watch something first? 

Also, High Mass will be longer, but I'd suggest that for your first time. That's the ideal way for the EF to be celebrated. 

[DominicanHeart]

5 hours ago, truthfinder said:

Yes, FSSP is completely in communion with Rome - it's why they exist (they broke from the SSPX in the late 1980s in order to re-unite with Rome). 

(Also, as an aside, SSPX aren't exactly not in communion, they're more so canonically irregular - particularly as Pope Francis has basically acknowledged their confessions. But you're still better off at the FSSP).

Low Mass is also called a 'said Mass' - but depending on the priest, this could mean more like whispered Mass. I think I would have been completely lost if that's the first EF that I went to. 

(And DominicanHeart beat me to it)

I love my Latin Mass

[Kateri89]

Yes I agree that the high mass is the best way to experience the Latin Mass for the first time.  If the parish has a particularly good schola (choir), you'll be mesmerized.  Well, that's what I experienced and now I belong to a Latin Mass parish.  The high Mass lasts about an hour and a half.

[Nihil Obstat]

4 hours ago, Amppax said:

 

Also, High Mass will be longer, but I'd suggest that for your first time. That's the ideal way for the EF to be celebrated. 

Technically the full pontifical Mass from the throne is the ideal way for it to be celebrated.

[truthfinder]

1 hour ago, Nihil Obstat said:

Technically the full pontifical Mass from the throne is the ideal way for it to be celebrated.

But the standard is the high Mass. You could argue that the pontifical High at the Throne is the 'fullness' of the diocesan life, but high Mass is the expected reality for the parish level.

[Nihil Obstat]

16 minutes ago, truthfinder said:

But the standard is the high Mass. You could argue that the pontifical High at the Throne is the 'fullness' of the diocesan life, but high Mass is the expected reality for the parish level.

I would argue, at least based on my understanding, that a solemn pontifical Mass from the throne, as you said, is the fullness of the rite, and in some sense I would also argue that it is the ultimate standard from which we derive the different forms of the Roman use in the Latin Church (i.e. low Mass, Missa cantata, missa solemnis etc.).

But certainly a solemn High Mass is the realistic standard, and in a pragmatic sense it would be the ideal for the vast majority of TLM communities.

So pretty much what you said, I guess.  

 

If I remember correctly from reading Laszlo Dobszay, around the time of Trent the Mass that we now have as the Roman Rite was essentially the Roman Use in all of the cathedrals and major churches in the city. I believe Dobszay referred to it in this context as the Curial Use of the Roman Rite, alongside the Use of Premontre in the Norbertine Rite, the Use of Salisbury in the Roman Rite, etc.

Edited March 26, 2017 by Nihil Obstat

[Amppax]

17 hours ago, Nihil Obstat said:

Technically the full pontifical Mass from the throne is the ideal way for it to be celebrated.

Go away.

[Jack4]

On 3/26/2017 at 7:17 AM, Nihil Obstat said:

the ideal way

 

22 hours ago, truthfinder said:

the 'fullness' of the diocesan life

 

Edited March 27, 2017 by Jack4

[truthfinder]

4 minutes ago, Jack4 said:

 

 

Stop.

[Amppax]

Did you end up going @havok579257? 

[havok579257]

Just now, Amppax said:

Did you end up going @havok579257? 

we ended up going to a latin mass at an institue of christ the king parish.  The mass was definetly long.  Just short of two hours.  My son who wanted to go (he is 4) liked it.  I will say that two hours was hard with 4 kids and one being 1 year old.  Also it was definetly hard to follow.  We usually go to the Novus Ordo mass and I will admit it is a lot easier to follow and a lot easier to feel like you get something out of it than the latin mass.  Now don't get me wrong, I loved certain parts of the mass like the organ as opposed to the guitar, the incense, the priest going around with the holy water but it was really hard to feel like I got something out of the mass because I didn't understand latin obviously and I had no idea what was going on.  My wife and I were completely lost since we don't know any latin.

 

My son wants to go again to the latin mass so I think this weekend we will be going to the FSSP mass that is a low mass.  I was hesitant to go to the low mass at first because what I read elsewhere, people indicated that it could be as short as 20 minutes.  I definetly did not want my sons first experience at the latin mass to be a 20 minute mass.  Also to me, 20 minutes seems very short for a mass.  I know its valid but it just seems short.  Although trying to make it almost 2 hours with a one year old was a challenge since it definetly seemed like we were out of place since everyone else was dead silent during the mass and our one year old was great but was still acting and making noise like a typical 1 year old.  

 

So some positive and some not so positive things about my sons first latin mass (only my second ever).  Does anyone who goes to the latin mass a lot have any advice for the things I mentioned above?