For any who have ever studied the 1962 Missal, and compared it to what came before the "reforms" of Pius XII (1951-1955) and John XXIII (1960), the question must surely arise:

Is the 1962 Missal still a Tridentine Missal?

According to Archbishop Lefebvre, yes, but barely.

It was the last he felt he could tolerate as still minimally Catholic.

And that's about what it is: Minimally Catholic.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Pope John's Missal.

Here is an old article which compares the Missal of Pope St. Pius X, and that of John XXIII: http://www.traditionalmass.org/articles/article.php?id=18&catname=6

Note that the Feast of the Circuмcission was not the only feast scrapped by John XXIII's changes of 1960.


The Pius X and John XXIII Missals Compared
Most Rev. Daniel L. Dolan

Missal of St. Pius X	Missal of John XXIII
1.Promulgated by a canonized saint who condemned Modernism, and composed with the collaboration of absolutely orthodox priests both learned and pious.	1. Promulgated by a pope who admitted that he was suspect of Modernism, the same pope who called Vatican II to "consecrate ecuмenism" and open up the windows of the Church to "renewal". Composed under the direction of Ferdinando Antonelli, who signed the docuмent promulgating the New Mass, and under the direction of Annibale Bugnini, the "Great Architect" of the New Mass, notorious modernist and suspected Freemason.
2.Based upon sound traditional Catholic principles which were employed many times by the popes in the past. This missal was used by the Church from 1914 until the ascendancy of the Modernist "Liturgical Movement" in the 1950's.	2. Based upon the principles of the modernist "Liturgical Movement" often condemned in the past by the Roman Pontiffs, this missal was a transitional work. According to Father Bugnini it was a "compromise" until the liturgy could be made "a new city in which the man of our age can live and feel at ease." It was used for only four years.
3."Do not innovate anything; remain content with tradition." (Pope Benedict XIV)	3."it is a bridge which opens the way to a promising future." (Annibale Bugnini)
Prayers at the Foot of the Altar 4.Always said.	Prayers at the Foot of the Altar 4.Omitted on (1) The Purification after the Procession, (2) Ash Wednesday after the distribution of ashes, (3) Holy Saturday, (4) Palm Sunday after the Procession, (5) the four Rogation Days after the Procession, and (6) certain other Masses according the new rubrics of the Roman Pontifical.
The Collect 5. On days of lower rank, in addition to the collect of the day, the collects of Our Lady, Our Lady and All the Saints, Against the Persecutors of the Church, For the Pope, or For the Faithful Departed, etc. are recited.	The Collect 5.All these collects are abolished.
6. The commemorations of a lower ranking feast of a saint or a Sunday are made according to the rubrics.	6.The commemorations of a lower ranking feast of a saint or a Sunday are either abolished or strictly curtailed, so that on an ordinary Sunday most saints' feasts entirely disappear.
The Lessons on Ember Days 7.Always recited.	The Lessons on Ember Days 7.The bulk of the Lessons are optional.
The Epistle 8. Always read by the celebrant at Solemn Mass as specifically mandated by Pope St. Pius V.	The Epistle 8. The celebrant at Solemn Mass sits over on the side and listens instead, just as he does at the New Mass.
The Sequence 9. The Dies Irae must always be sung at a Requiem High Mass.	The Sequence 9. The Dies Irae at a daily Requiem High Mass is optional.
The Gospel 10.Always read by the celebrant at Solemn Mass as specifically mandated by Pope St. Pius V.	The Gospel 10. The celebrant at Solemn Mass listens instead
The Creed 11.Recited on many feasts according to the rubrics.	The Creed 11.Suppressed on many feasts (Doctors of the Church, St. Mary Magdalene, the Angels, etc.)
The Canon of the Mass 12.Unchanged since the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great.	The Canon of the Mass 12. The name of St. Joseph is inserted; thus the Canon is no longer the "unchanging rule" of worship.
The Communion of the People 13. The Confiteor, Misereatur, and Indulgentiam are always said before Holy Communion.	The Communion of the People 13. Abolished.
The Benedicamus Domino 14. Recited in place of Ite Missa Est on Sundays and Weekdays of Advent and Lent, Vigils, Votive Masses, etc.	The Benedicamus Domino 14.Abolished, except when there is a procession after Mass.
The Last Gospel 15. Either the beginning of St. John's Gospel or the proper Last Gospel of an occuring feast ends every Mass.	The Last Gospel 15.The proper Last Gospel is abolished with one exception. No Last Gospel at all is recited for: (1) the Third Mass of Christmas, (2) Palm Sunday, (3) Holy Thursday, (4) Holy Saturday, (5) any Mass followed by a procession, (6) Requiem Masses followed by the Absolution, and (7) certain other Masses according to the new rubrics of the Roman Pontifical.
Changes in Feasts 16. St. Peter's Chair in Rome Finding of the Holy Cross St. John Before the Latin Gate Apparition of St. Michael St. Leo II St. Anacletus St. Peter in Chains Finding of St. Stephen Commem. of St. Vitalis St. Philomena (by indult) St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church Circuмcision of Our Lord St. Peter's Chair at Antioch Most Holy Rosary of the BVM St. George Our Lady of Mt. Carmel St. Alexius Ss. Cyriacus, Largus & Smaragdus Impression of Stigmata of St. Francis Ss. Eustace and Companions Our Lady of Ransom St. Thomas a Becket St. Sylvester Seven Sorrows of Our Lady	Changes in Feasts 16. Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Changed to St. Joseph the Worker Changed to Octave Day of Christmas Changed to St. Peter's Chair Changed to our Lady of the Rosary Downgraded Downgraded Downgraded Downgraded Downgraded Downgraded Downgraded Downgraded Downgraded Downgraded
Octaves of Feasts 17. Epiphany (7th Century) Corpus Christi (1294) Ascension (8th Century) Sacred Heart (1928) Immaculate Conception (1693) Assumption (ca. 850) St. John Baptist (8th Century) Ss. Peter and Paul (7th Century) All Saints (ca. 1480) Nativity of Our Lady (1245) St. Stephen (8th Century) St. John the Evangelist (8th Century) Holy Innocents (8th Century) Dedication of a Church (8th Century)	Octaves of Feasts 17. Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished
Vigils of Feasts 18. Epiphany St. Matthias St. James St. Bartholomew St. Matthew All Saints St. Andrew Immaculate Conception St. Thomas	Vigils of Feasts 18. Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished Abolished
Miscellaneous Rubrics 19. Three tones of voice are used by the celebrant: audible, secret, and audible only to those at the altar.	Miscellaneous Rubrics 19.Third tone of voice is abolished.
20. When the celebrant is at the Epistle or Gospel side of the altar, he always bows to the cross at the center of the altar whenever he mentions the Holy Name.	20. Abolished.
The Holy Week Rites 21. Contains the Holy Week rites mandated by Pope St. Pius V.	The Holy Week Rites 21. Radically altered to such a degree that they are no longer the Holy Week rites of the Tridentine Missal. These rites, in fact, needed only cosmetic changes to fit the pattern of the New Mass in 1969.
FINAL NOTES : (1) The Communion of the People: Some priests, who claim to adhere to the changes of John XXIII on the grounds of "papal authority" nevertheless refuse to suppress the Confiteor, Misereatur and Indulgentiam before the Communion of the people, as prescribed by John XXIII. (2) The Last Gospel: Father Bugnini expressed the wish "of many" that the practice of reciting the Last Gospel be severely curtailed or suppressed altogether. He only had to wait for a few years. (3) Changes in Feasts: Note the modernist prejudice against the cult of the saints and against feasts which refer to papal prerogatives or apparitions approved by the Church. During Lent, the John XXIII Missal suppresses most of the Masses of the saints.