Writing about the introduction of the “Low Mass,” Michael Davies wrote:
The change came about for theological reasons. Each Mass as a propitiatory sacrifice, has a definite value before God; therefore, two Masses are worth twice as much as one. The custom arose of offering each Mass for a definite intention and the acceptance of a stipend for so going. This was particularly the case where Requiem Masses were concerned. Faithful Catholics would make provision in their wills for Masses to be said for their souls and would make endowments to monastic foundations for this purpose. In the later Middle Ages, chantries were established for the specific purpose of offering requiems for a particular person, and it was the common practice of all medieval guilds to have Masses said for their deceased members. By the 9th century, the multiplication of Masses had progressed so far that many priests said Mass several times a day. (In the 13th century, action would be taken to curb the excessive multiplication of Masses, and a number of synods forbade priests to celebrate more than once a day, except on Sundays and feast days and in cases of necessity. The multiplication of Masses led to the building of many altars in the same church and in monasteries were many priests would celebrate at the same time on different altars. All these factors led to the abridged service that we call Low Mass, and it was Low Mass that caused the compilation of the Missal as we know it today. (Michael Davies, A Short History of the Roman Mass [Charlotte, N.C.: Tan Books, 1993], 30-31, emphasis added)
This highlights the inherent problems to having, as Catholicism does, an unbiblical view of the nature of the Lord’s Supper (i.e., it is a propitiatory sacrifice and can be offered for the dead, not just the living). For more, see:
