Abstract

BARGO, María. Ritualizing tradicional identity: The Tridentine Mass of the Society of Saint Pius X. Soc. relig. [online]. 2017, vol.27, n.47, pp.83-101. ISSN 1853-7081.

This paper aims at understanding the role conferred to the celebration of the tridentine mass by the members of the Society of Saint Pius X (better known as "lefebvristas" and self- styled "the Tradition"). The research focuses on the ritual of mass and its role on creating the group through diverse research techniques such as participant observation and ethnographic description. Complementing these methods with interviews to the members of the group and the revision of sources, I was able to understand how it synthesizes the elements that model the traditional identity. By analyzing its moments and characteristics, I try to demonstrate how the rite becomes a distinctive sign. "Living according to the Tradition" implies an ascetic presence in the world, keeping "church as it always was" and guarding certain moral values. Also, it creates a feeling of belonging to the group by constructing a story and regulating sociability, affecting the people's daily life. As it will be shown, all these elements are ritualized in the mass.

Keywords : Tridentine mass; Tradition; Identity; Ritual; Society Saint Pius X.