When Did the Practice of the Last Gospel End?

The tradition of the “last Gospel” at Mass did not begin until around the 12th century.  When it began it was a private prayer said by the priest celebrant and over time gradually was absorbed into the liturgy of the Mass.  When the practice began the Mass was considered to have ended prior to the last Gospel but over time it became considered an integral to the liturgy.  It was not a universal practice until the 16th century.

In 1964 the document Inter Oecumenici issued norms to implement the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.  The council had sought to simplify the liturgy. To fulfill that purpose Inter Oecumenici (48, j) eliminated the final Gospel as part of several changes.