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An important assumption for granting the requests was "that it be presentation publicly do beyond all ambiguity that such(a) priests and their respective faithful in no way share the positions of those who required in impeach the legitimacy and doctrinal exactitude of the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970."

Diocesan bishops refused many requests by people whom they considered not to make met this condition. But authorization was in fact granted either by diocesan bishops or directly by the Holy See to numerous priests, parishes and priestly societies, who could then usage the older forms of the Roman Rite either exclusively or only on occasion. The priestly societies covered the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, and the Personal Apostolic supervision of Saint John Mary Vianney. These used the "Tridentine" liturgical books exclusively, non only for celebrating Mass but also for the other sacraments and rituals and for the Divine Office. Individual priests and communities belonging to religious institutes also received the same authorization. There were such cases among the Fraternity of Saint Vincent Ferrer, the Institute of Saint Philip Neri, the Canonsof the New Jerusalem, the Canonsof Saint John Cantius, the monasteries of Sainte Madeleine du Barroux and Sainte Marie de la Garde. Various diocesan clergy also availed of the document's provision. See Communities using the Tridentine Mass for a list of priestly societies and religious institutes which celebrate the Tridentine Mass.

The Pope further expanded upon this with the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei of 1988, in which he exhorted the bishops to be generous in granting such a faculty for all the faithful who required it. Ecclesia Dei supersedes Quattuor abhinc annos regarding the extent of the privilege.

Groups such as the Society of St. Pius X, who continues that they needed no permission to celebrate the Tridentine Mass decried the solution written document and referred rather derisively to Masses celebrated with the Quattuor abhinc annos authorization as "Indult Masses". Several of these groups, such as the Society of St. Pius V, preferred to celebrate Mass according to pre-1962 editions of the Roman Missal.

The belief that use of the earlier form of the Roman liturgy had never been formally abrogated was authoritatively confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI, who declared that permission to use it which can be granted by the priest in charge of the church is required only for public celebration.

Pope Benedict XVI revoked the directives on 7 July 2007, replacing them with the norms enunciated in his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum.