I'm not sure this is the right forum, please move this post if it is in the wrong place.

Today Saturday (the sixth), and last Monday (the first) we had Pontifical Mass at my church (according to the weekly mass time printout we receive every Sunday). I thought Pontifical Mass had something to do with the Bishop, but last Monday it was not a bishop celebrating the mass.

What is a Pontifical Mass and can it be celebrated without a Bishop?

I first thought it was a misprint in the weekly massschedules, but it does clearly states on the second pontifical mass (where there were a bishop attending) that it would be attended by our bishop.

On the first pontifical mass, it did not say anything about a bishop attenting, and he was not either.

But when I have searched for pontifical mass on the Internet, it seems to say that a pontifical mass is a mass with the bishop attending.

like here in the Catholic Encyclopedia: Pontifical Mass is the solemn Mass celebrated by a bishop with the ceremonies prescribed in the "Cæremoniale Episcoporum", I and II. The full ceremonial is carried out when the bishop celebrates the Mass at the throne in his own cathedral church

I'm confused...

That's what I always thought. Maybe it was a misprint? Or maybe they thought I was going to be there that day?