The Vatican has clarified its position on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass. Today, Pope Francis released a rescript from his meeting with the Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal Arthur Roche. A rescript is a Pope’s written response to the direct questions of individuals. In the rescript, Francis reiterated two points from Traditionis custodes, his Motu Proprio of July 2021 that limited the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass. The release of this new document marks the third official communication from Pope Francis regarding the liturgy of the Tridentine Mass.
The rescript focused on two specific areas: parishes and newly ordained priests. If a diocesan bishop wants to allow the use of a parish church for Traditional Latin Mass, he must seek special permission from the Dicastery for Divine Worship, and establishing a personal parish for such celebrations also needs approval from Rome. Additionally, the Pope clarified that newly ordained priests will need a special dispensation from their local Bishop and the Dicastery in Rome to celebrate Traditional Latin Mass.
While this was written in the Motu Proprio last year, the Dicastery felt that more clarity was necessary, especially on these two points, to ensure that local bishops would not decide on their own in these two cases. Those who have been given a dispensation since July 2021 must now inform the Dicastery for Divine Worship and await its response.
The release of this new document has caused some stir among the faithful who follow the Traditional Latin Mass. Pope Benedict XVI had allowed its practice, but Pope Francis has expressed concerns about the widening gap among the faithful, expressing his concern that the Tridentine Mass has the potential to cause division. The followers of the Traditional Latin Mass, particularly in the Anglo-American and French contexts, have expressed difficulties with the strictness with which this issue has been handled.
It is unclear whether this rescript will be the final official document on the matter, but for now, it provides further clarification on the guidelines for celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass.
Andreas Thonhauser is EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the WU Executive Academy in Vienna and a Master’s degree in German Philology/Anglistics and Americanistics from the University of Vienna. Prior to joining EWTN, Thonhauser worked as the Director of External Affairs for a global human rights organization, and for several media outlets in Vienna, Austria.
