Through “Traditionis Custodes,” celebrations of the traditional Mass in parish churches were prohibited, and only priests who were expressly permitted to do so were permitted to offer the Mass. Bishops were to ensure strict control over the offering and distribution of the traditional Mass, and the Novus Ordo Mass was declared to be the “sole expression” of the Roman Rite.
As reaction to LifeSiteNews Pope Francis defended his 2021 restrictions on the Church’s traditional liturgy, explaining that all the reasons for his restrictions can be found in the motu proprio “Traditionis Custodes.”
»Read the Motu Proprio; everything is there for you,” Pope Francis told LifeSiteNews’ Vatican correspondents today when asked why, despite many young people’s love for the traditional Mass, he had placed restrictions on it. He gave this answer during individual greetings at a papal audience for the Vatican press corps held in Clementine Hall.
The motu proprio in question is the text “Traditionis Custodes” of July 2021, with which Francis introduced sweeping restrictions on the traditional liturgy — also known as the Latin Mass or the Extraordinary Form — with devastating consequences for traditional communities and churches worldwide has.
Through “Traditionis Custodes,” celebrations of the traditional Mass in parish churches were prohibited, and only priests who were expressly permitted to do so were permitted to offer the Mass. Bishops were to ensure strict control over the offering and distribution of the traditional Mass, and the Novus Ordo Mass was declared to be the “sole expression” of the Roman Rite.
Francis accompanied the motu proprio with a letter in which he set out official reasons for the devastating and far-reaching restrictions. He wrote that his new measures were taken out of “concern for the whole Church, which contributes supremely to the well-being of the universal Church.”
The Pope also condemned “the instrumental use of the 1962 Roman Missale,” which he said is “often characterized by a rejection not only of liturgical reform but also of the Second Vatican Council itself.” Claims are made with unfounded and unsustainable claims that it has betrayed tradition and the “true church”.
The Pope explained in his letter that his attack on the Traditional Liturgy was motivated solely by concern for the unity of the Church: “In the name of defending the unity of the Body of Christ, I find myself forced to withdraw the authority granted by my predecessors.” He claimed that there was a “distorted use” of the Traditional Liturgy that “went against the intentions” of the “Freedom” of celebrating the Latin Mass.
While the CDF survey was taking place, the Vatican consistently downplayed fears that the Latin Mass would be restricted. But Pope Francis’ claim that the survey showed widespread concerns about the Traditional Mass has been consistently disputed and portrayed as inconsistent with the facts or even a reversal of the survey’s true finding.
The survey was never published by the CDF, and LifeSiteNews understands from Vatican sources that the results of the secret survey were not passed on to the relevant Curia bodies even a few months ago. Such a decision was even made by