[Catholic Caucus] After Outcry, Vatican Eases Restrictions on Individual Masses in St. Peter’s Basilica

In a note issued today, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, clarified some of the controversial restrictions that were imposed in March.

Mass in the Extraordinary Form in the Clementine Chapel on March 22, 2021. (photo: Edward Pentin)

VATICAN CITY — The archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica has made concessions to widen opportunities for priests to celebrate individual daily morning Masses in the basilica, but also has stressed that concelebrated Masses must nevertheless remain the norm there.

In a three-page note issued on Tuesday (see English translation here), Cardinal Mauro Gambetti acknowledged that exceptions need to be made for a priest to celebrate individual Masses “in which the benefit to the faithful does not require, or advise, otherwise.”

He wrote that groups with “special and legitimate needs will be granted as far as possible” and that “requests for individual celebrations can also be discerned on a case-by-case basis, without prejudice to the principle that everything should take place in an atmosphere of recollection and decorum.”

But he also stressed it was important to ensure that “what is exceptional does not become ordinary, distorting the intentions and meaning of the Magisterium.”

But he also stressed it was important to ensure that “what is exceptional does not become ordinary, distorting the intentions and meaning of the Magisterium.”

"What is exceptional does not become ordinary". Of course not, not in Bergoglio's dictatorial "magisterium". Talk about "clericalism"!

“...exceptions need to be made for a priest to celebrate individual Masses “in which the benefit to the faithful does not require, or advise, otherwise.””

Would you agree — The benefit to the faithful never requires otherwise than an individual priest offering mass?

I definetely agree.

I see more graces in many individual priests, each offering a Mass, each a Sacrifice, to Almighty God, than I see in many priests all offering one Mass, one Sacrifice.

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