Posted on 05/19/2025 5:41:06 PM PDT by ebb tide
In April and early May, making use of the interregnum for their nefarious ends, the anti-traditional bishops of France negotiated with Cardinal Roche, Prefect of Divine Worship, in order to make as hard as possible the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass and sacraments in the Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage -- and all other pilgrimages in France.
Leo XIV was not involved in these decisions. What will he do now? What will Roche do now?
From Paix Liturgique:
Cardinal Roche's Dicastery for Divine Worship and Cardinal Aveline's Conference of French Bishops wish that the traditional pilgrimages flourishing in France be brought into the liturgical order of Paul VI.
Thus, a letter dated May 6 from Archbishop Jordy of Tours and Lebrun, Archbishop of Rouen, in charge of relations with traditional priestly communities, addressed to all the bishops of France, informs them of Cardinal Roche's responses on April 8 regarding the form of worship during the pilgrimage of Christendom.
It is clear that these Roman provisions were requested by the signatory bishops, who knowing that the defense of the traditional liturgy is largely the work of the lay faithful, ultimately seek to regain power over the traditional world by affirming the principle that only the bishop is master of the liturgy in his diocese — which would be a valid principle in a normal situation but not when it is the bishop himself who is promoting a deleterious reform.
Hence, a series of drastic measures are intended to be imposed upon the priests who will be accompanying the pilgrimage:
1 - Therefore, in strict application of Traditionis Custodes (July 16, 2021):
- Priests ordained before TC might celebrate the traditional Mass, but would need to ask permission from the bishops of each diocese crossed along the way (i.e., Évry, Versailles, Chartres).
- For priests ordained after TC, the bishop would have to request permission from the Dicastery for Divine Worship.
2 - All priests should be able to celebrate the New Mass during the pilgrimage.
3 - Furthermore, for the confessions of the pilgrims, priests should use the new ritual.
Impractical measures: can you really imagine pilgrim priests, before each Mass, calling on their cell phones the bishops in whose territory they are about to celebrate outdoors.
It seems clear that this letter was addressed to the new president of the CEF, elected on April 2. We also know that the CEF president, Cardinal Aveline, was questioned by Bishop Olivier de Germay, Archbishop of Lyon, about the decision he communicated to the members of the Via Lucis association: the prohibition of celebrating the traditional Mass at the end of the pilgrimage they were planning to organize to the Basilica of Fourvière. The archbishop proposed replacing it with a Mass of Paul VI in Latin, which Via Lucis obviously refused, preferring to cancel the pilgrimage.
Furthermore, the resumption in 2025 of the Provençal pilgrimage Nosto Fe, starting in Cotignac and ending at the Church of Saint Maximin la Sainte Baume with a traditional Mass (celebrated last year by Bishop Rey), is generating great agitation among all the bishops of the province and encountering the greatest difficulties with Bishop Touvet, the new bishop of Fréjus-Toulon.
It is evident that our bishops are particularly concerned about the pastoral success of these pilgrimages, which bring together multitudes of young pilgrims, actually leading some of them to return to religious practice, just because these manifestations of faith do not fit within the framework of the new pastoral program. Never mind that this program is now clearly bankrupt! Their ideological blindness, which has not changed for decades, makes them believe they can fit this Catholic impulse into the mold of their liturgy. Or worse, they prefer to stifle and kill this impulse rather than see it attributed to the old liturgy.
What about the new Pope Leo XIV?
Clearly, he wants to calm things down. But it's unlikely that he's been interested in this hot liturgical issue until now. His pontificate, as Valéry Giscard d'Estaing said on the first day of his presidency—pardon the comparison…—is a blank page, on which many things may be written.
Dear Parisian sentinels, we pray intensely for him and for the freedom of the Mass as we recite our rosaries in front of the archdiocese offices, 10 rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame, Monday through Friday, from 1 to 1:30 p.m., at Saint-Georges de La Villette, 114 avenue Simon Bolivar, on Wednesdays and Fridays at 5:00 p.m., in front of Notre-Dame du Travail, 59 rue Vercingétorix, and also at Sainte-Clotilde, on Mondays at 12:45 p.m.
Echoes of the Vigils: A man in his forties, accompanied by a boy of about ten, asked us: "May I know what you are asking for?" And turning to his son, he said: "Listen carefully." We then explained that we are asking for freedom for the Traditional Mass, for all the faithful and for all priests. "Why? Isn't that the case today?" We explained that this varies greatly from diocese to diocese and that we hope that the new Pope will work for peace within the Church. While approving with a big smile, he thanked us. Then, turning to his son, he insisted: "Listen carefully to what they just said; it's very important..." [Source]
Ping
My Archbishop “allows” some Latin Mass. There is not freedom. I have difficulty remembering that priests take a vow to obey their bishop.
It must be very difficult being a priest. But rewarding.
Paving Hell.
One skull at a time.
"An unjust law is no law at all." St. Augustine
Roche and the French Bishops are rats.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.