Posted on 06/07/2025 3:18:56 PM PDT by ebb tide
“The traditional liturgy is a work of the Holy Spirit. It can be persecuted, but not destroyed,” affirmed Monsignor Athanasius Schneider during an interview organized by the apostolate Know, Love, and Live Your Faith, in which he answered questions for over an hour about the state of the traditional liturgy, the doctrinal crisis in the Church, and the new pontificate of Leo XIV.
The Traditional Mass, a “perennial” and persecuted liturgy
Monsignor Schneider began by referring to the climate of “continued persecution” against the Traditional Mass in various parts of the world, such as France, the United States, and Argentina, resulting from the application of Traditionis Custodes. Despite this, he expressed his hope:
“This liturgy cannot be destroyed. It is the work of the Holy Spirit for centuries. As in the times of Arianism, it will be divine Providence that restores peace with tradition.”
He asked the faithful to maintain a supernatural vision: “The Church belongs to Jesus Christ, not to the Pope, nor to us.”
Advice to Pope Leo XIV: Unrestricted freedom
Asked about what the new pontiff should do regarding the liturgy, Schneider was clear: avoid direct confrontation with his predecessor and, instead, prudently consult the College of Cardinals and then promulgate a new document that restores the full freedom of the Traditional Mass:
“The Pope must protect the children who have grown up in this liturgy. They must not be considered second-class Catholics. The Church is a mother; she must love all her children.”
He insisted that bishops should not have the authority to restrict this rite and proposed a clear and generous formula that transcends the “current dialectics”:
“A good father protects his children when their elders mistreat them. The Pope must prevent arbitrary persecutions.”
Fiducia supplicans: an “abomination”
In a firm tone, the Bishop called the Fiducia supplicans document an “abomination” and a “sophistry” for introducing contradictions into Catholic moral teaching:
“With these blessings, we confirm people in sin, which endangers their salvation. It is a very grave omission of charity.”
He asked the new Pope to retract the document and reinstate the previous text from 2021, which clearly declared the impossibility of blessing objectively sinful unions.
On the implicit canonization of Francis
Schneider also criticized the current tendency to declare that the deceased “are already in heaven” without a canonical process:
“This is a grave omission of charity toward the souls in purgatory. Francis is probably not yet in heaven, given his seriously problematic actions.”
He referred to the need for prudence and reserve, and lamented the modern funeral liturgy that avoids mentioning purgatory.
Peace in divided families
Consulted by a mother concerned about internal divisions in her family due to the liturgy, Bishop Schneider recommended avoiding conflicts and seeking peace, as long as there are no obvious sacrileges:
“If the New Mass is celebrated worthily, one can attend for family peace. But there must be mutual respect. And praying the Rosary together helps preserve unity.”
Private Celebrations: “with a clear conscience”
He also affirmed that priests can privately celebrate the Traditional Mass even if their superiors do not allow it:
“Neither the Pope, nor a Bishop, nor a religious superior has the authority to prohibit something that belongs to the entire Church.”
He advised prudence and discretion, but legitimized these celebrations as an act of fidelity to the liturgy of the saints.
The Second Vatican Council: Catalyst, not origin
In response to questions about the Second Vatican Council, Bishop Schneider denied that it was the origin of the doctrinal problem, although he did describe it as a catalyst for a crisis already underway since the pontificates following St. Pius X:
“Modernism infiltrated the Episcopate. The Council does not contain formal heresies, but it does contain objective errors and ambiguities. Some points must be corrected.”
He emphasized that the Council was not dogmatic and that future corrections will be legitimate.
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