Posted on 03/07/2026 3:21:08 PM PST by ebb tide
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met in a private audience with Professors Stephen Bullivant and Stephen Cranney, two prominent sociologists who notably published a study showing that the vast majority of faithful who attend the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) accept Catholic teaching and the Second Vatican Council.
Pope Leo met with Bullivant, who is a Latin Mass attendee, and Cranney during a March 5 audience, per the Vatican’s daily bulletin, though it is not known what was discussed. The professors notably co-wrote the forthcoming book, Trads: Latin Mass Catholics in the United States, which is set to be published in November 2026 and, in 2024, published a study in preparation for this book showing that the overwhelming majority of Catholics devoted to the TLM accept both the doctrine of the Church and the Second Vatican Council.
The meeting comes as the 267th pontiff has sent mixed signals on whether he might loosen the restrictions on the Tridentine Mass imposed by his predecessor, Pope Francis’, 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes.
Cranney and Bullivant’s 2024 study sought to find empirical data on whether the “TLM community” was really a “schismatic hotbed of negative attitudes towards Vatican II,” as portrayed by Pope Francis in Traditionis Custodes. The sociologists found that 49 percent of respondents “agreed” or “strongly agreed” when asked if they accept the teachings of Vatican II, while just 11 percent “disagreed” or “strongly disagreed” with the statement.
The study also found that an overwhelming majority of respondents are orthodox in Catholic doctrine, with just two percent saying they did not believe in the Real Presence of the Holy Eucharist, compared to more than half of U.S. self-identified Catholics who do not accept the Real Presence, according to some surveys.
It’s worth noting, however, that the professors did not interview Catholics who attend Mass at the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) chapels, on the grounds that there are still far fewer SSPX chapels compared to diocese-approved churches that offer the TLM.
Pope Leo’s audience with Bullivant and Cranney is particularly significant as the American pontiff has yet to take any action regarding the future of the Tridentine Mass.
On the one hand, Leo allowed Cardinal Raymond Burke to celebrate a Latin Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica for the 2025 Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage last fall, after Pope Francis’ Vatican had prohibited Masses from being offered inside the basilica for the 2023 and 2024 pilgrimages. Leo’s Vatican has also granted two diocesan TLMs in the Diocese of Cleveland and a parish in Texas two-year extensions before their suppression under Traditionis Custodes.
The pontiff has also repeatedly called for renewed liturgical reverence and even told Bishop Athanasius Schneider that he has met young people who have converted to the faith through attending the Latin Mass during a December private audience.
READ: Bishop Schneider says Pope Leo told him he met young people converted through Latin Mass
As noted by InfoVaticana, Pope Leo has held roughly one audience a month with proponents of the Tridentine Mass, including Bishop Schneider, Cardinal Burke, and Cardinal Robert Sarah since August 2025, perhaps indicating that he is looking to find a favorable solution to the liturgical divide in the Latin Church.
On the other hand, under Leo’s watch, several bishops, such as Bishop Michael Martin in Charlotte and Bishop Mark Beckman in Knoxville, Tennessee, have been allowed to place sweeping restrictions on the TLM. Martin even banned the use of altar rails and kneelers for receiving Holy Communion.
The pontiff has also retained Cardinal Arthur Roche as prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, a central figure in implementing Traditionis Custodes. During January’s extraordinary consistory, Roche handed out a document to the cardinals, which doubled down on these restrictions, arguing that the Novus Ordo Missae is the singular expression of the Roman rite.
READ: Leaked consistory texts reveal cardinal’s defense of Latin Mass restrictions
Leo’s Vatican has also been hostile to the SSPX since they announced their plans to consecrate new bishops in July.
During a February audience at the Vatican between Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) and Father Davide Pagliarani, the superior general of the SSPX, shortly after the Society’s announcement, Fernández offered to initiate a dialogue on several contentious issues, including the degree of the binding authority of the documents of the Second Vatican Council.
However, this dialogue would presuppose the suspension of the SSPX’s intention to create bishops without papal sanction. Fernández also threatened Pagliarani and the Society with the crime of schism should the consecrations proceed as planned.
Later that month, Pagliarani announced in a communique that the consecrations would go on as scheduled.
“[W]hile I certainly rejoice at a new opening of dialogue and the positive response to my proposal of 2019, I cannot accept the perspective and objectives in the name of which the Dicastery offers to resume dialogue in the present situation, nor indeed the postponement of the date of 1 July [for the episcopal consecrations],” the priest wrote.
READ: SSPX will consecrate bishops on July 1 despite Vatican ‘threat’
Pagliarani further stressed that he had requested this dialogue himself in 2019, “When I suggested a discussion during a calm and peaceful time, without the pressure or threat of possible excommunication, which would have undermined free dialogue—as is, unfortunately, the situation today.”
....
The study also found that an overwhelming majority of respondents are orthodox in Catholic doctrine, with just two percent saying they did not believe in the Real Presence of the Holy Eucharist, compared to more than half of U.S. self-identified Catholics who do not accept the Real Presence, according to some surveys.
Ping
The First Vatican Council (Vatican I) opened on December 8, 1869. Convoked by Pope Pius IX, the council began with its first session in St. Peter’s Basilica and was primarily focused on addressing modernism, defining papal infallibility, and strengthening the authority of the Pope. I remember when this was the norm. Not sure why it was changed to 2nd.
I think we’ve found the problem.
Born Catholic. attended Catholic grade school, high school and college.
When they dumped Latin, I walked out in the middle of the service and never went back.
I didn’tleave the church. it left me.
I understand the feeling, but I think you should seriously go find yourself a parish with the Traditional Latin Mass. Our Lord is waiting for you!
Ahhhh, another fake article and contradictory headline presented by ebby and featuring LieSite. You have to dig into the article to find this line, “It’s worth noting, however, that the professors did not interview Catholics who attend Mass at the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX).”
Now, ebby might ask, why is this important? It is important because sspx is, by definition, schismatic! Another fraud by LieSite, presented by ebby. Such a cartoon partnership. ImagineThat!
Why is SSPX schismatic, by definition?
Prior to 1950, consecration of a Bishop without a papal mandate was not an excommunicatable offense, but a suspension. The Code of Canon Law changed it into an “excommunication” because the Chinese started consecrating bishops for their own national church in 1950. So, obviously, in Church tradition, episcopal consecrations without papal approval are not an inherently schismatic act. Pope Benedict XIV clearly stated that the SSPX was not schismatic when he lifted the excommunications from the Bishops in 2009.
And yet many were excommunicated, weren’t they? As you implied several amended their sins, were forgiven and excommunications were lifted. One of the forgiven continued his sins, didn’t he? After a while even sspx had to give him the boot. Now, sspx replicates the sins of the past. Popes Benedict and Francis were very kind to sspx trying to keep them in the Church. Will Leo? Now, there is very little wiggle room for sspx as they are habitual and unrepentant.
A rendition of events: https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/chapp-sspx-rupture
“So it looks as if the sspx will once again defy Rome and incur an excommunication. But as it exits the door this time, let us not allow it to co-opt the narrative by insisting that it really is still inside the Church when everyone with even a modicum of Catholic theological training can see that it are not.”
Again, even a dim bulb can see through sspx actions. Here is another example:
https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/how-have-popes-treated-sspx
And contrary to certain FR chronic provocateurs, Pope Francis was very accommodating to sspx. Are those days over? The simple answer seems yes but there is a chance...
Pay no attention to Tucho’s little queer fan.
He hates the TLM and love all things pro-homo.
He supported James Martin, S.J. blessing a “married” homosexual couple.
Yet according to Tucho's litter queer fan, the SSPX hasn't been "in the church" since 1988. He can't even keep his lies straight.
Schneider - unreal. Factual - NO. Theological - NO. Misinforms the sspx sheep - YES. Insane - YES! Find better sources, ebby. This is a new level of tripe even from you
Yeah, well what is your opinion of Francis and Leo collaborating with the very Bishops who caused the Code to change in regards to consecrating Bishops without a mandate? Why are only the SSPX singled out while rampant homosexuals and apostates are not even given a slap on the wrist? You’ll have no answers except ad hominem insults and getting on your high horse, pretending that hob knobbing with the fat, stupid and spoiled hierarchy of the USA makes you some super Catholic. Part of our faith is about embracing the Cross. The soft Christianity that the Bishops of this country practice is not the true faith .
That article is absolutely ridiculous. It doesn’t mention the injustices that Archbishop Lefebvre, the greatest missionary Bishop of the Twentieth Century, suffered when liberal Bishops tried to close his seminary(which was fully approved by the Vatican) out of jealousy. He was getting lots of vocations, and they were not. He was given no due process or any kind of common justice. Read Nero Capponi’s articles, published in Canon Law journals throughout Europe, that prove that the SSPX is not schismatic. You need to do some research. Oh, and I took a look at the picture of the priest who wrote this. I don’t think he’s ever missed a meal.
“Excommunicated” for teaching the authentic Catholic faith.
The Lavender Mafia controls the Vatican. With the exception of having a non-confrontational style Leo is a clone of his hero Bergoglio.
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