Posted on 08/27/2026 1:13:57 PM PDT by ebb tide
Cardinal Sarah said that the Church ‘cannot wage war’ on Catholics who prefer the Latin Mass, calling it ‘a short-sighted and entirely ideological attitude, therefore not pastoral and not Christian.’
Cardinal Robert Sarah said that restricting the Traditional Latin Mass was “neither wise nor respectful” and that war against traditional Catholics is “destructive to the Church.”
In a recent interview with Italian newspaper Il Giornale, Cardinal Sarah addressed Pope Francis’ restrictions on the Latin Mass through his motu proprio Traditiones Custodes and the “war” on traditional Catholics.
He was asked if he believes that Pope Benedict XVI was right that the TLM, which the late Pontiff called the “extraordinary form” of the Latin Rite, could positively influence the Novus Ordo Mass.
“Among the effects of the liberalization of the extraordinary form has been the positive influence—I would even say correction—of possible abuses in the celebration of the ordinary form,” the prelate stated. “Such abuses are very serious acts with which, however, we can never equate the ordinary form itself.”
“Many priests testify that discovering the extraordinary form has helped them celebrate Mass better. I think that Benedict XVI’s intention also included a deeply humble and democratic attitude: to ensure its widest possible dissemination so that, over the decades, the People of God could choose which form best suited the living out of their faith.”
“But all of this was put to an end by Traditionis Custodes while the Pope Emeritus was still alive,” the African cardinal noted.
“It did not strike me as a wise or respectful choice,” he observed. “But Benedict, a man as meek as a lamb, allowed himself to be humiliated, and thus, in silence and prayer, offered his suffering to God to better identify with Christ’s pain for his Church and to purify her.”
“Access to ritual forms that have been recognized and have existed for centuries can never be artificially limited by decrees,” he asserted. “If a rite did not serve the faith, it would die out on its own; if, on the contrary, it preserves and promotes the faith, let us not limit it, because we would be limiting the preservation and spread of the faith itself.”
When asked about the faithful who travel long distances to attend the TLM on Sunday, Cardinal Sarah said: “I can only admire this great expression of love for God. This phenomenon is becoming increasingly widespread.”
“If the hierarchy is truly capable of reading the signs of the times today—and not those of ’68, still arriving too late—then opportunities for fraternal and peaceful dialogue can open up,” he added.
“As a Church, we cannot wage war against those who devoutly participate in Mass simply because they prefer one form over another: it is a short-sighted and entirely ideological attitude, and therefore neither pastoral nor Christian. It is harmful and destructive to the Church,” he concluded.
In the same interview, the former prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments also said that a certain aversion to Latin and Gregorian Chant is mostly observed among some of the Baby Boomer generation.
“It seems to me that this aversion, found in certain self-referential cultural circles, is more psychological than truly grounded, and I believe it is solely a generational issue: when the generation of ’68ers passes away, so too will these unfounded, one-sided views that undermine the very cultural stature of Latin Catholicism,” he stated.
The publication of Cardinal Sarah’s interview with Il Giornale came shortly after Pope Leo XIV suggested that Catholics who attend the TLM participate less “consciously” in the sacrifice of the Mass.
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Liar
Ping
Communists wanted demoralization and there were apparently plenty of them in Europe and South America.
No one knew Leo could read minds.
Apparently Pope Leo and his synodal fathers can read the Holy Ghost's mind in their never-ending synods.
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