Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] Dr. Kwasniewski and the Honest TruthClose the Workshop: Why the Old Mass Isn’t Broken and the New Mass Can’t Be FixedI imagine very few millennials grew up as traditional Catholics. For most of us, it was a tangled process, or rather conversion, that led from the kitsch and thin Catholicism of our youth—“And if the devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a tack. Ouch!”—to that rich, distant land of Tradition. It took until my late teens before I attended my first traditional Latin Mass. I was sold right from the Asperges. “Eureka!…or whatever that word is...

[Catholic Caucus] His Own University is Now Against Him: Andrea Grillo, Francis' Liturgist and the Father of Traditionis Custodes, Hates the Eucharist and Must Have His Imprint ErasedAndrea Grillo: has any man done more to rekindle the liturgical wars?The detestable Italian professor was introduced by some malevolent Vatican spirit to Francis and created the document that would later be signed by the late pope as "Traditionis custodes", whose aim is explicitly to destroy the Traditional Latin Mass in the long term.But it seems Grillo has at last bitten more than he can chew (or at least at last because it...

[Catholic Caucus] The Pope meets French Bishops -- The Traditional Mass Orders Ignored in Vocation Crisis reportThe gravest crisis in a great part of the Church is that of vocations -- and France is no exception, of course. In Rorate, we have covered it often, including making clear that, with current trends persisting, a huge proportion of active priests in France in a few decades will be those dedicated exclusively or mostly to the Traditional Latin Mass (cf. here, for instance).Leo XIV met with the outgoing board of the French Bishops' Conference (CEF) last week, and, as Silere non Possum...

[Catholic Caucus] ‘Save the Latin Mass’ rally planned at Detroit cathedral following crackdownFaithful Catholics will gather for a “Save the Latin Mass” rally on Saturday, June 28 outside the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit, Michigan.The prayerful protest follows a decision by Archbishop Edward Weisenburger to ban the Latin Mass at all but four churches in the archdiocese.Weisenburger has also prohibited ad orientem liturgies, even though nothing in Traditionis Custodes or any Vatican II or subsequent documents forbid the priest facing the altar during Mass.READ: Detroit archbishop shuts down most Latin Masses, bans ad orientem worshipSaturday’s rally will...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Burke: Doctrinal and Moral Corruption ‘Directly Related’ to Abuse of the LiturgyRecalling the warnings of popes and saints, Cardinal Burke said neglect of liturgical law and tradition has paved the way for widespread confusion about faith and morals.Cardinal Raymond Burke has appealed to Pope Leo XIV to lift the restrictions on the pre-1970 liturgy, stressing that respect for liturgical tradition is critical for the Catholic Church’s mission and that doctrinal and moral corruption shows itself in “divisions and factions” that lead to liturgical abuse. Speaking via video link to a London conference celebrating 60 years of the...

[Catholic Caucus] Diocesan Latin Mass to be suppressed in Tulsa, OklahomaThe only diocesan Latin Mass in Tulsa will be shut down in July, according to a blogger.A diocesan traditional Latin Mass that has been held for 13 years in the Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is to be suppressed by July, according to parishioners.“I am saddened to report that as of Sunday, June 29th, 2025, A.D., in the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ, despite my own efforts at a petition, and I am sure other local requests, after 13 years the Latin Mass Community of Ss. Peter and Paul (SSPP)...

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Schneider: "The TLM enables doctrinal clarity."Drawing from his own experiences under Soviet persecution, Bishop Schneider encouraged Catholics to be willing to suffer and persevere for the sake of the Catholic Faith and the traditional liturgy (pre-Vatican 2), despite facing “liturgical exile” or persecution within the Church. Strikingly, the prelate’s message was one of hope and joy, exhorting the audience to suffer for the Catholic Faith with joy, confidence, and zeal. After all, we have not entered the Barque of Peter “to escape out of it” but to keep the faith under the banner of Christ the King.Bishop...

[Catholic Caucus] Chartres pilgrimage proves young Catholics hunger for traditionWith banners raised and blisters endured, pilgrims on the Chartres pilgrimage proclaimed Jesus' kingship and the beauty of His Church’s ancient traditions.When the “Pilgrimage of Christendom,” as it was officially named at the start, made its first gruelling journey on foot from Paris to Chartres in 1983, it attracted more marchers than the organizers thought possible: some 500 pilgrims joined the pioneers, inspired by the example of the pilgrimage of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland, which was still under communist rule at the time.The founding “Centre Henri et André Charlier”...

[Catholic Caucus] The "Mercy" Hammer Comes Down on Traditional Latin Masses in Detroit -- 10 Parish Masses to be Closed [Update: Ad Orientem posture in Novus Ordo also banned][Updated: as the full implementation document at the end makes clear, the ban of ad orientem and other traditional liturgical aspects in the Novus Ordo is not a rumor anymore, but it's fully public.] Ugliness and cruelty dressed up as goodness and obedience. Disgusting.A few notes:1. "Fidelity to the Holy Father's call" - He means Francis; Leo XIV has made no such call yet.2. The "all other sites" for which permission will...

[Catholic Caucus] The Traditional Latin Mass on Mount EverestAb ortu enim solis usque ad occasum, magnum est nomen meum in gentibus, et in omni loco sacrificatur : et offertur nomini meo oblatio munda, quia magnum est nomen meum in gentibus, dicit Dominus exercituum. (Mal. 1:11)From the National Catholic Register:Father Doohan, a priest of the Diocese of Dunkeld, arrived in Nepal on May 2, hauling medical supplies for St. Ignatius’ Church in Kathmandu, then set off with Bishokarma and a small porter team toward Everest Base Camp — 4 vertical miles higher than Scotland’s Ben Nevis. “Heaven has once again come...

[Catholic Caucus] Michigan bishop allows Latin Mass to continue after it was set to end due to Pope FrancisThe Traditional Latin Mass in the Diocese of Saginaw was set to end on June 13 due to Traditionis Custodes.The bishop of Saginaw, Michigan, is allowing the Traditional Latin Mass in his diocese to continue for the time being after permission for it was set to expire on June 13 due to Pope Francis’ Traditionis Custodes.A Saginaw parishioner wrote on Facebook Wednesday morning, “Thanks be to God our wonderful Shepherd Bishop Gruss has said the Latin Mass can continue at Holy Family...

Young mom shares powerful conversion story, deep love for Latin Mass'My view of the Traditional Latin Mass shifted from merely accepting it, to wholeheartedly embracing every part of it, and now publicly promoting it,' said Jennifer.Jennifer was excited when she was invited to join the Return to Tradition Women’s Conference team and now enjoys using her skills for an event with a mission in which she wholeheartedly believes.But there is more to it.First, the young mother of four draws inspiration from the elder women in the conference core group who looked to her for insight into reaching young adults.But further,...

[Catholic Caucus] Monsignor Christory announces that Pope Leo XIV himself is praying for the pilgrims of Chartreshttps://x.com/ab_couet/status/1932125317495394691?s=46&t=IydJ-X8H6c0NM044nYKQ0w

[Catholic Caucus] Record 19,000 young Catholics to walk Paris-Chartres pilgrimage amid Vatican scrutinyEighteen thousand pilgrims make their way to Chartres through the French fields at sunrise during the 2024 Paris to Chartres pilgrimage.Over 19,000 young Catholics will walk from Paris to Chartres this weekend in what has become France’s largest traditional pilgrimage — but this year’s journey unfolds under unprecedented Vatican scrutiny.Organized by the French Notre-Dame de Chrétienté association, the three-day walking journey — set to take place this year from June 7–9 from the French capital to the ancient cathedral — attracts thousands of pilgrims every year, many of...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo XIV Faces an Early Challenge: How to Deal With Pope Francis’ Restrictions on the Latin MassA significant early challenge for Pope Leo XIV will be how he chooses to handle the restrictions that Pope Francis placed on the traditional Latin Mass (TLM). Since Pope Francis issued his apostolic letter Traditionis Custodes (Guardians of Tradition) in July 2021, the freedom to celebrate the pre-1970 Mass has been curtailed — severely in some cases — with the long-term aim of allowing only the new Mass. Cardinals, bishops, priests and many of the laity, including some who do not...

Wall Street Journal highlights Gen Z’s interest in the Latin Mass, reverenceGen Z respondents praised the Latin Mass, the Sacraments, and beauty and reverence in the Catholic Church as to why they and their peers are drawn to Catholicism.Pilgrimage on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Summorum Pontificum, Pontifical Mass in Vetus Ordo Mass in Latin, Holy Mass at the Saint Peter's ChairThe Wall Street Journal became the latest mainstream media outlet to pick up on the increased interest among Millennials and Gen Z in the Catholic Church, with many particularly drawn by beautiful Latin Mass liturgies, the...

Charlotte bishop suppresses Latin Mass by relegating it to Protestant Christian centerCharlotte Bishop Michael Martin cited Pope Francis’ Traditionis Custodes in his decision to shut down Latin Masses, a devastating blow to faithful across North Carolina.Bishop Michael T. Martin of Charlotte, North Carolina announced Friday he will be shutting down traditional Latin Masses at parish churches in his diocese — four in total — and merging them into one non-Catholic chapel, citing Traditionis Custodes.The traditional Catholic social media account Sensus Fidelium posted a copy of the letter to X on Friday morning explaining that the decision shutters two diocesan TLM...

[Catholic Caucus] The Bishops of France and Cardinal Roche Still at War Against the Traditional Pilgrimages of France -- What Will Leo XIV do?Sometimes, decisions can wait. At other times, they have to be made fast.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...

[Catholic Caucus] Ohio bishop: In an age of ‘uninspiring’ liturgies, silence and reverence are needed at MassBishop Earl Fernandes admitted that ‘many of our liturgies are — on the human level — uninspiring, hurried, pedestrian.’The bishop of Columbus, Ohio, has highlighted the need for silence and reverence at Mass in keeping with the need for “Christocentric” worship.Bishop Earl Fernandes, who has seen the number of seminarians in his diocese more than double under his watch, penned a commentary published by the National Catholic Register on Wednesday suggesting that many liturgies today aren’t fit for purpose.Fernandes told how he first encountered...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo XIV: Catholics need to rediscover ‘sense of mystery’ in the liturgyPope Leo XIV's praise for the beauty and 'mystery' of the Eastern liturgy has given hope to Catholics that he might be more favorable to the traditional Mass than his predecessor.VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Praise from the pope for the beauty and “mystery” of the Eastern liturgy has given hope to Catholics that Leo XIV might be more favorable to the traditional Mass than his predecessor.In recent years, the long-standing so-called “liturgy wars” have become even more painful due to the sweeping and punitive restrictions placed...