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[Catholic Caucus] The Church ‘Cannot Declare War’ on Latin Mass Devotees, Cardinal Robert Sarah Says The cardinal praised Pope Benedict’s 2007 decision to allow the faithful greater access to the Latin Mass but called Pope Francis’ 2021 decision to restrict it neither ‘sensible’ nor ‘respectful.’“We, as a Church, cannot declare war on those who devoutly attend Mass simply because they prefer one form over another; this is a shortsighted and entirely ideological stance and, therefore, neither pastoral nor Christian,” Cardinal Robert Sarah said on Aug. 27. “It is harmful and destructive to the Church.”Cardinal Sarah, the former prefect of the...

[Catholic Caucus] EXCLUSIVE: ‘I hate to see them pained’: Cardinal Radcliffe on traditional CatholicsEXCLUSIVE: Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe speaks to AdVaticanum about Britain’s Catholic revival, the appeal of the faith to young people, synodality, growing Dominican vocations and his sympathy for Catholics attached to the Traditional Latin MassThe first English Dominican cardinal since the convert Cardinal Philip Howard in the 17th century, and the first Englishman ever to serve as Master of the Order of Preachers, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe is a symbol of Catholicism’s resurgence in the United Kingdom after centuries of persecution. Like St John Henry Newman before him, he...

[Catholic Caucus] New bishop of West Virginia increases TLM locations from two to five By Mark Lambert via TwitterThis is genuinely encouraging news from the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. Bishop Evelio Menjívar has appointed Fr Timothy J. Grassi as Episcopal Delegate for Matters Concerning the Usus Antiquior explicitly “to foster greater unity among the Catholic faithful and provide for their various spiritual needs.”Surely Traditiones Custodes is a dead letter?Here is a bishop recognising that the spiritual needs of those who attend the Traditional Mass are real, that they belong within the life of the Church, and that pastoral care rather than...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Sarah condemns Latin Mass restrictions: ‘Destructive to the Church’ 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...

[Catholic Caucus] Jesuit priest says he ‘hates’ Traditional Latin Mass and criticises Pope Benedict XVI Jesuit priest Fr Thomas Reese SJ has explained why he “hates” the Traditional Latin Mass and criticised Pope Benedict XVI’s approach to liturgical reformJesuit priest Fr Thomas Reese SJ has written a column entitled “Why I hate the Latin Mass”. The column takes the form of the priest pretending to go to confession. He begins by telling the imaginary confessor: “It has been a week since my last column, I mean my last confession. Since that time, I have expressed hatred toward the old Latin...

Vatican Double Standard: Communists IN, Traditionalists OUTWhy does the Vatican tolerate Communist China’s state-appointed Catholic bishops while cracking down on the SSPX and the Traditional Latin Mass? Michael Matt examines the growing double standard and the disturbing ramifications for faithful Catholics. Why is the Vatican eager to tolerate bishops appointed by Communist China without a papal mandate while taking increasingly severe action against Traditional Catholic bishops of the SSPX?Michael Matt examines this contradiction alongside a series of developments affecting Traditional Catholics: reported restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass in Seattle and Pittsburgh, new pressure against the TLM in England, and...

[Catholic Caucus] Leo XIV Backs Liturgical Program after 'Traditionis Custodes' Leo XIV has sent a message to Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship. The occasion is a meeting at Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon devoted to liturgical formation. Dated June 29, the brief message was published today in the Vatican bulletin. The text appears to reinforce Cardinal Roche’s recent statement that Leo XIV does not intend to abolish Traditionis Custodes. Leo XIV calls for respect for “the rites promulgated by Pope Saint Paul VI and Pope Saint John Paul II.” He adds that this respect must...

[Catholic Caucus] WATCH: Massive earthquake during Latin Mass right at consecration A 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia shook a chapel in the middle of the consecration. But the celebrant and faithful continued to pray calmly.A viral video shows Catholics continuing to pray calmly as an earthquake shook the church during a Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) at the chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help this week.During a daily TLM on August 10, a devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake, the strongest quake recorded in the country during the 21st century, shook the chapel in the middle of the consecration. Despite the circumstances, the celebrant...

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer: Trajectory, Ideology, and Legacy of Catholic TraditionalismEarly Years, Family Environment, and Priestly VocationAntônio de Castro Mayer was born in the city of Campinas, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, on June 20, 1904. He grew up in a deeply Catholic family of humble origins, being one of twelve children. His father, Johannes (João) Mayer, was a German stonemason from the region of Bavaria who had emigrated to Brazil in search of better work opportunities and stability for his family. His mother, Francisca de Castro, was a devout Brazilian peasant woman whose profound...

[Catholic Caucus] Texas Bishop Expands Latin MassBishop Michael Sis of San Angelo, West Texas, will expand access to the traditional Latin Mass with a new monthly celebration at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Midland, beginning August 30.Rev. Ryan Rojo, the diocese’s Vocations Director and Director of Seminarians, announced the development on X.com.The Mass will be celebrated on the last Sunday of each month at 3 p.m.Rev. Rojo promised that this is “just a beginning”: “The diocese discerns a path forward to provide for our people.”He added that other diocesan priests will learn to celebrate the Roman rite in the coming...

[Catholic Caucus] Only Diocesan TLM in Diocese of Pittsburgh Abolished The Diocese of Pittsburgh has canceled its only remaining diocesan indult Latin Mass, at St Titus in Aliquippa, about to enter its 20th consecutive year, because according to Bishop Eckman, it "was only ever meant to be temporary." (Information from the X account of the Mason-Dixon Latin Mass Society, which published the grotesque letter below):

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Schneider: ‘Nothing more dangerous for religion’ than liturgical ‘interference’The Church's 'apostolic rule' is that 'antiquity was retained, novelty was rejected,' according to Bishop Schneider.Bishop Athanasius Schneider warned in a sermon this weekend that “nothing is more dangerous for a religion” than “interference with the liturgy.”The auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, defended the importance of upholding the Church’s sacred tradition, including its traditional liturgy, during a visit to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in Limerick, Ireland.He emphasized that it is a perpetual precept of the Catholic Church to remain faithful to its tradition, both “doctrinally...

[Catholic Caucus] Abp. Cordileone says Vatican TLM restrictions aren’t ‘realistic,’ contra Cardinal Roche ‘We look at the younger generation. They all love the tradition,’ Archbishop Cordileone told Raymond Arroyo. ‘This is unstoppable.’Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said that the Vatican’s restriction of the Traditional Latin Mass “isn’t realistic” because young Catholics’ love of tradition is “unstoppable.”“To be honest, I don’t think it’s realistic. We look at the younger generation. They all love the tradition,” he told Raymond Arroyo on EWTN’s “The World Over” last night.“They love the more classical way that the Church worships, the traditional Mass,” he said, also citing interest...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo will not overturn Francis’ Latin Mass restrictions: Cardinal RocheThe Vatican’s liturgy head said Pope Leo XIV will maintain the provisions of ‘Traditionis Custodes’ and will not return to the broader Latin Mass permissions established by Pope Benedict XVI. Cardinal Arthur Roche said in a new interview that Pope Leo will not restore freedoms for the Traditional Latin Mass extended under Pope Benedict XVI.On July 29, British Catholic weekly The Tablet published an interview with Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, who stated that Pope Leo XIV will maintain...

[Catholic Caucus] Divine Worship Prefect Roche: “Leo will not change Traditionis or go back to Summorum.” From his interview to British Catholic periodical “The Tablet,” the words of Cardinal Roche are peremptory: “But no, Pope Leo is not going to change Traditionis Custodes, and he’s not going back to Summorum Pontificum.”Meaning, the Traditional Latin Mass will remain in the Egypt of Captivity (Traditionis) and never return to the Promised Land of Liberty (Summorum).Excerpt below (behind the paywall, but provided by our occasional contributor Matthew Hazell on X):Cardinal Roche is 76. He is therefore past the age of retirement.(Interview)

[Catholic Caucus] Beware Of The Tales About Padre Pio And Archbishop LefebvreMy favourite Saint kissing the ring of my favourite ArchbishopI did not know that there were people evil enough to try to falsely use the dead Padre Pio to slander the great Archbishop Lefebvre. However, because I now know, I think it useful to post this in order to help preventing the spreading of lies. Two words more in general: everybody who knows two things of Padre Pio knows that 1) he hates the “aggiornamento”, and 2) he hoped to die before having to celebrate the Mass of Paul...

[Catholic Caucus] Facing God, Rooted in Christ: The Latin Mass, Tradition, and OrthodoxyThe always remembered Pope Benedict XVI — whom it is quite possible will one day be declared a Doctor of the Church — sought, through his Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of July 7, 2007, on the two uses of the one Roman Rite in its ordinary and extraordinary forms, to liberalize the celebration of the Mass commonly called "traditional," "Tridentine," "of Saint Pius V," or "the Mass of all time." He did so with the aim of contributing to liturgical peace and out of the respect owed to...

‘It’s a trap!’ How the Latin Mass will be used to domesticate Trads in the Synodal ChurchOnce everyone is put into their cage, a hybrid Novus Ordo Mass in Latin could be announced.Editor’s note: This essay is reprinted from the Radical Fidelity blog on Substack.Long before the SSPX consecrations and the consequent excommunications, I and others — unlike Trad. Inc. — warned with monotonous regularity that the overarching issue is not the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) alone, but the new Vatican II religion issuing from Rome.We have stated repeatedly that there could be no compromise over the liturgy while adhering...

Michael Davies: A “First Responder” of Catholic TraditionAs a 25-year-old who had just entered the seminary, I lacked the proper vocabulary to articulate my dissatisfaction with Catholic liturgical life as I experienced it. I was born in 1965, the last year of the Second Vatican Council, and so had lived my Catholic faith and discerned a priestly vocation entirely under the new rite of the Mass established by Pope Paul VI after Vatican II. Yet I had come to see, in how the liturgy was typically celebrated, serious problems that (as I later learned) derived from its departures, in ways...

Cardinal, bishops support expanding Latin Mass access after SSPX consecrationsCardinal Kurt Koch said that ‘we have to rethink’ Pope Francis’ restrictions on the Latin Mass, and a bishop in Norway vowed to continue and possibly expand the TLM in his diocese.Since the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) consecrated four bishops without a papal mandate and the subsequent decree of excommunication by the Holy See, some Catholic bishops and a cardinal have said that the Vatican should rethink the restrictions of Traditionis Custodes, while at least one ordinary has promised to expand access to the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in...