A NEW PAPAL RESCRIPT AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE LATIN MASS – IS THIS THE TRUTH BEHIND “TRADITIONIS CUSTODES”? – POPE FRANCIS CLARIFIES TWO POINTS OF “TRADITIONIS CUSTODES”

Notwithstanding the issues I am having with bad back pain, a doctor’s order to not work for a week and the continuing search for solutions and tests for my problem, I could not let today pass in silence. I rested most of the day and felt comfortable enough to sit at my computer and prepare this column. By the way, thanks for the many prayers!

I keep up with Vatican news and when I saw today’s papal rescript on the TLM, I knew I had to bring a few things to light. Please, please read this when you have some quality time. Especially leave time for the radio interview with Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, a canon lawyer.

A NEW PAPAL RESCRIPT AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE LATIN MASS

To learn a LOT more about the papal rescript issued today at the Vatican as well as “Traditionis Custodes,” the papal document at the heart of the rescript, from a very knowledgeable and respected canon lawyer, you absolutely must read this piece by JD Flynn to understand the entire question about the Traditional Latin Mass: The rescript, Lent, and prayers for Bishop O’Connell (pillarcatholic.com). Scroll down almost half way and you will find the rescript story.

Please, please only read this when you have the time to digest it all – and pray over the matter, even one Ave Maria.

Pope Francis, as he has done in a number of time in the almost 10 years of his pontificate, single-handedly, once again, changed church law via today’s rescript. This is a new law, not another interpretation of what was written in “Traditionis Custodes,” The Vatican news story says the Pope “clarifies” two points in TC. That is made clear in The Pillar.

This is all very important for our Catholic faith, folks. It regards liturgy, the Eucharist, the Mass. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the Eucharist, i.e., the Sacrifice of the Mass, as “the source and summit of the Christian life” (CCC 1324).

The Traditional Latin Mass is one of two rites in our Church, the other being the novus ordo or Novus Ordo Missae, meaning the “new order of the Mass,” the Mass in modern languages that most of us attend, for example, during the week and on Sundays in our parishes. The novus ordo distinguishes the Mass promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969 from the Traditional Latin Mass promulgated by Pope Pius V in 1570.

Since 2021, with Pope Francis’ “Traditionis Custodes,” the TLM has been continually restrained and limited by Rome to the point of puzzling, saddening, worrying and even creating anguish for the countless number of faithful who love and faithfully live this Mass, as they love and faithfully live the teachings of the Catholic Church as found in her Magisterium.

Today’s rescript came out as a further restriction on this Mass, actually more of a restriction on bishops and what they can or must do (or cannot or must not do) vis-a-vis the TLM .

And now, let’s look at the behind the scenes, the genesis of “Traditionis Custodes.” It’s all about a survey that Pope Francis asked the then Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith to undertake to get the opinion of the world’s’ bishops on the TLM: Is it OK? Are there problems in their diocese with people attending this Mass? Are TLM attendees faithful Catholics who respect the decrees and teachings of Vatican Council II?

Read on. And please share all you have learned today…

IS THIS THE TRUTH BEHIND “TRADITIONIS CUSTODES”?

This report on “Traditionis custodes” at the Remnant by Diane Montagna, The Remnant Newspaper – TRADITIONIS CUSTODES: Separating Fact from Fiction, is a blockbuster. I can already hear a few intakes of breath as you read that she learns and then shares with us the actual number of the world’s bishops who responded to the CDF survey! TC implies that the document had to be written because so many bishops were opposed to the TLM. Read on…

You will also want to listen to this: an audio interview with Bishop Paprocki of Springfield, a noted canon lawyer. He talks about TC and refers to the Montagna article and statistics at minute 35:48, answering a question: Changes to the Latin Mass | Catholic Answers   I found this here:  News – Latin Mass Directory

POPE FRANCIS CLARIFIES TWO POINTS OF ‘TRADITIONIS CUSTODES’

Pope Francis publishes a rescript related to the motu proprio “Traditionis custodes”, and clarifies that bishops must obtain authorization from the Holy See before granting permission for parish churches to be used for Eucharistic celebrations with the preconciliar rite and before allowing priests ordained after 16 July 2021 to use the 1962 Roman Missal. Pope Francis clarifies two points of ‘Traditionis custodes’ – Vatican News

 

POPE CONFIRMS FSSP RIGHT TO USE LITURGICAL BOOKS IN FORCE IN 1962

Tune it to “At Home with Jim and Joy” for their live phone-in show today at 1:30 pm ET when the focus is on preparing for Lent. I bring my weekly offering to the show, telling how I usually prepare for this annual season and what I’ll be reading this year – one volume might be a surprise!

A scheduled meeting of Pope Francis with the Council of Cardinal Advisors began this morning in the Vatican. These meetings usually last three days, with the press office issuing a summary of the work accomplished on Wednesday.

POPE CONFIRMS FSSP RIGHT TO USE LITURGICAL BOOKS IN FORCE IN 1962

From Fribourg, Switzerland, February 21, 2022

In a February meeting with 2 members of FSSP in Rome, “the Pope made it clear that institutes such as the Fraternity of St. Peter are not affected by the general provisions of the Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes, since the use of the ancient liturgical books was at the origin of their existence and is provided for in their constitutions.

“The Holy Father subsequently sent a decree signed by him and dated February 11, the day the Fraternity was solemnly consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, confirming for the members of the Fraternity the right to use the liturgical books in force in 1962, namely: the Missal, the Ritual, the Pontifical and the Roman Breviary.”

For more: Official communiqué of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter – FSSP

Photo: Fr. Paul-Joseph (left) and Fr. Vincent Ribeton (right) with Pope Francis – © Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter

VATICAN INSIDER: SPECIAL EDITION ON PAPAL MOTU TRADITIONIS CUSTODES – CHURCH TO MARK FIRST WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY

L’Osservatore Romano in the weekly English edition: I’m not sure if this link will work because, as of July 1, the Vatican newspaper requires a paying subscription. I have paid but am not sure if it works if I merely post a link or if you will be asked to sign in. ING_2021_030_2307.pdf (osservatoreromano.va)

VATICAN INSIDER: SPECIAL EDITION ON PAPAL MOTU TRADITIONIS CUSTODES

Because of the repercussions heard around the world since the July 16^th release by the Vatican of Pope Francis’ Motu proprio TRADITIONIS CUSTODES On the Use of the Roman Liturgy Prior to the Reform of 1970, I am dedicating the interview segment of Vatican Insider to a Special about this papal document. I will try to examine the whys and wherefores of TRADITIONIS CUSTODES – which is Latin for Guardians of Tradition – and look at its reception.

As you probably know by now, the motu proprio was accompanied by a lengthy letter to the world’s bishops in which the Pope explained the reasons behind his decision to abrogate previous norms for the Latin Mass. I will look at both the motu and the papal letter to bishops and then examine some of the questions that have arisen since the papal document’s publication.

IN THE UNITED STATES, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (stations listed at www.ewtn.com) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio, or on http://www.ewtn.com. OUTSIDE THE U.S., you can listen to EWTN radio on our website home page by clicking on the right side where you see “LISTEN TO EWTN.” VI airs at 5am and 9pm ET on Saturdays and 6am ET on Sundays. On the GB-IE feed (which is on SKY in the UK and Ireland), VI airs at 5:30am, 12 noon and 10pm CET on Sundays. Both of these feeds are also available on the EWTN app and on www.ewtnradio.net ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI archives: go to https://www.ewtn.com/radio/audio-archive and write the name of the guest for whom you are serarching in the SEARCH box. Below that, will appear “Vatican Insider” – click on that and the link to that particular episode will appear.

CHURCH TO MARK FIRST WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY

This Sunday the Vatican will inaugurate the very first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, a day that Pope Francis established at the end of January this year. He will not, however, be presiding at Sunday’s Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica as he continues to recover from his July 4 surgery in a Rome hospital for diverticular stenosis of the colon. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, will celebrate the July 25^th World Day Mass.

Princess Leonore, held by Sweden’s Queen Silvia, gives a papal key chain to Pope Francis during her grandmother’s private audience with Pope Francis in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican in this April 27, 2015, file photo. The pope has chosen the theme, “I am with you always,” for the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which will be celebrated July 25, 2021. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Pope Francis selected the fourth Sunday of July for this annual celebration as the nearest date to the July 26 feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Jesus’ grandparents. The theme of this first World Day is “I am with you always.”