World News

Paul Waddington reports on what’s happening around the globe

Vatican moves against the Latin Mass

The big story of recent weeks –covered in depth elsewhere in this issue of Mass ofAges - is the decision of Pope Francis to impose restrictions on the Latin Mass. It seems to have support from several cardinals as well as Pope Francis.

In May, the Italian traditionalist website, messainlatino.it, published a story stating that Pope Francis had addressed a plenary session of the Italian Bishops’ Conference in which he had talked about limiting the freedom of priests to choose to celebrate Mass in the Extraordinary Form. The report went on to state that Pope Francis was involved in further discussions with a smaller group of Italian bishops. The story was taken up by the American journalist, Diane Montagna, who added some detail in an article in The Remnant. She stated that the Vatican had produced a document, which was in its third draft, and did indeed propose restricting some of the provisions of Pope Benedict’s Motu Proprio, SummorumPontificum.

Referring to the document, Diane Montagna stated:

“In its present form, communities and diocesan priests who already offer the Mass in the Extraordinary Form may continue to do so, but diocesan clergy who wish to begin offering the Traditional Mass would have to obtain authorization.”

Rumour and speculation became fact when Pope Francis’ Traditionis Custodes was promulgated on 16 July. (For more on this see our Chairman’s Message, Roman report on page 15 and pages 8-9.)

Priestly Fraternity of St Peter expelled

The Archbishop of Dijon in the Burgundy region of France, Roland Minnerath, has expelled the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter. For the past 23 years, the Fraternity have offered the Traditional Latin Mass in two churches of the archdiocese, but have now been asked to leave by September. Archbishop Minnerath, is a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and is likely to have knowledge of Pope Francis’ proposals to restrict the spread of the Latin Mass.

The expulsion has caused outrage amongst the supporters of the FSSP in France, and a petition of protest rapidly attracted 5,000 signatures. On 26 June, the Archbishop addressed a delegation of protesters outside the diocesan offices. This has been captured on video, and the Archbishop states a number of times that the Fraternity are being removed because of the unwillingness of their priests to concelebrate Mass with other priests of the diocese. He also says: “You will have a new motu proprio in the coming days or weeks.”

It is understood that the Archbishop intends that a diocesan priest will offer a single Latin Mass on Sundays in the Basilica of Fontaine-les-Dijon after the FSSP have departed, but the protesters point out that this does not adequately serve their needs. They accuse the Archbishop of lacking any charity in the matter.

Traditional Ordinations

June is a month when many priestly ordinations take place. This year, nine new priests have been ordained for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, five in the USA, one in Mexico, two in Bavaria and one in New Zealand. The total is a little down on recent years, but the prospects for next year look good, with 17 newly ordained deacons entering their final year at seminary. These include Gwilym Evans who comes from Wales and is well known to many LMS members.

Eight priests were ordained for the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign PriestinFlorencebyCardinalBurkeonthe Feast of the Most Precious Blood. France and the USA each contributed three, while Canada and Spain contributed one each. Again, the Institute can expect plenty of priestly ordinations in future years. Two days earlier on the Feast of St Peter and St Paul, 22 seminarians received the cassock, having completed their first year of studies.

Also on the Feast of St Peter and St Paul, Bishop Athanasius Schneider ordained two priests for the Institute of the Good Shepherd.

In further news from traditional seminaries, the Personal Administration of St John Vianney, a quasi-diocese based in Campos, Brazil, has 27 seminarians and averages two or three priestly ordinations each year. The LMS has in the past given financial support to this administration, and their bishop, Fernando Rifan, has visited England twice at the invitation of the Latin Mass Society.

The eight new priests of the ICKSP at their ordination