Cardinal Vincent Nichols has refused permission for the celebration of the old Latin rite of the traditional Easter Triduum in Westminster. This is the first time since the 1990s that the Easter Triduum won’t be celebrated in the Westminster Diocese. The traditional Triduum rite follows the liturgical books in use before the 1970 liturgy reform. Read more
Ignoring restrictions on the use of the Latin Mass and making schismatic statements means a Brazilian priest faces canonical proceedings. The Archbishop of São Paulo, Cardinal Odilo Scherer, issued a decree on November 23 stripping Fr Fábio Fernandes of his public ministry and removing him as pastor from Our Lady of Sorrows Church in São Read more
In the wake of recent events in Christchurch involving the fringe group “Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer” and their alleged exorcisms, a critical examination of the Church’s stance on pre-Vatican II Latin Mass rites is both timely and necessary. This group’s actions have them being accused of operating as a law unto themselves, disrespecting Read more
Liturgical Theologian Dr Joe Grayland questions why fringe groups such as the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer are tolerated. “They do not belong to the mainstream of the Church and do not follow the ordinary form of the Mass promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969 (Novus Ordo). Last week, NewsHub alleged the Sons of Read more
An annual Requiem Mass at Westminster Cathedral, with a rich tradition spanning over half a century, has been relocated due to ongoing Vatican restrictions on celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass. For more than 50 years, the Latin Mass Society has hosted this annual sung Mass, dedicated to the repose of the souls of its deceased Read more
Dutch bishop, Robert Mutsaerts, is questioning the presence of God in the Synodal process, saying the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with it. “God is out of the picture in this damned synodal process,” he says. Mutsaerts is the auxiliary bishop of Den Bosch in the Netherlands. Critical of the working document for the Read more
In part II, Bishop Peter Cullinane clarifies some of the areas in Pope Francis’ Decree Traditionis Custodes, where there is potential for misunderstandings and superficiality. Liturgical misunderstandings and superficiality develops Part I: Like charity, Christian unity begins at home. Wasn’t the Traditional Latin Mass the “Mass of the ages”? Yes, which is why it adapts Read more
When Jesus’ first disciples were signing on, “Philip found Nathaniel and said ‘we have found the one Moses wrote about… Jesus from Nazareth’. Faced with Nathaniel’s scepticism, Philip simply said ‘come and see” (John 1:43-46). And that did it. If this same Jesus is now “Christ among you, …” (Col.1:27), then people’s experience of Christian Read more
The Vatican’s liturgy chief said this week that Pope Francis issued Traditionis custodes as the effort to reconcile the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) “has not entirely been successful” and it is necessary to “go back” to what Vatican II required of the Church. In an interview with a television channel serving Italian-speaking Switzerland, Read more
The vicar general for the Diocese of Rome has banned the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass during the Easter Triduum in his implementation of Pope Francis’ motu proprio Traditionis custodes. In a letter dated Oct 7, but made public on several blogs Nov 9, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis said that Mass could continue to Read more