Speaking at the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales conference, Cardinal Raymond Burke said that he has petitioned Pope Leo XIV to remove the restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass.
“It is my hope that he [Pope Leo] will put an end to the persecution of the faithful in the Church who desire to worship God according to the more ancient usage of the Roman Rite – this persecution from within the Church,” he said. “I certainly have already had occasion to express that to the Holy Father.”
He continued: “It is my hope that he will, as soon as is reasonably possible, take up the study of this question,” and that he will “restore the situation to as it was after <em>Summorum Pontificum</em>, and even continue to develop what Pope Benedict XVI had so wisely and lovingly legislated for the Church.”
Cardinal Burke is well known for championing traditionalist causes. Born on 30 June 1948 in Richland Center, Wisconsin, he was ordained a priest in 1975 by Pope Paul VI after studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
Pope John Paul II appointed Burke Bishop of La Crosse, Wisconsin, in 1994, where he founded the Wisconsin Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In 2003, he became Archbishop of St Louis. Known for his orthodox application of canon law and liturgical tradition, Burke gained national attention for refusing Communion to pro-abortion Catholic politicians.
Pope Benedict XVI named him Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in 2008 and created him a cardinal in 2010. Under Pope Francis, Burke’s influence waned; in 2014 he was removed as prefect and made Patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a role he held until 2023. He was a vocal critic of certain initiatives under Francis, notably <em>Amoris Laetitia</em>, and was one of four cardinals to submit the 2016 <em>dubia</em> seeking clarification on Church teaching regarding marriage and the sacraments.
Following the Second Vatican Council, major reforms to the liturgy were introduced, culminating in the 1969 promulgation of the <em>Novus Ordo Missae</em> by Pope Paul VI. This new Mass, celebrated in the vernacular, largely replaced the Traditional Latin Mass. While the older rite was not formally banned, its use was sharply restricted, requiring explicit permission from bishops.
In 1984, Pope John Paul II issued <em>Quattuor Abhinc Annos</em>, easing restrictions under certain conditions, followed by <em>Ecclesia Dei</em> in 1988, which allowed wider use for those attached to the old form. A major liberalisation came in 2007 when Pope Benedict XVI issued <em>Summorum Pontificum</em>, affirming that the Tridentine Mass had never been abrogated and allowing any priest to celebrate it privately or publicly without needing their bishop’s permission.
This changed in 2021 when Pope Francis issued <em>Traditionis Custodes</em>, revoking <em>Summorum Pontificum</em> and restoring bishops’ authority to regulate the Latin Mass. Subsequent Vatican guidance tightened restrictions further, requiring Vatican approval for new Latin Mass communities and barring its celebration in parish churches in many cases.
Whilst Pope Leo has not formally removed the restrictions imposed by his predecessor, early signs point to a more tolerant attitude towards the ancient rite.
Speaking to Eastern Catholic leaders on 14 May, Pope Leo said: “The Church needs you. The contribution that the Christian East can offer us today is immense! We have great need to recover the sense of mystery that remains alive in your liturgies.” Observers have seen this gentle criticism of Western liturgy as an indication of his desire to restore the more solemn and awe-inspiring expressions found in the ancient usage of the Roman Rite.
Read more: <a href="https://thecatholicherald.com/for-monday-why-pope-leo-xivs-gentle-criticism-of-contemporary-western-liturgy-is-a-vital-wakeup-call/"><em>Pope Leo XIV’s gentle criticism of contemporary western liturgy is a vital wake-up call</em></a>
There are also credible reports that as Cardinal Prevost, Leo offered the Traditional Latin Mass in his private chapel. As Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru (2015–2023), he would have overseen the implementation of <em>Summorum Pontificum</em> in his diocese, and there is no record of him restricting the Traditional Latin Mass during this time.
The Latin Mass Society’s Faith & Culture Conference took place at the London Oratory on Saturday 14 June. Other speakers included Dr Joseph Shaw, philosopher and chairman of the Latin Mass Society; Dr Tim Stanley, Catholic convert and columnist for <em>The Daily Telegraph</em>; and Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of Astana and a well-known voice on liturgical theology and the importance of doctrinal continuity within the Church.
<em>(Photo credit should read JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)</em>
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