Cardinal Burke celebrates Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Old Rite at St Peter’s Basilica

Cardinal Raymond Burke has celebrated a Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Old Rite in Saint Peter’s Basilica, an event which marked a significant return of a long-cherished tradition to the the heart of Christendom.

The Mass was part of the Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage, held this year between October 24–26, which also included Vespers in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, presided over by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi.

The Mass itself was preceded by a half-mile procession from the Basilica of Sts Celso and Giuliano to St Peter’s, culminating in Cardinal Burke’s celebration of the Mass at the Altar of the Chair — a privilege not granted in recent years. 

In his homily, Cardinal Burke emphasised that “it is the source of deepest joy for me to offer the Pontifical Mass at the Altar of the Chair of Saint Peter … I express heartfelt gratitude to those who have laboured so diligently and well to make possible the Pilgrimage. I am offering the Holy Mass for the faithful in the Church throughout the world, who labour to safeguard and promote the beauty of the Usus Antiquior of the Roman Rite.” He went on to reflect that through this ancient form “Our Lord is with us in the most perfect way possible on this earth,” and urged the faithful, one with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to draw others to Christ, the fullness of God’s mercy and love.

The pilgrimage’s scale was evident not only in the standing-room-only crowd in the basilica but also in the presence of a further two cardinals: the 96-year-old Cardinal Ernesto Simoni of Albania and Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, former President of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences.

Named after Benedict XVI’s 2007 motu proprio which greatly increased the availability of the Traditional Latin Mass, the Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage traces its roots back to 2011 and has become an annual fixture for communities attached to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.

However, in 2023 and 2024 the pilgrimage was not able to receive authorisation to celebrate the Latin Mass in St Peter’s Basilica from the basilica’s liturgy office, according to organiser Christian Marquant.

In recent years the battle over the Latin Mass has seen reversals and tensions. In 2021 Pope Francis released the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes and in 2023 approved a Rescriptum ex Audientia Sanctissimi signed by Cardinal Arthur Roche, which further restricted its availability. Whilst under Leo’s papacy there has been no formal change in policy, it is generally understood that he will take a more lenient approach to its celebration, with this weekend's events being an example of accommodation for the older form.  

The pilgrimage programme continues today. At 08:30 the Mass of Thanksgiving of Christ the King will be celebrated in the Basilica of San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini, followed at 11:00 by the solemn closing Mass at the Church of Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, and later at 16:30 a Mass of Thanksgiving at the Church of Sant’Anna in Laterano.

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Photo credit: Cardinal Burke instagram

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