October 15, 2025
October 15, 2025

Cardinal Sarah warns of new ‘battlefield’ over Church liturgy

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Cardinal Robert Sarah has spoken from his home in Rome against what he called the renewed “battlefield” surrounding the Church’s liturgy.

In an interview with the French media outlet Tribune Chrétienne on 13 October, the Guinean cardinal, former Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, reflected on the tensions that have followed the restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass introduced by Traditionis custodes in 2021.

He said that the Mass, “the only moment when man is face to face with God,” had been turned into a source of conflict between “traditionalists and progressives,” warning that such quarrels risk profaning the Eucharist itself. He called for reflection and reconciliation, insisting that the liturgy must never become a weapon of factionalism within the Church. “Why do we have to fight?” he asked. “Why forbid this or that? Who gives us this right?”

Cardinal Sarah urged that those who attend the Traditional Latin Mass should not be marginalised, noting that many of the most devout practising Catholics are among them. “The Pope is the father of everyone,” he said. “He is the father of the traditionalists, the father of the progressives, the father of everyone.” He added that he had discussed the issue with Pope Francis, who, he said, was aware of the difficulties caused by differing applications of Traditionis custodes in various dioceses.

In the wide-ranging interview, Cardinal Sarah also spoke firmly on questions of morality and faith. He described abortion as “an abominable crime” and said that efforts in France to enshrine it as a constitutional right were “a direct insult to God.”

He reiterated that the ordination of women to the priesthood is “impossible,” declaring that the Church has “no authority” to do so, and warned that any attempt to create a female priesthood would not be part of the apostolic tradition.

Turning to the moral and social issues facing the West, the cardinal said that societies which “detach themselves from God” were on a path to “suicide,” arguing that secularism had become a “war against the Church.”

He said that while cases of clerical abuse must be punished, some use the scandal to attack the Church as a whole. He also condemned the display of the LGBT flag in St Peter’s Basilica, calling it an “insult to God,” and criticised what he called the “idolatry” of nature in some ecological movements.

Cardinal Sarah’s remarks come as debate continues over the future of the Traditional Latin Mass and the Church’s response to growing secularisation in Europe. Since Pope Francis issued Traditionis custodes in July 2021, restricting the celebration of the Latin Mass, bishops across the world have implemented the decree with varying degrees of severity.

In France, where attachment to the traditional rites remains strong, several dioceses have seen tensions arise between clergy and lay communities seeking to preserve access to the 1962 Missal.

At the same time, the Vatican faces increasing pressure to address the declining practice of the faith across Western Europe, with Mass attendance and vocations falling sharply in several traditionally Catholic countries. Senior conservative prelates have warned of a deepening spiritual crisis as public life in Europe becomes increasingly detached from Christian values.

Related: EXCLUSIVE: Cardinal Robert Sarah on beauty and the mission of the priest

(Photo by GUY PETERSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Cardinal Robert Sarah has spoken from his home in Rome against what he called the renewed “battlefield” surrounding the Church’s liturgy.

In an interview with the French media outlet Tribune Chrétienne on 13 October, the Guinean cardinal, former Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, reflected on the tensions that have followed the restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass introduced by Traditionis custodes in 2021.

He said that the Mass, “the only moment when man is face to face with God,” had been turned into a source of conflict between “traditionalists and progressives,” warning that such quarrels risk profaning the Eucharist itself. He called for reflection and reconciliation, insisting that the liturgy must never become a weapon of factionalism within the Church. “Why do we have to fight?” he asked. “Why forbid this or that? Who gives us this right?”

Cardinal Sarah urged that those who attend the Traditional Latin Mass should not be marginalised, noting that many of the most devout practising Catholics are among them. “The Pope is the father of everyone,” he said. “He is the father of the traditionalists, the father of the progressives, the father of everyone.” He added that he had discussed the issue with Pope Francis, who, he said, was aware of the difficulties caused by differing applications of Traditionis custodes in various dioceses.

In the wide-ranging interview, Cardinal Sarah also spoke firmly on questions of morality and faith. He described abortion as “an abominable crime” and said that efforts in France to enshrine it as a constitutional right were “a direct insult to God.”

He reiterated that the ordination of women to the priesthood is “impossible,” declaring that the Church has “no authority” to do so, and warned that any attempt to create a female priesthood would not be part of the apostolic tradition.

Turning to the moral and social issues facing the West, the cardinal said that societies which “detach themselves from God” were on a path to “suicide,” arguing that secularism had become a “war against the Church.”

He said that while cases of clerical abuse must be punished, some use the scandal to attack the Church as a whole. He also condemned the display of the LGBT flag in St Peter’s Basilica, calling it an “insult to God,” and criticised what he called the “idolatry” of nature in some ecological movements.

Cardinal Sarah’s remarks come as debate continues over the future of the Traditional Latin Mass and the Church’s response to growing secularisation in Europe. Since Pope Francis issued Traditionis custodes in July 2021, restricting the celebration of the Latin Mass, bishops across the world have implemented the decree with varying degrees of severity.

In France, where attachment to the traditional rites remains strong, several dioceses have seen tensions arise between clergy and lay communities seeking to preserve access to the 1962 Missal.

At the same time, the Vatican faces increasing pressure to address the declining practice of the faith across Western Europe, with Mass attendance and vocations falling sharply in several traditionally Catholic countries. Senior conservative prelates have warned of a deepening spiritual crisis as public life in Europe becomes increasingly detached from Christian values.

Related: EXCLUSIVE: Cardinal Robert Sarah on beauty and the mission of the priest

(Photo by GUY PETERSON/AFP via Getty Images)

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