Exclusive: Knoxville Diocese indicates Vatican order for end of all diocesan Latin Masses

Bishop Mark Beckman of Knoxville, Tennessee, has directed that all celebrations of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in the diocese cease by 23 November 2025, in accordance with the Vatican’s implementation of Pope Francis’s 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes.

The move, confirmed to The Catholic Herald by diocesan communications director John Mecklenborg, follows instructions from the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to bring Knoxville into conformity with the Holy See’s guidance.

Communities affected include Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville, St Henry Parish in Johnson City, and the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, where the 1962 Missal has been celebrated regularly since 2014. No alternative venues for the pre–Vatican II rite have yet been designated.

In a letter circulated among parishioners at St Mary’s Church, Johnson City, on 7 October, parish clergy announced a gradual transition from the Extraordinary Form to the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. 

The letter outlined that traditional elements — such as ad orientem celebration, Gregorian chant, use of the communion rail, and Latin — would continue within the 2002 Missal, reflecting what diocesan officials describe as “the faithful’s desire for these rites.”

Father David Carter, rector of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, addressed the change in an October homily entitled Treasures New and Old: Unity in Faith Post–Traditionis Custodes. He said the decision marked “a path of unity,” affirming that the move to the modern Missal would “preserve the treasures of our tradition while remaining in full communion with the Church.”

Mr Mecklenborg told The Catholic Herald in full that “Bishop Mark Beckman has been working closely with the three pastors in the Diocese of Knoxville where the Traditional Latin Mass has been celebrated. No issues were identified in the celebrations. This decision directly follows the Dicastery for Divine Worship’s request that Bishop Beckman implement Traditionis Custodes in the Diocese of Knoxville.”

He added that the bishop had “assured the faithful that legitimate aspirations for transcendence, reverence, and beauty will continue to be honoured” within the celebration of the 2002 Missal in Latin, and that “pastoral support will respect parishioners’ wishes while honouring the Church’s current liturgical practice.”

The decision brings to a close nearly two decades of diocesan support for the Traditional Latin Mass, which expanded under Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 Summorum Pontificum. Across the United States, similar restrictions have followed Vatican instructions to ensure that diocesan worship aligns with the post-conciliar liturgical reforms.

(Photo by ALI MATIN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)