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Pope Leo XVI’s recent interview with Crux has once again brought the Traditional Latin Mass back into the spotlight.
The comments on the TLM come from an interview between Pope Leo XIV and Crux Senior Correspondent Elise Ann Allen for her forthcoming biography of the pontiff, León XIV: ciudadano del mundo, misionero del siglo XXI (“Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the XXI Century”).
The Catholic Herald spoke exclusively with Dr Joseph Shaw, Chairman of the Latin Mass Society and President of Una Voce, to provide context and additional remarks on the Latin Mass question.
Firstly, Dr Shaw was quick to note a discrepancy between howVatican News and Crux had each summarised the Pope’s comments. Vatican News opened its report with the Pope’s warning that “people have used the liturgy as an excuse for advancing other topics. It’s become a political tool, and that’s very unfortunate.” Crux, by contrast, included a longer account, noting that the Pope had also addressed the Latin Novus Ordo and the broader context of polarisation within the Church.
Dr Shaw told the Catholic Herald that this distinction is important for understanding the interview. “It is clear from the context that when he talks about the instrumentalisation of the liturgy that he is talking about the Novus Ordo,” he said.
The Pope, Dr. Shaw explained, is emphasising a long-standing Church teaching, while noting that much of the demand for the Traditional Latin Mass reflects dissatisfaction with the way the post-conciliar Mass is often celebrated. Greater reverence in the Novus Ordo, Dr Shaw noted, might reduce calls for the older form.
The Pope also affirmed that celebrating Mass in Latin is not inherently problematic. “You can say Mass in Latin right now. If it’s the Vatican II rite, there’s no problem,” the Pope told Crux.
Yet, in practice, Latin Novus Ordos remain rare and have faced restrictions in US dioceses such as Charlotte and Detroit. Dr. Shaw highlighted that this rarity is often because communities attached to the Tridentine Mass reject them.
“If today you offer Catholics attached to the TLM a Latin Novus Ordo, they will turn you down, despite the fact that, the Holy Father suggests, there is little difference between the two liturgical ‘experiences’,” he said.
Differences between the rites, Dr. Shaw explained, remain significant. The Latin Mass features the silent canon, a distinct balance between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, a more limited selection of texts, as well as ceremonial ritual absent from the Novus Ordo.
He also pointed to practical differences such as the priest’s versus populum, the presence of female servers, lay readers and Eucharistic ministers, and the unsingable new Latin texts of the Novus Ordo.
These distinctions collectively shape the atmosphere of the Mass, he explained. Dr. Shaw added that Latin Novus Ordos tend to appeal to more educated attendees, whereas Tridentine Mass congregations are far more diverse.
The question of authority over the Latin Mass remains unresolved. Cardinal Gambetti, in an exclusive with the Catholic Herald, said: “I have been told that we will wait for the Holy Father to decide.”
But Dr Shaw says that this creates a form of liturgical limbo, explaining: “Pope Leo is the one who will have to decide, and at the moment he is not telling what he is going to do – perhaps he hasn't decided, perhaps he has. He will announce his decision in his own good time.”
Concluding, though, Dr. Shaw welcomed the Pope’s willingness to engage with traditionalist concerns.
“I welcome his openness to hearing from Catholics attached to the Traditional Mass”.
Photo: Pope Leo XIV greets attendees before delivering his speech during his weekly general audience at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, 17 September 2025. (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images.)
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