Nearly 50 prominent British figures of culture, academia and politics have signed a letter appealing for continued access to the Traditional Latin Mass amid rumours that swingeing new restrictions are imminent.
The letter echoes the sentiments of the famous “Agatha Christie letter” of 1971, which was signed by leading cultural figures of that time and which persuaded Pope St Paul VI to grant an indult permitting the celebration of the pre-conciliar rite in certain circumstances.
The new letter, published in The Times today, hails the ancient Mass as a valuable cultural artefact, “a cathedral of text and gesture” and an irreplaceable spiritual treasure, with a unique ability to “encourage silence and contemplation”.
