Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago has said that restrictions on the Tridentine Latin Mass are necessary to preserve the unity of the Church. In a recent article published on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s website, Cardinal Cupich discussed the extraordinary consistory convened by Pope Leo XIV and drew attention to a resource document prepared by Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
Cardinal Cupich wrote that the liturgy before the Second Vatican Council underwent reform throughout Christian history and argued that such change to the Mass is intrinsic to its nature. Citing Cardinal Roche’s document, he said that “the history of the liturgy” can be understood as a process of “continuous reforming”, marked by organic development rather than rupture. He added that ritual forms necessarily include cultural elements which vary across time and place and therefore require periodic renewal.
