Leaked Vatican Documents Undermine Francis’ Stated Rationale for Suppressing Traditional Latin Mass

Journalist publishes ‘overall assessment’ of bishops’ survey results…

Leaked Vatican Documents Undermine Francis’ Stated Rationale for Suppressing Traditional Latin Mass

On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, the highly-credible Vatican reporter Diane Montagna published internal Vatican documents 0n her blog that purportedly demonstrate that ‘Pope’ Francis did not quite tell the (whole) truth when he claimed in an accompanying letter that his decision to issue the motu proprio letter Traditionis Custodes on July 16, 2021, was based on alarming feedback he had received from the world’s bishops. Traditionis Custodes is the Apostolic Letter which greatly limits the permitted use of the 1962 Missal (‘Traditional Latin Mass’) and cancels out Benedict XVI’s 2007 motu proprio letter Summorum Pontificum. Its release sent shockwaves throughout the traditionalists affiliated with the Vatican II Church.

In a nutshell,

…Montagna was given what could be described as an executive summary of the bishops’ responses to a 2020 consultation of the world’s Bishops by the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith about how Summorum Pontificum (which liberalized the Latin Mass) had played out in their dioceses. The executive summary revealed that most Bishops were happy, overall, with how it had played out in their dioceses, that opposition to Summorum Pontificum was a minority position among the bishops, and that the overarching theme of the bishops’ advice was to leave the decree alone. Francis instead issued Traditionis custodes, saying in the accompanying letter that it was based on “your [the bishops’] requests” and mentioning the results of the survey troubling him, forcing him to act.

(Kevin Tierney, “The Shifting Sands of Traditionis custodes”, Rorate Caeli, July 3, 2025)

Before going any further, here is a link to Montagna’s exposé, which in turn includes links to the previously undisclosed Vatican documents:

• EXCLUSIVE: Official Vatican Report Exposes Major Cracks in Foundation of Traditionis Custodes (Diane Montagna)

Montagna lists “7 key takeaways” from the Vatican’s “overall assessment” of the survey responses; to wit:

1. Lack of liturgical peace and unity is due more to minority of bishops than to adherents of the traditional Roman liturgy
2. Majority of bishops who implemented Summorum Pontificum expressed satisfaction with it
3. Bishops are grateful for the competence of the CDF Fourth Section (the disbanded Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei)
4. Report confirmed attraction of young people to the older form of liturgy
5. Report highlighted growth of vocations in Ex-Ecclesia Dei communities since Summorum Pontificum
6. Report recommended studying both forms of Roman Rite as part of seminary formation
7. Report recommended: “Let the people be free to choose”

The following is a list of links to various news reports and commentaries on this bombshell report, from all kinds of perspectives:

• Vatican documents: TLM was tolerated to neutralise resistance to new religion (The WM Review)
• The Pastoral Lie: How Pope Francis Buried the Truth About Traditionis Custodes (Hiraeth in Exile)
• Vatican document leak reignites Latin Mass debate (Catholic Herald)
• Traditionis Custodes: The Narrative Is All Lies (One Peter Five)
• Official Vatican Report Dismantles Traditionis Custodes (The Remnant)
• VIDEO: The Vatican Latin Mass Survey Fallout: Lies Revealed (Raymond Arroyo)
• Traditionis Custodes “failed”: The leak could have been “strategic” (Katholisch.de via Rorate Caeli)
• Traditional Catholics Vindicated: Recent Vatican report reveals that most bishops did not want Latin Mass restrictions under “Traditionis Custodes” (The Remnant)
• Will Pope Leo take on the traditionalists? (Where Peter Is)
• The Shifting Sands of Traditionis custodes (Rorate Caeli)
• Internal (and leaked) Vatican report questions justification for suppression of Latin Mass (Zenit)

Today, July 3, the spokesman of the Vatican Press Office, Matteo Bruni, was asked about this disclosure, and he responded:

• Vatican downplays leaked documents on Latin Mass (Catholic News Agency)
• Vatican says leaked documents were only part of information Pope Francis used to restrict Latin Mass (Associated Press)
• Vatican says documents on Latin Mass assessment ‘incomplete’ (OSV News)
• Vatican spokesman: ‘Traditionis custodes’ leak ‘very partial’ (The Pillar)
• Vatican: Silly Trads! Leaked Latin Mass Documents Mean Nothing (Hiraeth in Exile)

We will not provide any commentary on this just yet; however, for some background, here are a few of our own posts from 2021 and ’22 on Bergoglio’s moves against the Traditional Latin Mass:

• The Party Is Over: Francis kills ‘Summorum Pontificum’, severely limits Use of 1962 Missal
• The Traditional Mask is Off: Commentary on Francis’ Move against the Latin Mass (PODCAST)
• Additional Resources: Sedevacantist Clergy analyze Traditionis Custodes(Audio/Video/Transcripts)
• Enough Already! Francis doubles down on Traditional Latin Mass Restrictions
• What Game is Francis playing with the Fraternity of Saint Peter?

While it is understandable that the traditionalists in the Vatican II Church are making a big fuss about this, since the draconian measures of Traditionis Custodes directly impact their spiritual lives, in the objective order, this controversy does not seem terribly important. What counts is that Francis issued a decree severely limiting (and ultimately phasing out) the Traditional Latin Mass. Whether he did so in agreement with a majority of the world’s Novus Ordo bishops or against their advice… what difference does that make?

Now Leo XIV is at the helm of the Novus Ordo Church, and he too can legislate however he sees fit — with or without a survey.

Image source: Shutterstock (Riccardo De Luca)
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