Francis reportedly says he will revoke Benedict XVI’s Universal Latin Mass Authorization

Removing the traditional mask…

Francis reportedly tells Italian “Bishops” he will revoke Benedict XVI’s Universal Latin Mass Authorization

The Argentinian Jesuit who calls himself “Pope Francis” (Jorge Bergoglio) has always been a defender of the rights of tradition. The only exception he makes is for Roman Catholic tradition.

For example, in his encylical letter on human fraternity, the false pope quotes the Chilean Novus Ordo cardinal Raúl Silva Henríquez (1907-99), saying:

Let us not forget that “peoples that abandon their tradition and, either from a craze to mimic others or to foment violence, or from unpardonable negligence or apathy, allow others to rob their very soul, end up losing not only their spiritual identity but also their moral consistency and, in the end, their intellectual, economic and political independence”.

(Antipope Francis, Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, n. 14)

During his 2015 visit to the United States, he warned against seeking “to eliminate all differences and traditions in a superficial quest for unity” and pointed out that “[o]ur rich religious traditions seek to offer meaning and direction, ‘they have an enduring power to open new horizons, to stimulate thought, to expand the mind and heart’” (Address at Meeting for Religious Liberty in Philadelphia, Sep. 26, 2015).

Although he does occasionally pay lipservice even to Catholic tradition — for example, in his 2013 exhortation Evangelii Gaudium he quotes “Pope” John Paul II speaking of the need for “unswerving fidelity to the proclamation of the Gospel and the tradition of the Church” (n. 116) — it is evident that he detests all things genuinely Catholic from the depths of his very being.

Reports: Francis to End Universal Latin Mass Permission

Yesterday, May 25, 2021, breaking news made its way around the internet: Francis is said to be planning the repeal, or at least a substantial reform, of the motu proprio letter Summorum Pontificum issued by “Pope” Benedict XVI on July 7, 2007. Bergoglio supposedly told this to the Italian “bishops” on Monday at the opening of the general assembly of their national episcopal conference CEI.

Although the report remains officially unconfirmed, it is well-founded.

Francis’ remarks to the Italian Novus Ordo Bishops’ Conference were not published by the Vatican, but a little bit of information was reported by other agencies. In fact, a portion of the opening of the conference with Francis was even broadcast on EWTN (video can be watched here), in which he can be heard sharing his “concern” that there are many seminarians today who are unsuitable for a priestly vocation.

Can you guess what serious problem among seminarians the Jesuit apostate has diagnosed? He tells us himself: “We frequently have seen seminarians who seem good, but rigid. And rigidity is not auspicious. And then we discover that behind that rigidity there are big problems” (source). In other words, he wants more James Martin’s and fewer James Altman’s. Yep, that sounds like Bergoglio.

In the linked EWTN video, it is evident that Francis is not done speaking yet when the broadcast feed cuts off. According to reports, Francis had more to say that he did not want included in the broadcast or reported on by journalists. In fact, he had said before that he “can speak freely” without journalists present:

The reports about Francis wanting to rescind Benedict’s extensive Traditional Latin Mass permit must refer to the portions of his remarks that were not recorded, or at least not transmitted.

The initial account of this rumor seems to have come from the reliable Italian Messa in Latino blog, which Rorate Caeli picked up for the English-speaking world:

Meanwhile, Rome journalist Diane Montagna tweeted out a full translation of the Messa in Latino report, which has since been posted on their blog as well:

The essence of the news report is this:

…Francis announced to the [Italian] bishops that he had examined the third draft of a text that contains restrictive measures regarding the celebration by Catholic priests of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form liberalized by Benedict XVI who, according to him, with Summorum Pontificum wanted to meet the needs only of the Lefebvrists, but that today it is mainly young priests who want to celebrate the Tridentine Mass, perhaps even not knowing Latin.

…

As far as we understand, this would mean a return to the indult — with prior authorization of the bishop or even the Vatican —with all that this entails, namely, a reintroduction of the prohibition to celebrate according to the [1962] Missal of St. John XXIII, a great many denials of authorizations and the practical ghettoization of priests and faithful attached to the ancient rite. After Moses the Liberator, Pharaoh would return.

(“DANGER to the Summorum Pontificum”, Messa in Latino, May 26, 2021; formatting changed.)

More and more web sites and blogs have begun covering this development:

Today the French Paix Liturgique blog reported some additional information:

…[O]nce the reporters were out of the assembly hall, the pope broached a topic that is a matter of consensus among many Italian bishops: detestation of Summorum Pontificum. Francis confirmed the upcoming release of a document he had been urged to put together to “reinterpret” Benedict XVI’s motu proprio. Indeed, its publication was long in coming, because the document in question seems to have met with objections and delays, particularly from Cardinal Ladaria and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. They pointed out that it would cause troubles and an unmanageable opposition throughout the world. Nevertheless, the Secretariat of State has apparently been pushing for the release of this text. Its basic terms appear to be the following:

– those communities that celebrate according to the older form would be able to continue to do so;

– on the other hand, from now on diocesan priests would have to obtain a specific permission.

Clearly this document, which is inapplicable in many countries including France, will first of all be symbolic: to turn the celebration of the traditional Mass from a right into a tolerated exception.

(“Is Summorum Pontificum in Jeopardy?”, Paix Liturgique, May 26, 2021; bold print given.)

Although still on the level of rumor, the reports are highly credible. Considering the background on the issue and the surrounding context, it really fits.

For example, within the first few months after his election in 2013, Francis forbade the use of the traditional missal for the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, whom he accused of a certain “crypto-Lefebvrism”.

In 2014, Francis dismissed reports of the Traditional Mass being favored especially by young people as just a temporary “fad” and that “therefore it is a matter that does not need that much attention.”

In 2017, there was already talk about Francis moving to abolish or restrict Summorum Pontificum. But this was not just idle chatter, it came from someone who would know — Prof. Andrea Grillo of the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome, a source close to Francis.

Just last year conservative and traditionalist adherents of the Vatican II Church were alarmed to discover that Francis was surveying the world’s “Catholic bishops” regarding the “Latin Mass culture” in their respective dioceses. It didn’t help that a few weeks earlier, Rome’s top ecumenist, “Cardinal” Kurt Koch, had lobbied for a “reconciliation” between the so-called ordinary and extraordinary forms of the Roman Mass in a single rite, something inchoately found in Summorum itself.

Furthermore, after the recent retirement of the relatively conservative “Cardinal” Robert Sarah, the Congregation for Divine Worship is currently without a head. Rumor has it that Francis will pick as a replacement “Abp.” Arthur Roche, who has been the congregation’s secretary and is known to be a public opponent of the Traditional Mass. [UPDATE 27-MAY-21: Roche appointed as Prefect of Congregation for Divine Worship.]

All this gives a very clear picture of where things are going under Francis, and it lends great credibility to the reports about what Francis told his Italian “bishops” on Monday.

Jorge Bergoglio, Enemy of the Traditional Mass

Francis is known to be an enemy of the Traditional Latin Mass. Being a Modernist, he likes his “Mass” in the vernacular, protestantized, and with an occasional Tango. He also likes children’s liturgies that look like this:

He doesn’t even mind if people attend (what his own Modernist Sect acknowledges is) an Anglican pseudo-Mass in a pinch, and he will even lead a Lutheran service himself if necessary.

But assisting at the Traditional Roman Catholic Mass of the ages? Hang on a minute! Now that is serious business!

His track record as “Archbishop” of Buenos Aires (1998-2013) with regard to implementing Summorum Pontificum or the Ecclesia Dei indult (1988-2007), speaks volumes:

The fact that traditional-leaning dioceses and religious orders have been experiencing a veritable boom in vocations by Novus Ordo standards, is not only irrelevant to Francis, he actually considers it to be a problem.

All of this is odd or surprising only if one thinks that Bergoglio is actually the Pope of the Catholic Church, who by virtue of his office has the charge of defending and safeguarding Roman Catholic Tradition. It is not surprising in the least when one realizes that the man is an anti-Catholic Communist whose job it is to definitively snuff out the last remnants of Catholicism in as many souls as possible. Then his words and actions make perfect sense.

Francis is not “confused” or “disoriented”, as many like to say (especially to themselves). He understands perfectly well what he is doing; the constant success of his wicked works bears it out.

After Summorum is Before Summorum

If Francis does indeed release a document to change or abrogate Summorum Pontificum — and this much seems very likely, considering the credibility of the reports about his remarks to the Italian pseudo-bishops on May 24 — it may be surmised that it will have the following characteristics:

  • it will claim to be in continuity with Summorum Pontificum, and it will claim to seek to recover its true spirit and intention
  • it will justify the need for a change in discipline on the grounds that a false interpretation of Summorum Pontificum by certain extreme traditionalists have distorted Benedict XVI’s true intention, leading to undesirable fruits such as rigidity and a rejection of the Second Vatican Council
  • as needed, it will invoke the “People of God”, the “Spirit”, and/or the “signs of the times” to further support justification for the new regulations
  • however sneakily, it will contain important premises for further liturgical changes in the future
  • its new regulations will not be sufficiently clear so as to allow for a liberal or a conservative interpretation
  • depending on how the new document is actually implemented and received, the Vatican may eventually require the one or the other interpretation to be accepted

In the past eight years, Francis has shown us that he is more interested in bringing about change in practice rather than in theory, on paper. For that reason, it will be very important to anticipate what practical effect the new document is likely to have, rather than focusing strictly on what it mandates or permits in theory, although that too must not be neglected.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if the very Novus Ordo hierarchs who always insist that “we cannot go backward”, were now to take their people back to a time before Summorum Pontificum? Oh well. Consistency has never been the Modernists’ strong suit.

On Aug. 24, 2017, Francis stated in an address to participants in a liturgical congress: “After this magisterium, after this long journey we can affirm with certainty and with magisterial authority that the liturgical reform is irreversible.” He attributes the adjective “irreversible” to a 1960’s liturgical construct that had itself just reversed at least 1300 years of liturgical tradition and development! How about that!

As a brief aside, we must mention that, contrary to popular belief, Summorum Pontificum is actually not some kind of hardcore traditional Catholic document. When read carefully, it becomes apparent that it is simply another exercise in Ratzinger’s typical Hegelian approach to theology. It contains many outrageous elements, as we have explained before:

Furthermore, we must clarify that what is marketed as the “extraordinary form” of the Roman Mass in Summorum Pontificum is not quite the Traditional Latin Mass but the modified form found in the 1962 Roman Missal promulgated by “Pope” John XXIII (Angelo Roncalli). This distinction, although important in itself, is immaterial for the purposes of this post, for which reason we have referred to it simply as the Traditional Mass.

Theology has Consequences

Given the credible reports of Francis telling his underlings about his plans to revoke or restrict Summorum Pontificum,  the traditionalists in the Vatican II Church are finding out that what one Modernist “Pope” can grant, another Modernist “Pope” can take away. They’re coming to understand that their Latin Mass house has been built on sand: “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall thereof” (Mt 7:27).

Without cynicism, and instead with great charity, we must once again point out a very important truth: Theology has consequences!

We can only hope that Francis will indeed take away Summorum Pontificum, because such will be a great grace to well-meaning souls: They will no longer be able to fool themselves (or others) with that convenient but dangerous traditional mask — yes, mask — that the Vatican II Sect has been wearing in their “Catholic world.”

For although all the external appearances may pass the “traditional Catholic test” for whatever parts of parish life they have chosen to restrict their exposure to, the fact remains that it is still the Vatican II religion they are a part of and participating in, since they are operating under its auspices and “in full communion” with it. They have simply chosen to turn a blind eye to certain elements within their parish or diocese, and certainly within the universal church. As the saying goes: You can put lipstick on a pig, but at the end of the day, it’s still a pig.

The Vatican II Sect with a Traditional Latin Mass is still the Vatican II Sect, even if for a particular period of time it has been camouflaged in beautiful traditional vestments, in a pre-Vatican II missal, in Gregorian chant, in lots of incense, and in perfectly-pronounced ecclesiastical Latin. With rare exceptions, the priest who offers it was ordained in the invalid or doubtful Novus Ordo rite of Paul VI, or by a “bishop” ordained in the same, and was trained in the New Theology of a Modernist seminary. In any case, he professes communion with a manifest apostate.

This is not new with Bergoglio. It’s how it’s been since the New Mass became obligatory. The Modernist Vatican may at times permit you to have the outward experience of a Traditional Mass, perhaps even a valid one, but they will never permit you to have the traditional Catholic Faith.

It is ultimately not about the Mass but about the Faith. The suppression of the true Mass was only the most visible symptom that a new religion had been introduced with the Second Vatican Council. No wonder, then, that Francis was very clear earlier this year: Vatican II is not optional. On another, more recent occasion, he expressed his concern about “a certain tendency to withdraw a little from the Second Vatican Council, by taking traditionalist positions” in seminaries.

They cannot budge on Vatican II because their whole creed stands or falls with the council. Take it away, and what is left? What would these people be without Vatican II? It is the be-all and end-all of their religion; it constitutes the very essence of their Counterfeit Church, which began not with Jesus Christ or St. Peter, but with John XXIII.

Therefore, next time you hear Francis gush over the “rich religious traditions [that] seek to offer meaning and direction [and] have an enduring power to open new horizons, to stimulate thought, to expand the mind and heart” (source), just remember that he is not referring to the tradition of the only true religion, Roman Catholic tradition.

That he tramples under foot with loathing and contempt, breathing fire and fury — because it is the only religious tradition that actually matters.

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