Pope Francis Issues Infamous and Severe Restrictions on the Ages-Old Latin Mass

Latin High Mass

Pope Francis has imposed severe restrictions on the Motu Proprio issued by his predecessor, Benedict XVI, which had allowed the freer celebration of the Latin Mass which was, for over a thousand years, the liturgy of the Catholic Church.

Firstly, it should be made clear that the New Mass or Novus Ordo which was developed after Vatican Council II, while fully valid, was a gravely questionable move, since the celebration of the liturgy has always been considered as tied very closely with the doctrinal beliefs of Catholicism. While smaller or even comparatively larger changes were regularly made to certain parts of the Mass/Divine Liturgy throughout the centuries, the many similarities between the ancient liturgies of both the Western and Eastern rites of the Church (and I regularly attend both) proves just how essential certain parts of the Mass were believed to be.

The Novus Ordo radically changed the Mass and not only so, but often wrecked beautiful theology with its changes. So for instance, instead of saying the prayer of the centurion from the Bible (“Lord, I am not worthy. . .”) thrice before Communion, because three is a number symbolic of the Divine Trinity and perfection (and our repentance should be perfect), in the Novus Ordo it is only said once. Now, as I said, the Novus Ordo is valid, and I also regularly attend it, because I believe in being connected to every rite or liturgy of the Church I can. But the drastic drop in priestly vocations, belief in doctrines of the Church, and Mass attendance among Catholics since the institution of the Novus Ordo may give an indication of just how effective its purpose of attracting more people to Catholicism was (for example, in America, priestly vocations were at a height in 1965, and had dropped like a rock by 1970).

I myself had family members who left the Church after the New Mass came in. As my great-aunt explained herself, if the Church could change everything (everything external), how could it be truly the eternal Church with unchanging teachings? Pope Benedict XVI (by Motu Proprio) allowed the freer celebration of the Latin Mass again, and many, many Latin Mass parishes have grown steadily even as other Catholic parishes shrink.

Now Pope Francis has issued a limitation of the former Motu Proprio. His document includes the requirement that priests who wish to or already do celebrate the Latin Mass must once again apply to the local bishop for permission to do so. Furthermore, the document says (emphasis added):

“. . .is to designate one or more locations where the faithful adherents of these groups may gather for the eucharistic celebration (not however in the parochial churches and without the erection of new personal parishes).”

This is a drastic passage. Firstly, Masses, except in the case of missionaries or emergencies, or not supposed to be celebrated outside churches, and visible churches are the symbol of the universal Church. By essentially banning the Latin Mass from churches, Francis has banned them from the visible Church. We might as well be back in the catacombs. I sincerely hope that this passage does not mean what it appears to mean on the surface. Perhaps it does not apply to parishes that are specifically Latin Mass. Secondly, by disallowing new parishes to be founded for the Latin Mass, if that is what this passage means, Francis has not only very effectually stopped the growth of such communities, but also cut off one of the surest methods of saving old and beautiful churches, which are often bought from dying Novus Ordo parishes by Latin Mass communities.

Thirdly, Francis seems here to be banning the Latin Mass from the parishes they already own (which are more in number than many Catholics realize). Again, I hope this is not its actual meaning. In my town, the historic Spanish mission whose former pastor was a martyr was only saved from “death” because the Latin Mass community took it over from the essentially dead Novus Ordo parish.

Finally, Francis says:

“Previous norms, instructions, permissions, and customs that do not conform to the provisions of the present Motu Proprio are abrogated.”

Since Pope Paul VI, the precedent of a pope entirely and single-handedly erasing the traditions of thousands of years has been set. Paul VI, for instance, changed the calendar of saints, often merely changing saints from one day to the next, for no apparent reason. Francis is following in this shameful and unsuccessful tradition. When I started college four years ago, about 7 percent of Catholics actually believed in all the doctrines (which are required) of the Church. Even if one believes that the Novus Ordo was a fully legitimate development to begin with, the Novus Ordo effort was a colossal failure. The Byzantine and Latin Mass communities are almost the only ones increasing for a reason.

Francis says he wants “to promote the concord and unity of the Church,” but since Vatican II and the institution of the Novus Ordo the Church has been deliberately dividing itself—from its traditions, from its saints, from its theological history, from everything and everyone but the world.

But then again, Francis is the pope who completely sold out the Chinese Catholics to the evil Chinese Communists and placed a pagan idol on the altar. He also banned the Latin Mass from St. Peter’s. Does Francis really care about the spiritual or even material welfare of Catholicism or most Catholics? I seriously doubt it.

Read the new Motu Proprio from Francis HERE.

(Church Militant Vortex videos and a theologian who prefers anonymity were sources for this article.)