A policy change regarding restrictions on the old Mass is relevant to the entire universal Church, according to the head of the Latin Mass Society in England. A leaked report suggests the apostolic nuncio to Great Britain informed English and Welsh bishops they can apply for two-year exemptions to license the old Mass. Joseph Shaw believes this indicates the Dicastery for Divine Worship has confidence in the CBCEW to be pastoral and sensitive. The alleged comments suggest a universal policy change, removing the requirement for special permission from the dicastery for every Mass in a parish church. The CBCEW met for its yearly fall plenary meeting, and reports indicate bishops were told they could be granted renewable two-year exemptions.
11 days ago
A leaked report from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) plenary meeting in November 2025 has sparked discussions about a possible easing of Vatican restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM).1 2 3 The apostolic nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, reportedly informed bishops that they could apply for renewable two-year exemptions to allow TLM celebrations in their dioceses.1 2 3
This development follows the CBCEW's fall plenary from November 10–13, 2025, where the guidance was shared privately.1 2 3 The CBCEW issued a November 14 communique expressing regret over the leak, citing "confusion to the faithful," and declined further comment beyond following the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.1 2 3
Joseph Shaw, chairman of the Latin Mass Society in England, described the nuncio's comments as a "universal" policy shift applicable beyond England and Wales.1 2 3 He highlighted it as removing a key restriction from Pope Francis' 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, which required special Vatican permission for TLM in parish churches.1 2 3
Shaw expressed optimism, noting the Dicastery's confidence in the CBCEW's pastoral approach and anticipating further relaxations under Pope Leo XIV.1 2 3 He emphasized that this change could significantly expand TLM access globally, marking a departure from prior centralization.1 2 3
No conflicting views emerged in the reports, though the nuncio's office referred inquiries back to the CBCEW statement, maintaining official silence.1 2 3
The TLM, based on the 1962 Roman Missal, faced upheaval after the 1970 introduction of the post-Vatican II Novus Ordo Missal.1 2 3 Pope Paul VI granted permissions for the 1962 Missal in England and Wales amid traditionalist concerns, later extended church-wide by St. John Paul II in 1984.1 2 3
Pope Benedict XVI's 2007 Summorum Pontificum further liberalized TLM use, treating it as an "extraordinary form" of the Roman Rite.1 2 3 However, Pope Francis' Traditionis Custodes in 2021 reversed much of this, citing risks of division from prior concessions.1 2 3
Traditional Catholics in England and Wales have navigated these shifts, with the leaked policy potentially signaling a new era under Pope Leo XIV.1 2 3
The reported exemptions suggest a move toward decentralized authority for bishops on TLM, potentially reducing Vatican oversight.1 2 3 Shaw views this as a "significant step" that could foster growth in traditional practices worldwide.1 2 3
While limited to England and Wales in the leak, the policy's universal framing implies applicability elsewhere, though official confirmation remains pending.1 2 3 Related U.S. developments, such as extensions in Cleveland and restrictions in Charlotte, highlight varying diocesan responses to Traditionis Custodes amid this uncertainty.3
This could indicate evolving Vatican priorities under Pope Leo XIV, balancing unity with liturgical diversity.1 2 3
Investigate Vatican’s evolving stance on the Latin Mass
The Vatican's approach to the Traditional Latin Mass—formally the Roman Missal promulgated by Blessed Pope John XXIII in 1962—has undergone significant shifts since the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Initially viewed as a concession to foster unity amid post-conciliar tensions, it evolved into a more permissive "extraordinary form" under Pope Benedict XVI, only to face renewed restrictions under Pope Francis aimed at reinforcing the ordinary form of the Roman Rite. This progression reflects the Church's ongoing effort to balance reverence for ancient liturgical treasures with the promotion of ecclesial communion through the post-Vatican II liturgy. Drawing from key magisterial documents, this analysis traces these developments, highlighting the theological and pastoral motivations behind each phase.
The roots of the modern debate trace back to the liturgical renewal of Vatican II, which promulgated the Roman Missal of 1970 under Pope Paul VI as the ordinary expression of the Church's lex orandi (law of prayer). The 1962 Missal, rooted in the Tridentine tradition codified by St. Pius V in 1570, was not immediately abrogated but became exceptional. In response to divisions, particularly the schism led by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Pope St. John Paul II issued indults in 1984 and 1988 via the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei, granting limited permissions for its use. These measures were "above all motivated by the desire to foster the healing of the schism" and to generously accommodate the "just aspirations" of faithful attached to the older form.
This approach emphasized pastoral generosity without undermining the Vatican II reforms. Bishops were encouraged to accept requests from the faithful, viewing the 1962 Missal as a bridge for unity rather than a parallel rite. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, however, some communities began treating it as an equal alternative, prompting further clarification. Pope Benedict XVI, in his 2007 Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, built on this foundation by declaring the 1962 Missal "never abrogated" and an "extraordinary expression of the same lex orandi of the Church." He envisioned two forms of the same Roman Rite—the ordinary (1970 Missal) and extraordinary (1962 Missal)—to prevent divisions in the lex credendi (law of belief).
Summorum Pontificum marked a pivotal liberalization, allowing any Latin Rite priest to celebrate the 1962 Mass without a congregation and requiring bishops to accommodate group requests.[10†Art.2, Art.1] This was not a return to pre-Vatican II exclusivity but a recognition that "what earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful." Benedict XVI stressed continuity in liturgical history: "growth and progress, but no rupture," urging the preservation of the Church's "riches" in faith and prayer.
In his accompanying letter to bishops, he noted the attraction of the older form for younger generations seeking a profound encounter with the Eucharist. Priests ordained after 1988 no longer needed special permission, and the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei was empowered to oversee implementation, ensuring it fostered unity rather than division. This permissive stance extended in 2009 with Ecclesiae Unitatem, which updated norms to make the 1962 Missal more accessible while reaffirming its role in serving "the universal communion of the Church." Commentators like Cardinal Robert Sarah later praised this as a "sharp change" from prior parsimony, enabling the ancient rite to enrich contemporary worship without marginalization. By 2007, the document aimed to heal lingering post-conciliar wounds, allowing the extraordinary form to "shine like stars" in the Church's liturgical firmament.
The trajectory shifted with Pope Francis's 2021 Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes, which rescinded much of Summorum Pontificum's liberality to address emerging risks of division. Francis expressed concern that the older Mass had sometimes been used "in a manner parallel" to the ordinary form, potentially rejecting Vatican II's validity. The document reaffirms the 1970 Missal (as revised by St. John Paul II) as the "unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite," limiting the 1962 Missal to specific concessions under strict episcopal oversight. Bishops must now authorize its use exclusively, designating non-parochial locations and ensuring celebrants affirm the liturgical reform's legitimacy.
Pastoral care is entrusted to a delegated priest skilled in Latin and committed to ecclesial communion, with no new personal parishes permitted. This reorientation stems from Francis's paternal solicitude: while predecessors like Benedict sought to "facilitate ecclesial communion," recent observations showed the extraordinary form occasionally fostering rejection of the Council, contrary to its original intent. In his accompanying letter, Francis lamented how the "deepest bond of unity" in the Eucharist had become "a cause for division," invoking St. Paul's warning against discord at the Eucharistic table (1 Cor 11:17-34). He urged bishops to promote a "unitary form of celebration" as guardians of liturgical life.
To guide implementation, the Congregation for Divine Worship (now Dicastery) issued Responsa ad Dubia in 2021, clarifying that the 1962 Missal is a "concession limited to these groups" and not part of ordinary parish life. Parish churches are excluded unless impossibility is proven and approved by the Dicastery, and such celebrations must not overlap with parish activities. Sacraments using pre-conciliar ritual books are generally prohibited, except limited use of the 1952 Rituale Romanum in personal parishes. The aim is to avoid marginalizing adherents while reminding them that this is a temporary provision for their spiritual good, oriented toward the one lex orandi.
Subsequent Rescriptum ex Audientia documents in 2023 reinforced these limits, reserving key dispensations to the Holy See: no parish use or new personal parishes without Dicastery approval, and priests ordained post-2021 require Vatican consultation via their bishop. Bishops granting such permissions must report for assessment, ensuring alignment with Traditionis Custodes. These measures underscore the Holy Father's assent to a supervised, unity-focused approach, confirming prior Responsa and emphasizing the Dicastery's supervisory role. Where sources like Summorum Pontificum emphasized freedom, the more recent documents take precedence, presenting a clearer hierarchy: the ordinary form as normative, with the extraordinary as exceptional and regulated.
This evolution reveals no outright rejection of the Latin Mass's venerable heritage but a nuanced prioritization of Vatican II's fruits. Benedict's vision celebrated continuity, allowing the ancient rite to nourish diverse spiritual needs. Francis, however, addresses pastoral realities where it risked becoming a symbol of ideological division, calling for a return to "walking together" in the post-conciliar liturgy. Controversies arise in interpretation—some see Traditionis Custodes as a rupture, yet it explicitly builds on predecessors' intentions for unity. Bishops hold primary responsibility, balancing accessibility with communion.
In areas of divergence, such as priestly permissions, the 2023 rescripts clarify that recent ordinations face heightened scrutiny to prevent parallel structures. While Ecclesia Dei and Summorum Pontificum were generous, Traditionis Custodes and its clarifications ensure the extraordinary form supports, rather than supplants, the ordinary. This stance aligns with the Church's tradition: liturgy evolves to serve the faithful's journey toward God, always under the Pope's guidance.
In summary, the Vatican's stance has progressed from cautious indults for healing schisms, to broad permission under Benedict to honor sacred continuity, to Francis's regulated framework safeguarding Vatican II's legacy. This trajectory invites all Catholics to embrace the Roman Rite's unity, where both forms, when properly oriented, lead to deeper communion with Christ. May this liturgical harmony inspire renewed fidelity to the Church's prayer.