Bishop Athanasius Schneider and Raymond Arroyo discuss the Chartres Pilgrimage, an event that attracted a record-breaking 19,000 attendees, predominantly young people, with an average age of 20.
Bishop Schneider observes that the Traditional Latin Mass resonates deeply with these young participants due to its beauty, holiness, and atmosphere of mystery, which he believes transmits God’s presence.
He challenges critics of the Latin Mass to witness the pilgrimage’s positive impact, suggesting it would move them to tears. Furthermore, he expresses hope that the new Pope Leo XIV will support the Traditional Latin Mass, citing the Pope’s unprecedented message of prayer to the pilgrims as a positive sign.
The interview highlights the growing appeal of traditional Catholic practices, especially among the youth.
Chartres Pilgrimage: Bishop Athanasius Schneider with Raymond Arroyo
Raymond Arroyo: The pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres concluded on June 9. It drew over 19,000 pilgrims this year, the largest attendance in the history of the event.
You were there for the pilgrimages. Celebrated Mass on Sunday at Chartres, and this event continues to draw mostly young people. The average age of the attendees is 20.
Your thoughts on what you encountered there.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Yes, I was a witness of the beauty of the Catholic faith, of the joyfulness of the Catholic faith, and all these slogans which we could hear by some clerics, that those who are attached to the Traditional Latin Mass, this is all rigid or outmoded, and it’s not True.
The reality is saying the contrary. I would invite really many bishops or clerics who are hostile against those Catholics, who love the Tradition of the Church of all times, who loved the Mass of the Saints, to participate there, they would be moved. You cannot be indifferent when you see children.
I was walking one hour with different groups of children through the fields. I was moved to tears to see how joyful are these children and walk with these adolescents and young people, there is nothing which can be criticized in some way. It’s only edifying.
And so I hope that this experience exactly attracts these numbers this year, as you mentioned, it was the most high participation in all three of 40 years.
The Traditional Rite is Always New
Raymond Arroyo: Yeah, I want you to react to and expound on something you said in your homily on Sunday, you said, the traditional rite of the Holy Mass is the rite that is always new, always up to date, never old hat or outmoded.
Now your Excellency. Many critics of the old Roman Rite, the Traditional Latin Mass, they say this is all nostalgia, but for so many of these young people, they weren’t even born when this right was in wide use.
Why do you think young people are drawn to this particular rite of the church. And what did they tell you when you were there in Charlotte?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Exactly because this form of the Mass which these children, adolescents, young people witnessed every day during the pilgrimage, this moved them, they attracted them.
And so, because it is beauty, it is holiness, it’s the Rite itself itself, spreads an atmosphere of mystery, of holiness, which, which is by itself, attracts, because, because it transmits, in a special manner the presence of God and and our soul is have thirst to God and to the mystery.
God is mystery.
God is not something intellectual, only abstract. He is a living mystery presence. And therefore it’s attracting these children, these people, and also because the children has have a pure soul and are more sensible for the sacredness.
And I was observing in the mass I celebrated on Pentecost. There were even 20,000 people that came from Paris, even for the Sunday Mass, for the Pentecost in this open air area.
With such a crowd, I was walking through them to the altar. I was seeing the people were kneeling in the earth, children and all recollected, prayerful. This is what this Rite transmits
Hope that Pope Leo could open the door for the TLM
Raymond Arroyo: Your Excellency. I only have one minute left, but since Pope Leo was elected on May 8, we have been in the process of getting to know the new pope, the first American Pope.
Bishop Schneider, what is your first impression of the Holy Father, and do you think he will rule in favor or against the traditional Latin Mass after Pope Francis’s legislation tried to stamp it out.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: I hope he will be in favor, because for the first time in 40 years since the Chartres pilgrimage existed.
He sent a message to the Pilgrims through the Bishop of Chartres, Pope Leo XIV, said, I pray for every participant of the pilgrimage. And never before him, a pope sent a greeting to the pilgrims of Chartres. This is a good positive sign, and so therefore can be hopeful.
We thank Pope Leo for this attention to the pilgrimage of Chartres, to the children, to the young families and all the participants.
I hope that Pope Leo could open the door right for this treasure of the Church, of the saints, and of all, what we have known in the church history, a treasure.
Raymond Arroyo: Bishop, it was a beautiful pilgrimage, and your Mass was lovely. I saw excerpts of it as well as the homily. It was very moving, and I encouraged everybody to go read it and watch it.
Leave a Reply