The rumor circulating from the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, suggests that Pope Leo XIV, while not intending to abrogate Pope Francis’s document Traditionis Custodes outright, will adopt a more generous pastoral approach regarding its implementation.
According to the nuncio’s remarks to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Pope Leo will be willing to grant bishops two-year, renewable dispensations to allow for the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass in certain locations, specifically from the restriction against using parish churches.
The Impact of Traditionis Custodes
When Traditionis Custodes was promulgated by Pope Francis in July 2021, it devastated many faithful Catholics who, through no fault of their own, found in the Traditional Latin Mass a source of authentic nourishment, reverence, and communion with the saints.
This document was, and remains, harsh. The restrictions it imposed hurt millions of Catholics who only ever wanted to worship God in the same way countless saints and popes had done for over eighteen centuries.
Pope Francis bears responsibility. No pope should discriminate against faithful Catholics who are drawn to an approved Form of the Mass sanctified by time and treasured by the Church for generations. That is true and undeniable.
However, it was not Pope Francis who walked into parishes and shut down Latin Masses. It was not Cardinal Roche who issued circulars removing permissions and scattering communities. It was the bishops.
The Episcopal Response to Traditionis Custodes
Immediately after the motu proprio’s release, bishops across the world took it as a signal. The actions they took were not rooted in pastoral sensitivity but in fear, compliance, or sometimes outright disdain.
Parishes where the Traditional Latin Mass had existed peacefully for years were told to stop. Priests who had only ever built devout communities were informed they could no longer offer the Old Rite without permission from Rome. Traditional Latin Mass communities were either relocated to obscure chapels or told to disperse entirely. The result was a fresh and deep wound to the Body of Christ.
Yet Traditionis Custodes included a clear provision. Bishops could ask for exceptions. They could appeal for permission. And many of these requests were, in fact, approved by Cardinal Roche. Some bishops did their part. They wrote to Rome. They explained that souls were at stake. They did their duty as true shepherds. But these bishops were few.
The majority imposed the motu proprio’s restrictions without resistance. It became clear that most of them had no real appreciation for the Traditional Latin Mass. Many had never celebrated it. Others viewed it as outdated or divisive. And still others simply feared losing favor in Rome. In the name of obedience, they failed to defend what was holy.
The Power of the Local Ordinary
But here is the truth. Bishops had the power to protect the Traditional Latin Mass. They still do. Cardinal Roche, despite his modernist tendencies, has not rejected all requests. Those bishops who sincerely cared about the good of souls and made thoughtful petitions were often granted permission. Which means this: bishops who wanted to preserve the Old Rite, did. Bishops who did not care, let it die.
Over the years, dioceses have quietly announced that permissions had expired, or that the Latin Mass communities would be discontinued. One by one, communities disappeared. Online directories and social media pages had to update listings with notes like “Mass discontinued” or “location closed.” These were not errors. These were signs of abandonment and betrayal by their own bishops.
It is heartbreaking to witness, especially when we know that bishops could have chosen otherwise. Holy bishops would have done everything possible to defend reverent worship. They would have written letters, made appeals, and protected their flock. They would not have remained silent as the Traditional Latin Mass was exiled.
Fear of Man vs. Duty to God
But too many bishops today act more like princes than pastors. They are afraid of losing position, status, or approval from the higher authority. They are chained by the fear of being out of step. Men who will one day give an account to Jesus Christ in their final judgment, when no title or excuse will shield them from the truth.
Yet even now, all is not lost. One letter from a faithful bishop can restore the Traditional Latin Mass in his diocese. One courageous shepherd, moved by love for souls and reverence for sacred worship, can make all the difference.
Traditionis Custodes must be governed by the bishop’s primary responsibility. The shepherd’s supreme law remains the salvation of souls. A papal document provides direction, but the bishop holds the sacred duty to discern its application, ensuring he provides what is demonstrably good and holy for his flock. His fidelity is to the well-being of the souls entrusted to his care.
Therefore, it is not necessary for Pope Leo XIV to abrogate Traditionis Custodes immediately—though such an act would be a great mercy. The power to resolve this crisis of Latin Mass availability belongs to the bishops. They must choose what is right, immediately fulfilling their sacred responsibility.
We cannot be silent. We must keep speaking, keep witnessing, and keep praying. We must do so not for nostalgia or sentiment, but for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
The Mass of the Ages, through which God has been reverently worshiped for centuries, is worthy of defenders. May we be counted among them.
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