In a July 19 decree, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, a canon lawyer, dispensed two parishes in his diocese from an article of Pope Francis’ July 16 motu proprio, meaning they will be allowed to continue to celebrate Masses in Latin according to the 1962 Missal.
“Eucharistic celebrations are permitted at these locations using the Roman Missal promulgated by Saint John XXIII in 1962 on any or all days of the year,” Paprocki declared.
One of the two churches is Sacred Heart Church, administered by priests of The Canons Regular of the Society of St. John Cantius (SJC); the church part of the parish of St. Katherine Drexel in Springfield. The other parish in question, St. Rose of Lima in Quincy, is a personal parish administered by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP). Priests of both the SJC and the FSSP offer the Traditional Latin Mass.
Pope Francis’ motu proprio Traditionis Custodes (“Guardians of the tradition”), issued last Friday and effective immediately, allows individual bishops to authorize the use of the Traditional Latin Mass in their respective dioceses. Previously, Pope Benedict’s 2007 apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum recognized the rights of all priests to celebrate the Traditional Mass, and did not require them to obtain the permission of their bishop to do so.
A provision of the new document says that bishops are to “designate” the locations of traditional liturgies, adding that they cannot be offered at “parochial churches.”
Paprocki cited Canon 87, section 1 of the Code of Canon Law for his decision to issue the dispensation for the two parishes in his diocese. The canon states: “A diocesan bishop, whenever he judges that a dispensation will contribute to their spiritual good, is able to dispense the faithful from universal and particular disciplinary laws issued for his territory or his subjects by the supreme authority of the Church.”
Paprocki’s document is unique in that it is a decree with canonical dispensations, and not just an episcopal statement.
“Since it will contribute to the spiritual good of the faithful, to the extent that it may be needed, a dispensation is granted from Art. 3, § 2 of Traditionis custodes authorizing the use of the 1962 Roman Missal at the parish churches St. Rose of Lima Church in Quincy, Illinois, and Sacred Heart Church of Saint Katharine Drexel Parish in Springfield, Illinois,” Paprocki’s decree stated. In accord with Pope Francis’ requirement that readings at Traditional Masses be proclaimed in the vernacular, Paprocki authorized those two parishes to do so.
The new papal document also details the responsibilities of bishops whose dioceses already have one or more groups offering the Traditional Latin Mass. It mandates that bishops determine these groups do not deny the validity of Vatican II and the Magisterium.
Bishop Paprocki determined that several such groups operating in his diocese fulfill these requirements. The groups include the Canons Regular of the Society of Saint John Cantius, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, and the Canons Regular of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
The above comes from a July 20 story by Catholic News Agency.
Dear Francis, Bishop of Rome. (Since you do not want to be called “Vicar of Christ”)
He is just exercising his right as your Synodal brother.
(The sword has two edges).
Good point James, Francis never wanted to be called Vicar of Christ or The Pope. The man ever since the beginning when Guido Marini put on the papal stole on the loggia the day of his selection to the Papacy he quickly took it off as if it irked him and since then he always came across as angry, bitter, unhappy, and loathed anything traditional. However I will continue to pray for his conversion he is the pope and we must still pray for him.
That is really not true.
Romulus is 100% correct, Anonymous.
How would Romulus know what happened just before the new Pope emerged at the loggia? Was Romulus Augustus present? How would he know the Pope doesn’t like tradition? The new motu propio suggests that the Pope cares about how the Ordinary Form is celebrated.
Romulus is 100% correct, Anonymous.
Angry? Bitter? Unhappy?
In constant Pain. You will notice he is better when sitting.
Under constant attack. Even from those who should be his supporters.
Ignored, ridiculed, vilified, As the Master, so the servant.
Thank you Bishop Paprocki.
Good to know that there are still a few bishops who know what it means to be a good shepherd.
There’s more to being a good shepherd than doing what you agree with. Much more.
The bishop of Knoxville did the same thing. In addition he gave all the diocesan priests ordained before last Friday permission to say the Latin Mass.
Thank you Pope Francis for awakening a sleeping giant. I have not been to the Latin Mass many times, and now I will have to work a little harder to find one, but I need to go and show my support. A real shepherd would not want to take this beautiful form of worship away from his flock.
He can do that in the interim, but he’s supposed to be moving the diocese towards exclusive use of the Novus Ordo.
Bishop Paprocki has done a wonderful thing. Anyway, this ridiculous motu proprio may get changed by the next Pope– hope so. And the pope destroyed the John Paul II Pontifical Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family, as well as the Pontifical Academy for Life.
If this motu proprio is reversed by the next pope, then why be Catholic anymore? The Church will become just as unstable and unpredictable as America with executive orders being overturned by the next president of a different political party.
I already think God’s absence is more apparent than his presence. I don’t need Church instability added to clergy sex scandals, clerical corruption, global societal decay and the Church seemingly being irrelevant to the meaningfulness of life for large swaths of people raised Catholic to further discourage me.
God bless you, Kevin! This world is ruled by the Prince of Darkness, Satan. They even killed Christ! That’s the very worst, I think. We lost Paradise by Adam’s Fall, so Christ came to save us and restore us to God. Our true goal is to find our home in the next world, Heaven– not this world. The Catholic Church stopped preaching that truth after the Council, and began to emphasize secular-style “humanism,” and being happy in this world, not the next. Well, at least we do have it better than those poor souls, persecuted and martyred for the Catholic religion, in Africa, the Middle East, China, and other Communist and Muslim extremist-run countries. Our “Church problems,” anyway, are quite a hardship for us! Many of the Saints had it a lot worse, and they just bravely marched onward to Heaven, alone, with just their Faith to guide them. Very, very hard.
The 4 Last Things. Death. Judgement. Heaven. Hell.
Keep these things in mind.
Hope the next pope restores all the teachings of Pope St. John Paul II, and the excellent Pontifical institute of Studies on Marriage and the Family, as well as the Pontifical Academy for Life. And hope the next pope gets rid of the terrible “Amoris Laetitia,” as well as other terrible current papal documents.
In this and many other ways, Bishop Paprocki has shown himself to be a good and faithful shepherd.
Paprocki cited Canon 87, section 1 of the Code of Canon Law for his decision to issue the dispensation for the two parishes in his diocese. The canon states: “A diocesan bishop, whenever he judges that a dispensation will contribute to their spiritual good, is able to dispense the faithful from universal and particular disciplinary laws issued for his territory or his subjects by the supreme authority of the Church.”
This seems significant to me. The citing of Canon law. I’ve not seen that from the others. Potentiial “get out of NO – free card”?
I think Paprocki is a canonist.
Oh yeah. First sentence.
Francis’ “deplorables” moment.
But he alone assigns resigns tranfers Bishops.
See what he did to traditional orders.
HomeChurch to join HomeSchool in the future of the Church; at least for 50 or 100 years.
No, because although it might take a couple generations, Rome holds the trump card in that no newly ordained priests may be authorized to celebrate the old Mass except by Rome. So all Rome has to do is stop authorizing new priests to say the old Mass, and eventually there will be no priests left authorized to say it. I bet dioceses where bishops have dispensed from the motu proprio’s provisions are not going to get approvals from Rome for new priests to say the old Mass. A bishop can give a dispensation to allow a TLM at a parish, but if there’s no priest authorized to say it then the dispensation is moot. And the bishop can’t dispense from the requirement to have Rome approve new priests to say the old Mass. So the TLM will die eventually.
Kevin, I think Pope Francis is very unusual in his thinking. He depises following what he calls the “rigid rules” of his Church, is very worldly and secular-minded, with lots of interest in worldly trends. He ridiculed young seminarians proud to wear their clerical clothes in his presence, complete with the Roman saturno clerical hat; and he wrongfully had those blasphemous Pachamama idols set up in the Vatican Gardens, with ceremonies and prayers! Plus, he openly favors LGBT-promoter Fr. James Martin, S.J.– instead of banning his books and silencing him, and has given public approval for “civil gay unions,” as well as implementing “fast-track, 45-day Church annulments,” and encouraging those civilly divorced-and-remarried-without-Church-annulments, to take Communion! He has shockingly erased all the good works of his predecessors, Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI emeritus. He hardly seems interested at times, in truly spiritual matters. He desires to de-centralize Papal power, and instead, give decision-making power to bishops in local synods– which may someday result in a massive fracture of Catholic unity, worldwide. And he has made it clear, he also despises our Sacred Catholic Tradition– as well as the centuries-old, holy Latin Tridentine Mass. A normal Pope would take great pride in this great 1570 Counter-Reformation-era Mass, of Pope St. Pius V. This pope is — well, “not very Catholic!” However, his Papacy will not be long, and we may later be blessed with a very good Pope, who loves his Catholic Faith and holy Catholic Tradition, and is very proud of it, and will greatly bless the Church with excellent spiritual leadership.
I agree with all you say — IMHO you should be proud to sign your name to this.
I would only add, that popes should not endorse US presidential candidates/presidents. PF’s very un-Christian comments about President Trump (who was the most “Catholic-acting” present ever — and not even Catholic) were despicable. And his ingratiating support of President Biden, who says he is a “devout Catholic” yet is 100% pro-murdering babies from conception until after birth, is be yo-yo dieting comprehension.
Spellchecker lunacy — not “be yo-yo dieting”. What I typed, but obviously didn’t proofread before hitting enter, was “beyond comprehension “
LOL
I see your point. Respectfully, at least on canon lawyer and roman rite preist disagrees.
“Article 4 establishes a distinction between those ordained subsequent to 16 July 2021 who “should” submit a request to the diocesan bishop, who will consult the Apostolic See, and those ordained previously. There is no indication that these newly ordained priests must do so, and no indication of penalties to which they would be subject if they were not to do so. This is a hortatory, not a compulsory, statement. Similarly, those ordained prior to 16 July 2021 are also encouraged in article 5 to request from the diocesan bishop the faculty to continue to celebrate according to the traditional Missal. Again, these two (2) articles should be read in a way which, in accordance with the express aims of the present motu proprio, would foster the positive growth and understanding in communion between priests and their bishops.”
We’ll have to see how this plays out in the future.
JL great comment just like Japan woke the sleeping giant when they attacked us at Pearl Harbor Pope Francis has awoken the sleeping giant which would not go away – The Traditional Latin Mass.
The lack of understanding and the lack of spiritual maturity and the ignorance of Scripture and Tradition is appalling. I know others are not like this
People, with all respect, your comments are pitiful if not pathetic. Do you really think bishops like Paprocki, Cordileone, and the others are defying Francis? These bishops have done nothing that is not already provided for in the Pope’s new motu propio and in the accompanying letter. I mean, didn’t you folks even read them? They’re both brief. The Pope has written that the bishops should continue “to provide for the good of those who are rooted in the previous form” but at the same time with an eye to returning them “in due time” to the Mass of Paul VI. Francis knows this will take time; and he has given a lot of leeway to the bishops. Bishops like Paprocki are merely exercising the new responsibilities given them by the Pope.
You people are merely trying to console yourselves with any bit of news that looks like defiance against the Pope. The fact that some of you may be doing just that should alert you of your need to go to confession and repent of your divisive and dissentful attitudes.
Your comment, as usual, is rude, thoughtless, heartless, and shows how little you love the Lord Jesus.
On the contrary Anonymous (by the way, your name is being phased-out by this blog, so you must come up with a new name here by July 26), I love Our Lord. What I do not love is division and hate, especially if the Holy Mass is being used to foster hate and division.
I will come to jon’s defense here. Nothing rude or heartless about what he wrote at all. It’s clear and concise and true, which some readers here subjectively interpret to be rude because they don’t like the truth stated so clearly since they can’t refute it. jon’s right: the Holy Father has stated definitively, legislated that the preconciliar Mass is to be eventually eliminated from use, which is not a novel declaration of his; it goes back to Vatican II. In the meantime, bishops are to see to it that Catholics who have been accustomed to celebrating Mass using the old Missal aren’t left in the lurch: their spiritual needs are to be provided for generously by continuing to use the old Mass until a transition to an exclusive use of the new Mass can be effectively and fruitfully completed.
He has not said that the TLM will be eliminated from use.
He said what jon said he said. And, in his letter to the bishops he also said to them:
It is up to you to proceed in such a way as to return to a unitary form of celebration.
So it appears that one form of Mass will be the norm some time in the future.
Most bishops that have made a statement are continuing as is until they can study and pray over the document.
I see why you made the jump and TLMers here have too and it is not that big of a stretch but it is not the current situation and he has not said that.
No, Kevin T., the Tridentine Mass is not being used as a means of “divisiveness and hatred.” The FSSP, ICKSP, and others, are all very fine Catholic priests.
Anonymous must explain to us therefore why the Archbishop of Dijon expelled the beloved FSSP from his territory. The Archbishop was clear when he said that the beloved FSSP’s refusal to concelebrate at the chrism Mass was a factor. It manifests a refusal to acknowledge a fruit of the Council, namely the Mass of Paul VI.
I think it is not as simple as that.
The whole story is that there were 2 FSSP priests in the Archdiocese. One left and the archbishop told the FSSP not to send a replacement because he was going to have diocesan priests say the TLM.
The FSSP report to the Pope.
They are a priestly fraternity whose charism is to provide the Latin Mass for those who need it.
Well Anonymous you only give the partial story; the Archbishop of Dijon has given the reason why he was having his diocesan priests offer the Masses in place of the two priests from the beloved FSSP: his reason is the beloved FSSP priests’ refusal to concelebrate at the chrism Mass with the other priests of the Archdiocese. And as a rule, these groups (FSSP and ICRSS) do not offer the Ordinary Form. The beloved FSSP may have the charism to provide the TLM, but at the exclusion of the Ordinary Form? What message are they sending to other Catholics by doing that? That the Ordinary Form is not at their “pace” (which is the reason the FSSP priests gave the Archbishop, which I think is rather disingenuous). That the Ordinary Form is beneath them? That the Vatican II Council which authorized the reform of the liturgy has no authority to alter the liturgy? Whatever the reason is, if they are priests of the Latin Rite, they ought to offer the two forms of the liturgy of that same rite. Otherwise, they’re only “half priests” (thank you Fr. Z).
Thanks for looking it up. Yes, I did not give the whole entire story because someone entered the room for conversation and I clicked on the post comment before I was finished.
They are not half priests. You can look up what they had to agree to when they became a Society of Apostolic Life.
I will leave it to others who know more to answer your questions.
Anonymous: my question was rhetorical. The beloved FSSP and ICRSS may have asked the Holy See that they not offer the Ordinary Form as a rule when they became a society of apostolic life, but you see, asking for that by itself is a big statement. It’s a negative statement about the Ordinary Form and Vatican II which authorized the reform. And they’re still getting away with it. I’ve heard many bishops say they’ll keep their apostolates. It’s the diocesan priests who are being “punished” for the divisiveness of these groups. Just sayin.
I never took Bishop Paprocki for a cafeteria catholic until now.
In the Motu proprio I have desired to affirm that it is up to the Bishop, as moderator, promoter, and guardian of the liturgical life of the Church of which he is the principle of unity, to regulate the liturgical celebrations. It is up to you to authorize in your Churches, as local Ordinaries, the use of the Missale Romanum of 1962, applying the norms of the present Motu proprio. It is up to you to proceed in such a way as to return to a unitary form of celebration, and to determine case by case the reality of the groups which celebrate with this Missale Romanum.
Yes, but the operative words are not just “it is up to you” but rather, what “you” [Bishops] are to do must be “applying the norms of the present Motu proprio”, returning to a unitary form of celebration.
Pope Francis- May God Bless him. It is very obvious many conservative Bishops can be as crafty as some of the more liberal ones.
George Weigel, the papal biographer of Pope St. John Paul II, and Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, wrote an excellent article on July 21st, on the Pope’s new motu proprio. It is called, “Liberal Authoritarianism and the Traditional Latin Mass.” George Weigel says the Pope’s new motu proprio is “unnecessary” and “cruel.” Here is a link to this outstanding article: https://eppc.org/publication/liberal-authoritarianism–and-the-traditional-latin-mass/
Weigel’s wrong.
The bishops’ conference of the Philippines issued a statement in full support of Traditionis Custodes. That’s the way you show you are Catholic. I bet Peter Kwasniewski and Church Militant and The Remnant and Father Z won’t bring up that piece of news.
After all the brouhaha this past week, I’ve learned that trads aren’t as smart nor knowledgeable as they think they are.
You should tell those “wacko” ideas of yours to Cardinal Burke, Cardinal Mueller, Cardinal Sarah, and many other fine Church notables.
I hope I live long enough to see the day when the last authorized TLM is celebrated.
The following link is to a Catholic World Report article on what Vatican II actually said about the liturgical renewal. A few parts of it surprised me, which means that I need to go back and re-read parts of the conciliar documents with a closer eye.
The most interesting part was what the article said about Gregorian chant. It apparently has its roots in ancient Judaism. Fascinating!
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2021/07/23/the-mass-of-vatican-ii/
Yes, indeed. Some of it was translated into Latin from Jewish Temple worship. Gregorian chant is filled with the same Psalms our Lord prayed in Hebrew in the Temple.
A partial example, without the accents, from Exodus xvi. 6 & 7. “Hodie, sciertis, quia veniet Dominus, et salvabit nos: et mane videbitis gloriam ejus.
“This day you shall know that the Lord will come and save us: and in the morning you shall see his glory.” — from a Christmas gradual.
Anne TE,
I’m curious, where did you learn that about Gregorian Chant?
I was at a Sabbath service once, and I was amazed at the parallels between a Jewish service and the Liturgy of the Word. For example, the Ark of the Covenant (where the Torah scroll is kept) was where the Tabernacle is [or should be] in most Catholic churches. Likewise, at the end of either the Torah reading or the homily, the rabbi lifted the Torah high above his head, much like a Catholic priest would do with the Eucharist — Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.
I always assumed that Gregorian Chant came from the Middle Ages or from the Medieval period. This information knocked me out of my chair. Catholicism is incredible in how its maintained its antiquity.
Steve, there are many good websites that tell how Pope Gregory compiled together many ancient Christian chants and brought them into the Latin Mass, some probably were in Latin and some not. The Kyrie is still in Greek. One great website is “Gregorian/chant/music/ Britannica” if you can get into it. Others are “Abbaye Saint-Pierre Solesmes” and the Catholic Resource Center (CERC) website’s article “Gregorian Chant from King David to the Present”. You can also put in your search bar, “Gregorian Chant, history of”.
Anne TE,
Thanks for the info.
You are welcome, Steve.
I also noticed the similarity to Judaism when I heard the plaintive cry of the Jewish cantor, Azi Schwartz, at an anniversary of 9/11. A similar cry is given at the Traditional Holy Saturday service when the Latin cantors wail at the moment of the death of the Lord Jesus.
Many years ago I attended a Laotian mass in the newer Roman Rite and heard a similar tone to Gregorian chant. The bowing used in the older Roman Rite is middle-eastern too.
Steve, if you (again) attend an Eastern Catholic Divine LIturgy (Mass), you’ll see the Book of the Gospels together with the Tabernacle on the Holy Table (altar). And, it is (kissed and) also elevated after the reading (as well as in procession before). And, in some services, it is held over the heads of the people. Of course, Eastern Churches have icon screens and some have curtains, like the Jewish Temple.
Deacon Anderson,
Thank you for the extra comments. The only Eastern church that I’ve been in was Orthodox. Only once. It was a tiny little church that I’ve walked by more times than I can count. Finally, one day, I got the nerve to politely walk inside while the priest was there. It was a beautiful sight to behold. It didn’t have the transcendental grandeur of a great Cathedral, but it was just as pretty. It must be something to attend Mass there and contemplate the religious significance of all that was there.
I assume that the Catholic versions are just as good – possibly better.