Official Swiss Catholic website really rather hoping the persecution of the Latin Mass will continue. Exposure of lies about 'Traditionis Custodes' - a "media stunt"

Will Leo XIV give in on 'Traditionis Custodes'?

According to some 'tradis', only the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, would have protected them from a definitive and total ban on the Tridentine Mass. They are now focusing all their efforts on obtaining from Leo XIV the repeal of Traditionis Custodes and a return to the tolerance that prevailed under Benedict XVI.

Four years after the publication of Traditionis Custodes, Francis's motu proprio restricting the use of the Tridentine Mass, the new Pope Leo XIV has yet to take a public position on the liturgical issue. Robert Prevost will certainly not repeat Francis's acerbic remarks against lovers of 'old lace,' but despite a few sartorial elements such as the wearing of the red mosette, there is no serious indication that he is closer to the traditionalists than his predecessor. Towards Greater Participation of Women

The most significant decision on the liturgy at the beginning of this pontificate is the establishment, on July 7, 2025, of a group dedicated to the liturgy within the Synod on the Future of the Church. Its creation was explicitly requested in the final document of the last synodal assembly in October 2024. The text emphasized the necessary articulation between "the unity of the sacramental mystery and the variety of liturgical traditions" and called for a "deepening of the link between liturgy and synodality."

This text also called for greater participation of women in the liturgy, with the possibility for lay people—particularly women—to preach at Mass. The issue of Traditionis Custodes could be raised, but it is clearly not a priority.

Against the will of the Bishops?

The best media stunt, and probably also the most powerful argument of the traditionalists, was the publication on July 2 of elements of the report of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on the consultation of bishops conducted on this subject in 2020.

Quoting the "overall assessment," Diane Montagna, an American journalist who is highly critical of Francis's pontificate, reported that "the majority of bishops who responded to the questionnaire stated that making legislative changes to Summorum Pontificum would cause more harm than good." She thus considered that this assessment "directly contradicts the justification given by Pope Francis for the imposition of Traditionis Custodes and raises serious questions about his credibility."

The elements thus presented "feed into a very biased and incomplete reconstruction of decision-making processes," the Vatican immediately responded. More fundamentally, a pope is not bound by the results of a survey of bishops.

Nothing in the near future

The most likely hypothesis is therefore that nothing should be expected from Pope Leo XIV regarding Traditionis Custodes, at least not in the near future. Many reasons support this. Since the beginning of his pontificate, Leo XIV has clearly played the card of continuity with the decisions of his predecessor, none of which have been challenged. His calm style means he will avoid any hasty action. Before its abrogation, Summorum Pontificum 'held' for 14 years (2007-2021) and Ecclesia Dei for 31 years (1988-2019). A decision on Traditionis Custodes requiring broad consultation would take at least several years.

It can also be argued that by restoring to the bishops the responsibility to authorize or not the Tridentine Mass, Pope Francis has taken a step towards synodality that Leo will be in no way inclined to question.

Beyond the liturgical debate, it is the legacy of the Second Vatican Council that is at stake, on which Leo XIV will be no less intransigent than his predecessors.

The hypothesis of a 'rehabilitation' of Summorum Pontificum, which traditionalist circles are demanding, would also raise a serious question of authority: How can one justify reversing a reform that Francis had presented as necessary for the unity of the Church?

Respect for acquired rights

Another scenario would consist of authorizing local adjustments by allowing bishops to grant exemptions more flexibly. But even in this sense, the framework established by Traditionis Custodes remains necessary. Otherwise, the risk of arbitrariness and discrimination between dioceses is significant. It should also be noted here that several dioceses and congregations have already obtained from Rome the maintenance of their acquired rights.

Traditionalists finally forget that they are only a tiny minority (probably around 1% of Catholics), concentrated mainly in the United States and France, even though they are present in some sixty countries. Their lamentations are unlikely to change anything.

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