Full text of “Traditionis Custodes”, the apostolic letter issued “motu proprio” by Francis

[Dawn Marie]

Guardians of the tradition, the bishops in communion with the Bishop of Rome constitute the visible principle and foundation of the unity of their particular Churches. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, through the proclamation of the Gospel and by means of the celebration of the Eucharist, they govern the particular Churches entrusted to them.

In order to promote the concord and unity of the Church, with paternal solicitude towards those who in any region adhere to liturgical forms antecedent to the reform willed by the Vatican Council II, my Venerable Predecessors, Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI, granted and regulated the faculty to use the Roman Missal edited by John XXIII in 1962. In this way they intended “to facilitate the ecclesial communion of those Catholics who feel attached to some earlier liturgical forms” and not to others.

In line with the initiative of my Venerable Predecessor Benedict XVI to invite the bishops to assess the application of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum three years after its publication, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith carried out a detailed consultation of the bishops in 2020. The results have been carefully considered in the light of experience that has matured during these years.

At this time, having considered the wishes expressed by the episcopate and having heard the opinion of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, I now desire, with this Apostolic Letter, to press on ever more in the constant search for ecclesial communion. Therefore, I have considered it appropriate to establish the following:

Art. 1. The liturgical books promulgated by Saint Paul VI and Saint John Paul II, in conformity with the decrees of Vatican Council II, are the unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite.

Art. 2. It belongs to the diocesan bishop, as moderator, promoter, and guardian of the whole liturgical life of the particular Church entrusted to him, to regulate the liturgical celebrations of his diocese. Therefore, it is his exclusive competence to authorize the use of the 1962 Roman Missal in his diocese, according to the guidelines of the Apostolic See.

Art. 3. The bishop of the diocese in which until now there exist one or more groups that celebrate according to the Missal antecedent to the reform of 1970:

1. is to determine that these groups do not deny the validity and the legitimacy of the liturgical reform, dictated by Vatican Council II and the Magisterium of the Supreme Pontiffs;

2. is to designate one or more locations where the faithful adherents of these groups may gather for the eucharistic celebration (not however in the parochial churches and without the erection of new personal parishes);

3. to establish at the designated locations the days on which eucharistic celebrations are permitted using the Roman Missal promulgated by Saint John XXIII in 1962. In these celebrations the readings are proclaimed in the vernacular language, using translations of the Sacred Scripture approved for liturgical use by the respective Episcopal Conferences;

4. to appoint a priest who, as delegate of the bishop, is entrusted with these celebrations and with the pastoral care of these groups of the faithful. This priest should be suited for this responsibility, skilled in the use of the Missale Romanum antecedent to the reform of 1970, possess a knowledge of the Latin language sufficient for a thorough comprehension of the rubrics and liturgical texts, and be animated by a lively pastoral charity and by a sense of ecclesial communion. This priest should have at heart not only the correct celebration of the liturgy, but also the pastoral and spiritual care of the faithful;

5. to proceed suitably to verify that the parishes canonically erected for the benefit of these faithful are effective for their spiritual growth, and to determine whether or not to retain them;

6. to take care not to authorize the establishment of new groups.

Art. 4. Priests ordained after the publication of the present Motu Proprio, who wish to celebrate using the Missale Romanum of 1962, should submit a formal request to the diocesan Bishop who shall consult the Apostolic See before granting this authorization.

Art. 5. Priests who already celebrate according to the Missale Romanum of 1962 should request from the diocesan Bishop the authorization to continue to enjoy this faculty.

Art. 6. Institutes of consecrated life and Societies of apostolic life, erected by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, fall under the competence of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies for Apostolic Life.

Art. 7. The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, for matters of their particular competence, exercise the authority of the Holy See with respect to the observance of these provisions.

Art. 8. Previous norms, instructions, permissions, and customs that do not conform to the provisions of the present Motu Proprio are abrogated.

Everything that I have declared in this Apostolic Letter in the form of Motu Proprio, I order to be observed in all its parts, anything else to the contrary notwithstanding, even if worthy of particular mention, and I establish that it be promulgated by way of publication in “L’Osservatore Romano”, entering immediately in force and, subsequently, that it be published in the official Commentary of the Holy See, Acta Apostolicae Sedis.

Given at Rome, at Saint John Lateran, on 16 July 2021, the liturgical Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in the ninth year of Our Pontificate.

FRANCIS

[Margie]

Dear Dawn Marie,

Without naming my Pastor or SSPX Chapel, my Pastor addressed this yesterday at Mass.  He said, there will be no changes.  He will continue to offer the Traditional Latin Mass ONLY as will his Priests.  He asked that parishioners welcome into our Chapel any other Traditionalists and others seeking the True Mass, the "Mass of our Fathers."  We remain true to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre our courageous-persecuted founder and to St. Pius X.  

[Dawn Marie]

Excellent news!

Margie said:

Dear Dawn Marie,

Without naming my Pastor or SSPX Chapel, my Pastor addressed this yesterday at Mass.  He said, there will be no changes.  He will continue to offer the Traditional Latin Mass ONLY as will his Priests.  He asked that parishioners welcome into our Chapel any other Traditionalists and others seeking the True Mass, the "Mass of our Fathers."  We remain true to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre our courageous-persecuted founder and to St. Pius X.  

[Michael]

The SSPX Responds:

From Summorum Pontificum to Traditionis Custodes, or From the Reser...

[Dawn Marie]

Is it good or bad Michael?  I can't bear to read it...just tell me.  Rip off the band aid fast lol

[Michael]

Read it.  It's good.

[Michael]

From Father Michael Rodriguez

Resist the False Attack upon the Mass

[Dawn Marie]

Thank You Jesus!

Michael said:

Read it.  It's good.

[David Kaftal]

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248400/archbishop-cordileon...

Archbishop Cordileone: Traditional Latin Mass will continue in San Francisco
By Christine Rousselle
San Francisco, Calif., Jul 16, 2021 / 13:03 pm

As diocesan bishops consider how to implement Pope Francis’ motu proprio on the use of the Traditional Latin Mass, the Archbishop of San Franciso has said it will continue to be available in his local Church.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco told CNA July 16 that “The Mass is a miracle in any form: Christ comes to us in the flesh under the appearance of Bread and Wine. Unity under Christ is what matters. Therefore the Traditional Latin Mass will continue to be available here in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and provided in response to the legitimate needs and desires of the faithful.”

It seems that Traditional Latin Masses in dioceses throughout the United States are largely set to continue as scheduled, while bishops prepare responses to Traditionis custodes.

The motu proprio states that it is each bishop’s “exclusive competence” to authorize the use of the 1962 Roman Missal in his diocese.

It also sets out the responsibilities of bishops whose dioceses already have one or more groups that offer Mass in the extraordinary form, mandating that bishops determine that these groups do not deny the validity of Vatican II and the Magisterium.

Bishops are instructed to “designate one or more locations where the faithful adherents of these groups may gather for the eucharistic celebration (not however in the parochial churches and without the erection of new personal parishes).”

Archbishop Cordileone’s sentiment matched that of other bishops.

Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of Albany wrote that “With respect to the celebration of the Roman Liturgy prior to the reforms of 1970, I wish to reiterate the great pastoral and spiritual good that has been experienced by those who have been and who are engaged in this form of the Liturgy. I would also like to acknowledge the many valuable contributions made to the life of the Church through such celebrations.”

He added that he, along with the other bishops, were consulted last year about the Traditional Latin Mass: “This was duly completed and dispatched, although, to the best of my knowledge, no summary of the various responses of the Bishops has been provided to date. My response gave details of the current provisions and experiences within the Diocese; as well as other points, such as those mentioned in the paragraph above.”

The Diocese of Arlington told CNA that all parishes that had planned on offering Masses in the Extraordinary Form would be able to do so.

“Bishop Burbidge has read the motu proprio regarding the 1962 Missal,” said a statement from Billy Atwell, chief communications officer for the Diocese of Arlington.

“He will review it in greater detail and offer further guidance to our priests in the near future. Parishes currently scheduled to offer Mass in the Extraordinary Form this weekend have received permission to do so.”

Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence called the motu proprio “both a challenge and an opportunity.”


“In the Providence Diocese we will study it and implement it together, peacefully and prayerfully. But above all, we will affirm our love for the Holy Mass, and our unity in Christ and his Holy Church,” he said.

At New Liturgical Movement, Gregory DiPippo noted that the motu proprio was released on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and that “when the mendicant orders like the Carmelites emerged in the 13th century, as part of the on-going reform movement within the Church, they were attacked on various grounds by representatives of the more established ecclesiastical institutions, who did not like to have their own decadence and complacency challenged by the evangelical vitality of the new movement. Semper idem.”

“If you love the Church and the traditional liturgy, take up a Marian devotion, if you don’t already have one, and make it your intention to ask the Virgin’s intercession for the untying of this knot of gross injustice. Likewise, let us continually invoke the intercession of St Joseph, whom we honor with the title Patron of the Universal Church, which stands in the direst need of his mighty protection, and of St Pius V, whose Missal remains the most authentic expression of the Roman Church’s lex orandi."

[David Kaftal]

I just found out that the bishop of our diocese is going to allow the TLM to carry on as usual. The Archbishop of San Francisco announced the same thing a couple of days ago, as have other bishops all over the world. Turns out there's a provision in canon law that allows bishops to dispense the faithful in their dioceses from draconian papal edicts: 

Can. 87 §1. A diocesan bishop, whenever he judges that it contributes 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. He is not able to dispense, however, from procedural or penal laws nor from those whose dispensation is specially reserved to the Apostolic See or some other authority.

[Dawn Marie]

That is great and according to the article you posted earlier a few other bishops are also doing that.  Here's the thing, Frank is a vindictive tyrant according to those close to him and around him.  He will make sure those bishops are "transferred".

[Alley]

Everyone who is fortunate enough to have Holy Mass please pray for me, my family 

we have no way to get to Mass :(. But we send our Angels!! :)

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

I don't know with you in US, but nope, DM, we are not covered in the MP because SSPX has no agreements whatsoever with VII. 

I have been speaking with our priests  since Sunday after seeing Dr. Marshall's video. One of our priests says this fight was done by Monsgr. Lefebvre for us together with those militant priests with him who suffered a lot due to the reform. He told the story of how his parents also fought - he was in the grades back then; further, some priests even got sick and died because they couldn't  just celebrate the New Mass.

I just wonder if the SSPX worldwide would have different approaches to this MP. 

Dawn Marie said:

His is the father of lies.

I was talking to a certain priest about 3 or 4 weeks ago who has some contacts in Rome.  He said that this was coming and that now certain cardinals who have professed to be for tradition would now be put on the hot seat so to speak, wherein they would have to chose.  He said basically this was only the start of what Francis has planned.  It only gets worse from here.  He also stated that before usurping the throne, which apparently Cardinal Burke has said happened since he came out of the conclave in 2013, that Francis told the Superior General of the Jesuits, that he intended to make "reforms" that would be heretical and what he called permanent.  These reforms include inter worship with other faiths, namely prots.  Let's see what true trads will do in light of this.  Now the SSPX, the FSSP etc will HAVE to celebrate the new mass or be shut down.  Maybe this will bring the fight back in some of them who lost it previously.