Motu Proprio: Traditionis Custodes

Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

With the promulgation of Pope Francis' motu propio Traditionis Custodes the last few days have been difficult to say the least, for the laity no less than for so many priests (and bishops).  Many bishops have already written to their priests and made public statements for the sake of their laity.  An excellent article covering this has been published by the National Catholic Register.  

Our own Bishop Callahan was, unfortunately, away on Friday when the motu proprio was released and so was unable to even read it himself much less comment and reassure the faithful of the Diocese of La Crosse.  However, he wrote and distributed a letter Monday afternoon which follows: 

19 July 2021 Year of St. Joseph 

 My dear Brothers: 

 May the Lord give you peace. 

Last Friday, on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pope Francis, surprised the Church with news that overturned the Liturgical life of the Church, especially from the vantage point of what many of us have come to understand from the Apostolic Letter of Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 motu proprio: Summorum Pontificum, which allowed any priest to use the traditional (older) rite of the Mass without the permission of his bishop. 

In issuing Traditionis Custodes our Holy Father outlined changes and restrictions in the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy in the Extraordinary Form. I am certain that this news has caused some distress for some of you and some of the faithful of our Diocese. I feel it is necessary to study the decree further for deeper clarity and to ensure a complete understanding of the Holy Father’s intentions. While I work toward faithfully implementing the Traditionis Custodes in a manner that best serves the need of the faithful and our Diocese I grant permission for priests of the Diocese who have previously been celebrating the Liturgy using the 1962 Roman Missal to continue celebrating Masses at the times and locations in which they had previously been established. They must be celebrated with all relevant liturgical and disciplinary norms. No new celebrations of the traditional Latin Mass may be scheduled at this time. 

I request that priests who are celebrating according to the Missale Romanum of 1962 contact my office over the next couple of weeks, in writing, with a formal request in order to be considered for faculties (Art. 5) and so we might better determine locations where the Sacred Liturgy, celebrated in Extraordinary Form, may be scheduled in order to spiritually nourish those that have a unity to the Eucharist in this liturgical form. 

 Oremus pro invicem, 

 +William

I find it reassuring that our bishop, recognizing the pastoral care that has been rendered to the faithful of the Diocese of La Crosse in offering holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (also referred to as the usus antiquior or the Traditional Latin Mass), is taking time to understand the Holy Father's intentions and implementing  Traditionis Custodes "in a manner that best serves the needs of the faithful".  I would ask the faithful to keep him in prayer as he seeks to understand how this is to implemented in our diocese.

Many of you know this motu proprio knocked me for a loop.  I have come to appreciate the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite just as I have always appreciated the Ordinary Form.  I have stated over and over again that both forms play an important role in the continued perfection in the evangelical counsels (faith, hope, & charity) to which we are all called at Baptism.

On a personal note, I cannot understand how a pope who is so concerned about accompaniment and the synodal path (indeed, one could consider these the central, pastoral themes of his papacy) could deem a not insignificant number of the faithful entrusted by God to his care worthy of that same accompaniment he has declared necessary for those who are clearly outside the boundaries of the Church's moral teaching; and then centralize a decision regarding the Mass when he has himself stated several times that issues concerning the liturgy should not be centralized on Rome, and that local ordinaries and conferences of bishops should be given latitude in deciding these things for their own region.

However, I am confident that Bishop Callahan has the care of ALL his people at heart and will work with his priests to find a way forward; and I am even more confident that God has us all in the palm of His hand, and will care for those who love AND trust Him.

Again, please, keep the prayers going!