Bishop Schneider appeals to Pope Leo XIV for Apostolic Constitution on Traditional Mass
The prominent bishop revealed details of his December meeting with Leo XIV and his suggestion to the pontiff regarding the old rite.
(Pelican+) — Bishop Athanasius Schneider has asked Pope Leo XIV to publish an Apostolic Constitution liberalizing permission for the traditional Latin Mass.
The future of the traditional Mass has been one of the most prominent and controversial questions that many have anticipated Pope Leo XIV might address in the early stages of his pontificate. In a July interview, he professed himself somewhat ignorant of the particulars, but since then has met with key proponents of the traditional Mass, such as Cardinals Raymond Burke and Robert Sarah, along with Bishop Athanasius Schneider.
Schneider has hitherto kept a prudential silence about his December 18 meeting, but following the recent extraordinary consistory has revealed details about the suggestion he put to the Pope regarding the traditional Mass.
The auxiliary bishop conveyed to the Pontiff the idea that he “do a more solemn document, not just a Motu Proprio as Benedict XVI did and then the anti-Motu Proprio of Pope Francis Traditionis Custodes.”
Such a document should be carefully prepared, said Schneider, in order not to continue the style of Traditionis Custodes which put itself in firm opposition to Summorum Pontificum. “I think it would not be so fitting to again do an anti-Motu Proprio against Traditionis Custodes, but simply a more solemn document above the Motu Proprios.”
As for what legislation might be contained in a potential document, Schneider stated that he would advise the Pope “do a new regularization of the entire issue of the traditional Latin Mass, again independently of the Motu Proprios. Do a new, solemn regularization with this, giving the complete freedom and the co-existence of both forms, pacific co-existence, with no limitations and impediments of both forms.”
He also downplayed the idea of referring to the Latin Mass as the Extraordinary form and the Novus Ordo as the Ordinary form, saying that “both are ordinary forms… which every Catholic and every priest has the right to celebrate or to assist at.” Banning any celebration of the traditional liturgy should be just as unconscionable as banning a celebration of the New Rite, said Schneider: “Just like a bishop cannot forbid the Novus Ordo…the same principle that a bishop cannot limit or forbid the traditional form.”
He continued:
“If this would be established by a pontifical document by the Pope, then a bishop would no more have the right to make any restrictions on the traditional form {of the Mass}. This would be my idea, my suggestion and would really bring justice and peace to the Church.”
Schneider proposed that Leo would make such a move via an Apostolic Constitution, which is an especially solemn form of papal legislation, and as such of greater weight than a Motu Proprio – which both Traditionis Custodes and Summorum Pontificum were.
“I think it could be an Apostolic Constitution, a very solemn form of papal documents containing also juridical norms. It is more solemn than a Motu Proprio.”
This would be certainly in line with precedent since, as Schneider noted, Pope Pius V issued an Apostolic Constitution “when he promulgated the missal after the Council of Trent,” as did Pope Paul VI when promoting the new missal in 1969.
The timing of Schneider’s comments regarding his papal meeting are notable, given that they come days after the conclusion of the first Extraordinary Consistory of Leo XIV’s pontificate. Liturgy was due to be discussed, but the cardinals were instructed to choose two of the four possible topics, and thus the liturgy was left aside.
On Tuesday, however, Italian Vaticanist Nico Spuntoni published a text prepared by Cardinal Arthur Roche, in which the Vatican’s chief liturgical official issued a renewed attack on the traditional Mass. (See Thomas Colsy’s report for Pelican+ here). The text, published also by Messa in Latino and then Diane Montagna, renewed Roche’s highly scorned assertions from previous years and renewed concerns about the future of the traditional Mass under Leo, especially given that the text was conveyed to cardinals at the consistory.
Roche has previously made a number of derogatory claims against the traditional Mass, including the argument that granting limited permission for the old rite is simply “a pastoral concession.
The rest of this report conducted exclusively for Pelican+, is found at this link. Interested readers looking to follow this correspondent’s Vatican reporting for Pelican Media can do so here with the discount code “HAYNES.”