French Catholic Bishops Express “Esteem” for Traditional Latin Mass Communities | Catholic National Register

The Catholic bishops of France on Saturday expressed their “esteem” for the people and the pastors of the communities of traditional Latin masses following the publication of the motu proprio of Pope Francis Traditionis custodes.

The bishops issued a declaration July 17, the day after the Pope made sweeping changes to the 2007 declaration of his predecessor Benedict XVI apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum, who recognized the right of all priests to say Mass using the 1962 Roman Missal.

New motu proprio, published with immediate effect, declares that it is in the “exclusive competence” of each bishop to authorize the use of the Roman Missal of 1962 in his diocese.

“The bishops of France, as well as all the faithful of their dioceses, have received the motu proprio Traditionis custodes of Pope Francis, which was made public yesterday, ”the statement read.

“They wish to express to the faithful who habitually celebrate according to the Missal of Saint John XXIII, and to their pastors, their care, the esteem they have for the spiritual zeal of these faithful, and their determination to continue the mission together, in the communion of the Church and according to the standards in force.

The comments of the bishops will be closely studied as France is one of the main world centers of Catholic traditionalism.

The declaration continues: “Each bishop will have at heart to be up to the challenges described by the Holy Father in order to exercise the responsibility which is reminded to him in justice, charity, concern for all, the service of religion. liturgy, and unity of the Church. This will be done through dialogue and will take time.

“The motu proprio Traditionis custodes and the letter from the Holy Father to the bishops who introduced it are a demanding call for the whole Church to an authentic Eucharistic renewal. No one can do without it.

The bishops concluded their message by quoting Lumen gentium, Vatican Council II Dogmatic Constitution on the Church.

“The bishops invoke the Holy Spirit so that the Eucharist, ‘source and summit of Christian life’, sacrifice of the Lord and memorial of his Passion and of his Resurrection, may be the place where the Church draws her strength every day for to become what it is: “in Christ, in a way, the sacrament, that is to say both the sign and the means of intimate union with God and of the unity of all kind. human “.

France has recently seen tensions between supporters of the Mass using the 1962 Roman missal and a local archbishop.

Parishioners protested after Bishop Roland Minnerath of Dijon asked the members of the Fraternity Sacerdotale Saint-Pierre (FSSP) to leave the Basilica of Fontaine-lès-Dijon, birthplace of Saint-Bernard of Clairvaux, after 23 years in the archdiocese.

The FSSP is a clerical society of apostolic life of pontifical right, canonically established by Pope John Paul II in 1988. The Fraternity, which has more than 300 priests and 150 seminarians from 30 countries, uses the pre-Vatican II Roman Missal.

The FSSP said on July 16 that its members were “discouraged and anxious” by the new motu proprio.

In a declaration published the day the Pope released the new standards, the group said: “With the publication of Pope Francis’ last motu proprio, Traditionis custodes, which imposed new restrictions on the extraordinary form of the Roman rite, many of us are discouraged and anxious.

“At this point it is too early to say what all the implications will be for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, but we assure you that we remain committed to serving the faithful participating in our apostolates in accordance with our Constitutions and our charism. have done since our founding.

“We must strive to see this Cross as a means of our sanctification and to remember that God will never forsake his Church. ”

“Our Lord Himself promises us the graces necessary to carry our Crosses with strength and courage. We must not, however, neglect to do our part as faithful Catholics; let us pray and offer sacrifices in our daily life, and have confidence in the intercession of Our Lady, Saint Joseph, and of our patron, Saint Peter.