On the Eve of Coronations: The Traditional Mass, a Path to Reconciliation?

Context

We had reported on the ordinations of June 27 in Zaitzkofen and June 29 in Écône—ten priests ordained on the eve of the episcopal consecrations of July 1. The SSPX demonstrates its vitality; Rome observes. It is in this context that two notable positions deserve analysis: the newspaper Il Giornale, which argues for the expansion of the Traditional Mass as a path to reconciliation, and Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, who reminds us that this liturgy is not a threat to ecclesial unity.

The Facts

According to LifeSiteNews, the newspaper Il Giornale calls for the expansion of the Mass in its extraordinary form as a means to durably ease tensions between Rome and the Society of Saint Pius X. Simultaneously, Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo publicly declares that the Traditional Mass "is not an attack on unity or the Church." These statements come after Cardinal Müller's call—following the consistory—for a special Vatican commission tasked with welcoming those seeking full communion without requiring doctrinal renunciation.

Doctrinal Analysis

The liturgical question is inseparable from the canonical and theological question. The motu proprio Summorum Pontificum (Benedict XVI, 2007) had recognized that the Tridentine rite was never abrogated and that it remained an extraordinary form of the Roman rite. Traditionis Custodes (Francis, 2021) restricted its use but did not suppress it. Cardinal Bustillo's position aligns with that of Benedict XVI in his letter to the bishops of the world (July 7, 2007): the old Mass, far from dividing, can be a factor of unity if lived in communion with the Successor of Peter.

Canon law is clear on this point. Can. 214 CIC guarantees every faithful the right to a liturgical rite properly approved by legitimate authority. This right cannot be invoked to justify a break in communion—but it grounds a legitimate claim that Rome can satisfy without doctrinal concession.

Stakes for the Church and the Faithful

The consecrations of July 1 are canonically serious. They repeat the schism of 1988, aggravated by the context of a pontificate that has extended a hand. If Rome does not respond with a concrete liturgical gesture—expansion of the Traditional Mass, a reconciliation commission—the crisis will become chronic. The faithful attached to the ancient liturgical form find themselves in a difficult position: neither fully recognized by Rome nor willing to break with it. The Church in France includes several tens of thousands of these faithful; their pastoral abandonment would be a real loss.

Critical Reading and Blind Spots

Il Giornale's argument—that the expansion of the rite would be an appeasing measure—is appealing but incomplete. The SSPX does not primarily demand a liturgy; it raises doctrinal questions about Vatican II, religious freedom, and ecumenism. No liturgical concession will resolve an unresolved doctrinal disagreement. The commission proposed by Cardinal Müller would be more fruitful if it also addressed the theological substance—rigorously distinguishing, as Catholic theology does, what pertains to the universal ordinary Magisterium, what pertains to the authentic but non-infallible Magisterium, and what pertains to the personal opinion of the Pontiff.

To Reflect and Act

Pray for the visible unity of the Church, according to Christ's wish in John 17:21: "That they may all be one." Read or reread Benedict XVI's letter to the bishops of the world from July 2007—a text of reconciliation that remains strikingly relevant, showing that it is possible to love both the liturgical tradition and Roman communion.