Vatican officials deny involvement in rumored Latin Mass crackdown

VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Two of the four Vatican officials reported to be aiding efforts to restrict the traditional Mass have denied any such involvement, whilst rumors not always in accord with evidence continue to stoke fears of upcoming restrictions.

The papal nuncio to France, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, and the prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, have both denied to this correspondent that they are involved in fresh efforts to restrict the traditional Mass.

Both Migliore and Gugerotti had been named in a June report by The Remnant, along with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, as being the three key aides in a move to compile a new document ushering in restrictions on the traditional Mass.

The document is believed to be being written by Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, who serves as the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW), and who – according to some reports – is drawing up a text restricting the traditional Mass which he will present to Pope Francis for approval.

But when questioned by this correspondent, Migliore and Gugerotti denied that they were supporting or encouraging Viola in his project. Full details are provided below, but first some background and context is necessary.

Background to rumors

On June 17, the traditional blog Rorate Caeli issued a report suggesting that the Vatican is set to publish new measures restricting the traditional Mass even further than it already is. Rorate wrote that there is an attempt to implement a “stringent, radical, and final solution banning the Traditional Latin Mass.”

Describing their sources as “credible,” Rorate stated that the sources for the information were

the very same sources that revealed to Rorate that the Vatican had sent out a survey to bishops on Summorum Pontificum (in preparation for what would become Traditionis Custodes), and Rorate was the first source to post this; and the very same sources who first revealed that a document like Traditionis Custodes would come (and Rorate was also the first to reveal it at the time). [Emphasis original]

Rorate’s report was published by one of the site’s editors known as “New Catholic”: this correspondent understands that “New Catholic” has kept information about his sources strictly to himself.

Where would it come from?

No information was given by Rorate as to which body of the Roman Curia would be leading operations in issuing any new document. Were it to affect the former Ecclesia Dei traditional Mass communities, then it would have to also involve the Congregation (now Dicastery) for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSAL).

However, with Pope Francis having just recently met with, and affirmed the charism of, the two most notable ex-Ecclesia Dei communities offering the traditional Mass – the FSSP and the ICKSP – it is therefore unlikely that restrictions would be ushered in against them via CICLSAL, and would therefore be issued via the CDW.

Indeed when this correspondent questioned the notoriously anti-traditional prefect of CICLSAL – Cardinal João Braz de Aviz – if his dicastery had any document restricting the traditional Mass, his secretary issued a reply July 4, stating:

We cannot answer your question because the topic is not our responsibility but that of the Dicastery for Divine Worship. [Emphasis original]

Such would correspond with the information reported by The Remnant, which cited “well-informed sources” as stating that the rumored document “would prohibit all priests other than those belonging to approved ex-Ecclesia Dei institutes from offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Vetus Ordo, or old rite as it is commonly called.” This would involved the CDW, rather than CICLSAL.

It appears from these two aspects that the rumored document would originate from the offices of the CDW, and chiefly by the hand of Archbishop Viola.

Disagreement over existence of document

But sources disagree on the existence of the document. Rorate was the first to report that it existed and has maintained that position, with The Remnant following suit in supporting the argument some days later.

“I have been informed by reliable sources that a new Vatican document more restrictive than Traditionis Custodes does indeed exist, is backed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and has been presented to Pope Francis,” wrote Diane Montagna for The Remmant.

Well-placed Vatican sources close to Pope Francis questioned by this correspondent could not attest to the existence of the document. They highlighted the confusion emanating from the Vatican about the current state of affairs regarding the future of the traditional Mass, though none of the sources consulted denied that such a document might exist.

Nor has The Pillar been able to confirm existence of the rumored document, despite its record of having talkative and apparently well-placed sources throughout the Vatican and especially in the Secretariat of State – the office led by Cardinal Parolin, who is reportedly a key advocate of measures to restrict the traditional Mass.

Cardinal Arthur Roche – prefect of the CDW – and Parolin have not replied to email questions by this correspondent about the rumored document. Roche has, in the meantime, blocked this correspondent on a social media platform.

A source previously informed LifeSiteNews’ John-Henry Westen that the rumored document was likely to be published on July 16, the third anniversary of Traditionis Custodes, the 2021 motu proprio through which Francis ushered in sweeping restrictions on the traditional Mass. The date swiftly became the international focus of much hype, both in the media and for Catholics outside of the media bubble.

The reports – by Rorate and The Remnant – which attested to the existence of the document did not give any details about such a date. Nothing was issued by the Vatican on July 16, with the month officially being a quieter holiday period for Pope Francis.

Vatican officials deny involvement

While Rorate’s original reports had been sparse in providing details of any fresh restrictions, The Remnant’s report provided names of its alleged proponents and details of its alleged contents.

As noted above, papal nuncio Migliore – who is noted for his stance opposing the traditional Mass in France – was listed as a key supporter, along with the prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches Cardinal Gugerotti and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin.

After 21 years as a nuncio, Gugerotti returned to the Dicastery for Eastern Church in 2022 as its prefect, having served as an official in the Dicastery for 16 years prior to his diplomatic service. He was raised to the cardinalate last September.

Cardinal Parolin (center) with Abp Gugerotti (R) in 2015. Credit: Paval Hadsinzki/Flickr

Following The Remnant’s June 25 report, this correspondent contacted both Migliore and Gugerotti on July 19 asking if they would comment on the report and if they were giving “support or assistance or encouragement to an attempt by Archbishop Vittoria Viola, who is preparing a new document on the ‘Latin Mass.’”

Migliore swiftly replied by saying:

Short question, short answer: these are conjectures, to say the least, fanciful.

Gugerotti’s private secretary replied August 6 with a less direct statement, which nevertheless appeared to distance the cardinal from the rumored document. The reply read:

Thank you for your kind request, of which His Eminence Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches, has taken careful note. In this regard, I would like to inform you that no information appears on the subject to which you refer.

Parolin has yet to reply to the same question posed to Migliore and Gugerotti.

Denials and confusion

In early 2023, similar rumors abounded that Cardinal de Aviz was set to issue issue a document which would usher in hefty restrictions on the former Ecclesia Dei communities. This correspondent managed to meet with de Aviz on April 5 last year, and the cardinal firmly denied that his dicastery was going to issue any such document and that he was not aware of any such document.

The rumored text never emerged, though the strong body of evidence from multiple sources speaking to multiple news outlets and journalists indicated that the document did indeed exist, despite Cdl. de Aviz’s denial. This correspondent’s own Vatican sources also attested to the fact that the document did exist, with the sources adding that the only question was whether it might be published or not.

With the official denials of Migliore and Gugerotti about their involvement in the rumored 2024 document, in the face of reports which named them as specifically involved, the confusion over the entire case appears to grow.

The Remnant places faith in its sources which name the pair amongst the three key supporters of Archbishop Viola; should a document soon emerge and Migliore and Gugerotti be found to have been supporting it, then they would have lied on record to a journalist.

In the meantime, Argentine Catholic blog Caminante Wanderer (CW) published a July 22 report (translated and republished by Rorate) which attested that Francis had actually received a copy of the rumored document but had not signed it. CW suggested that this was partly due to Francis not being as devoted to attacking the Latin Mass as Abp. Viola is – as highlighted already – but partly due to the outpouring of petitions and vocal calls defending the Mass made in recent weeks.

However, in an apparent discrepancy with official details, CW stated that Cardinal Roche had fallen out of favor with Francis – an aspect which sources for multiple outlets do confirm – and that he had not been received in papal audience since February 2022.

Official records of the Pope’s audiences show that Roche was received by Francis in June 2022 with the leadership of the CDW. Roche was then received again in January 2023, in February 2023, and (with the CDW leadership) in September 2023.

Either the Holy See’s records are not accurate or the sources for that aspect of CW’s report were not informed correctly.

Whatever the case, it serves to highlight the immense confusion and lack of clarity surrounding the entire affair, with numerous Catholics concerned over the future of the traditional Mass. With denials, contradictory evidence and rumors circulating, the truth of the affair appears elusive in many respects.