On this September 29, feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, the traditional Latin Mass was celebrated at the altar dedicated to the Prince of the heavenly militias in St. Peter’s Basilica. This celebration has been maintained discreetly over these years following the general prohibition decreed in 2021 with the publication of the motu proprio Traditionis custodes.
Various posts on X and Facebook shared photos and videos of the Holy Mass describing it as a pleasant surprise in the heart of the Vatican.
A Prohibition Initiated in 2021
As Rorate Caeli recalls, in March 2021, the daily celebration of the traditional Mass in the altars of St. Peter’s came to an end. Until that moment, numerous priests celebrated with the 1962 Missal in various side altars of the Basilica, especially in the one dedicated to the Blessed Innocent XI. With the restriction, the rite was relegated to the Vatican crypt, limited to the Clementine Chapel and to strict hours between 7 and 9 in the morning, accessible only to previously authorized priests.
The measure was seen as the prelude to the motu proprio Traditionis custodes, promulgated in July 2021, with which new restrictions were imposed on the traditional liturgy.
This new celebration in St. Peter’s constitutes a significant sign for those who remain faithful to the traditional liturgy, and it adds to the upcoming Pontifical Mass scheduled for October 25, within the framework of the Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage.