On October 7, 2025, the Catholic parish of Union City (Tennessee, USA) announced to its faithful that celebrations in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite—the so-called Traditional Latin Mass—will definitively cease on December 28, 2025. The measure, adopted in collaboration with Bishop Mark Beckman and other pastors of the diocese, responds to the strict application of Pope Francis's motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, which severely restricts the use of the missal prior to the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council.
The pastoral letter explains that until that date, the Traditional Mass will continue to be celebrated on Sundays, except on three occasions when it will be replaced by the ordinary form: October 26 (30th Sunday in Ordinary Time), November 23 (Christ the King), and December 14 (3rd Sunday of Advent). The Latin Masses on Mondays will be maintained only in October, also switching to the ordinary form from November onward.
No alternatives for the faithful throughout the diocese
The announcement does not contemplate any alternative location where the faithful can continue attending the Traditional Mass throughout the diocese, which covers about 36,000 km² of territory in eastern Tennessee. This means that, once the measure is implemented, the Tridentine Mass will be completely extinguished in Knoxville.
The portal Rorate Caeli described the situation as “tragic” and denounced the “cruelty” with which the faithful attached to the traditional liturgy are being treated, noting furthermore that “Rome does nothing” to protect them. The outlet emphasizes that not even an alternative church has been offered to accommodate the affected communities.
A liturgical policy that divides
The decision is framed within the policy of restrictions promoted by Pope Francis and now continued under the pontificate of Leo XIV, aimed at imposing liturgical unity around the Novus Ordo. However, for many Catholics, this type of measure evidences a zeal for uniformity that erodes the liturgical tradition and causes the marginalization of vibrant communities, especially young people attracted by the spiritual richness of the ancient rite.
While the local pastor asks the faithful to face the change with “faith and charity”, critical voices point out that what is presented as a pastoral transition is, in reality, a complete dismantling of the traditional liturgy. The total elimination of the Tridentine Mass in Knoxville confirms that, far from the coexistence of liturgical forms defended by Benedict XVI in Summorum Pontificum, the current policy seeks to suppress it at its root.
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