Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke has urged Catholics to persevere in defending the traditional Mass and to ensure that it remains accessible to all the faithful who wish to attend it. In a message addressed to those who are “discouraged by the persecution of the traditional Latin Mass,” the cardinal stated that it is necessary to “fight” for this liturgy “even at the cost of suffering.”
Burke made these remarks during the annual canon law conference Speculum Iustitiae, held at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Wisconsin (United States).
«Our Lord will never allow it to be lost»
Burke focused his brief message on the faithful affected by restrictions on the celebration according to the 1962 Missal. The cardinal described the ancient liturgy as “an enormous good in the Church” and expressed his confidence in its continuity.
“Our Lord will never allow it to be lost,” he affirmed.
He then pointed out the responsibility he attributes to those who wish to preserve it: “It is now up to us, even at the cost of suffering, to fight for it so that it may be as available as possible to all the faithful who desire it.”
The statements maintain the position expressed by Burke last July, when he called for a review of Traditionis Custodes, the motu proprio promulgated by Francis in 2021 that restricted celebrations according to the 1962 Missal. In that intervention, the cardinal described the situation of the faithful attached to the Vetus Ordo as a “persecution” and argued that the ancient liturgy should be able to be celebrated freely. He also proposed the creation of a Holy See body dedicated to serving these communities.
Restrictions on the traditional Mass
Burke’s words come while Traditionis Custodes remains in force and the debate over its application during the pontificate of Leo XIV continues. Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, recently stated that the Pope has no intention of lifting the restrictions or restoring the regime of Summorum Pontificum.
For his part, Leo XIV recently asked Roche to respect “the rites promulgated by Pope Saint Paul VI and Pope Saint John Paul II.” The papal letter, published on August 14, does not mention the 1962 Missal or contain any pronouncement on the future of Traditionis Custodes.
Read also: Leo XIV asks Roche to respect the rites promulgated by Paul VI and John Paul II
Burke calls for guaranteeing access to the Vetus Ordo
The defense of the traditional liturgy has featured prominently in Burke’s recent interventions. During the Paris-to-Chartres pilgrimage last May, in which he celebrated the pontifical closing Mass before nearly 20,000 pilgrims, he urged the faithful not to give in “to discouragement or despair.”
Read also: Burke in Chartres: «We do not give in to discouragement or despair»
In his message from Wisconsin, the cardinal directed his exhortation specifically to those suffering the consequences of the restrictions on the traditional Mass. Burke maintains that this liturgy constitutes a good of the Church and calls for perseverance so that it remains available to the faithful who wish to attend it.