A new report from the Spanish newspaper La Razón suggests that Pope Leo XIV has affirmed the current Vatican approach to restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass by personally approving the distribution of a document defending Pope Francis’ apostolic letter Traditionis Custodes.
According to La Razón, Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, distributed a document on the liturgy to members of the College of Cardinals during this year’s consistory “at the request of Leo XIV and, therefore, with his approval of its content.”
The Spanish publication also reported that Pope Leo personally reviewed the document before it was circulated and that “Not a single comma was changed.”
According to La Razón, the pope’s approval of the text demonstrates what the publication described as “the position of the new Pope on this issue” and indicates that the document’s distribution “was not a provocation by Roche,” as some observers had suggested.
The document reportedly reiterates key principles found in Traditionis Custodes, Pope Francis’ 2021 apostolic letter that significantly limited the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass. According to the report, the text repeats Pope Francis’ assertion that the Novus Ordo Missae is “the sole expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite.”
The document also reportedly states that permission to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass was a “concession that in no way envisaged (its) promotion,” adding that “we cannot go back to that ritual form.”
The report follows recent public comments by Cardinal Roche regarding the future of the Church’s liturgical policy. Speaking to the British Catholic publication The Tablet, Roche said, “No, Pope Leo is not going to change Traditionis Custodes, and he’s not going back to Summorum Pontificum,” according to LifeSiteNews.
Since Pope Leo XIV’s election, several bishops have continued implementing restrictions on celebrations of the Traditional Latin Mass in their dioceses. These actions have led many observers to conclude that the current Vatican policy established under Pope Francis will remain in effect.
The ongoing debate surrounding Traditionis Custodes continues to draw strong reactions throughout the Catholic world. Supporters of the Traditional Latin Mass have argued that the restrictions conflict with earlier Church legislation, particularly Pope St. Pius V’s 1570 apostolic constitution Quo Primum.
LifeSiteNews noted that Quo Primum declared the traditional Roman Mass could be used “freely and lawfully” in “perpetuity.” The constitution also states, “This present document cannot be revoked or modified but remains always valid and retains its full force.”
As discussion continues, Catholics around the world are closely watching whether Pope Leo XIV will introduce any future changes to the Church’s liturgical policies. Based on the latest reporting from La Razón and Cardinal Roche’s public comments, however, no such changes appear to be imminent.
Your support brings the truth to the world.
Catholic Online News exists because of donors like you. We are 100% funded by people who believe the world deserves real, uncensored news rooted in faith and truth — not corporate agendas. Your gift ensures millions can continue to access the news they can trust — stories that defend life, faith, family, and freedom.
When truth is silenced, your support speaks louder.
