Pope Francis Sets His Sights on the Latin Mass, by Eric Sammons

By Eric Sammons, Crisis Magazine, June 4, 2021

Eric Sammons is the editor-in-chief of Crisis Magazine. His most recent book Deadly Indifference (May 2021) examines the rise of religious indifference and how it has led the Church to lose her missionary zeal.

The rumors appear to be true: Pope Francis is planning to rescind Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict’s 2007 motu proprio liberalizing the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass (TLM), which Benedict dubbed the “Extraordinary Form” of the Latin Rite. This at a time when the TLM has been flourishing while most of the Church is experiencing significant declines. Before exploring why Pope Francis is considering this radical move, it might be helpful to briefly review the history of the TLM over the past 60+ years.

In the mid-20th century, many leading Catholics believed in a need for “liturgical reform.” How exactly that reform would play out was hotly debated, but most Catholic liturgists and theologians agreed that some changes were needed. …