Paix liturgique

Traditionis Custodes is not to be in question, and there will be no return to Summorum Pontificum. Therefore, the war waged against the traditional liturgy will continue. The recent caricature representing the Bishop of Grenoble in La Croix tries to illustrate this, but it should also be notes that this was also indirectly confirmed by the completely misplaced defence of the reform sustained by the Pope in his catechesis of August 26, which we discussed last week.

However, this will not stop the inexorable advance of the old rite, which is already noticeable in certain places, such as the United States. It will continue for several reasons, one of which is obvious: the ranks of the Catholicism which support the reform are dwindling irremediably.

One could say that in France, and also in Rome, money is made from everything, for example, by transforming the former priests' residence on Via della Scrofa into a luxury hotel. This scarcity of money, however, is not felt equally everywhere. For example, in Germany, where both the faith and the faithful are dwindling, the income continues to flow. There is no need to elaborate here on the subtle heresies of the Synodal Way, which most bishops support. As for the loss of the faithful: in 2025, 307,117 Catholics requested to be removed from parish registers to stop paying the Kirchensteuer, the well-known German church tax. This request to be removed constitutes a kind of fiscal apostasy. Thus, the haemorrhage continues unabated. Churches are increasingly emptier, baptisms are declining, as are marriages and vocations to the priesthood and religious life. But at the same time, revenues are increasing: in 2025, church taxes reached a record €6.751 billion, almost €7 billion (€200 million more than the previous year).

The explanation? Church taxes are indexed to income tax. Since Mr. Merz's government is working to increase tax revenues, driven also by rising wages, the German dioceses, with almost €7 billion in annual income, constitute the wealthiest church in Europe. A church that, however, has ceased to be Catholic in its fundamental principles.

As for the Church in France, it suffers from a shortage of funds and has a dwindling number of faithful. The Bishop of Grenoble, whose anti-traditional views have recently become openly apparent, was formerly Bishop of Pamiers, one of the poorest dioceses in France. With the diocese no longer receiving donations or bequests, Jean-Marc Eychenne maximized the percentage he deducted from parish funds. The bishop, backed into a corner, desperately began taxing his parish priests.

In fact, the expenses with the clergy is decreasing year after year due to the decline in the number of priests. In 2026, eighty-four priests were ordained (45 diocesan and 39 religious or members of communities like the Community of Saint Martin), compared to 90 in 2025. The steady decrease in the number of priests means fewer and fewer parish houses to maintain, which means a reduction in costs.

Do we dare say, as some pessimists do, that there are still too many priests for the number of faithful they serve? This would be true if the faithful were concentrated in specific locations. But priests must travel constantly to attend to the needs of dispersed Christians and maintain a minimal presence in their numerous churches. As we know, all provincial dioceses have carried out parish consolidations, followed ten years later by further consolidations, pending the consolidation of entire dioceses. Here are the figures provided by the Diocese of Arras: as of September 2026, it had only 11 parishes, whereas previously it had 89, a number already small considering the extensive parish network this northern diocese enjoyed 60 years ago.

These eleven parishes will be divided into thirty-six "missionary zones." Sunday Mass will now be celebrated permanently in only eleven churches, where the driving force of the "missionary zone" will be concentrated, i.e. the devout faithful of the area and those from elsewhere who will be able and wish to travel in order to attend Mass every Sunday. In the other churches, Mass will be celebrated on a rotating basis, one Sunday out of every three or four. This organization is typical of most countryside dioceses. Church attendance is consistently low, the number of young people is declining, and the presence of priests is increasingly smaller.

And it is precisely those who lead this exhausted Catholicism who extol the “marvelous fruitfulness” of the liturgical reform stemming from the last council, while simultaneously using their power and influence to suppress traditional churches, which remain full and guarantee authentic missionary renewal, not to mention vocations. Yes, the war against the traditional liturgy is being waged by an exhausted and disoriented army. As I like to say—and please do forgive this touch of controversy—we haven't won the war, but “they” have lost it.

How will the new Archbishop of Paris address the “problem” of the traditionalist world in Paris, be it Archbishop Jordy, currently Archbishop of Tours and Vice-President of the French Episcopal Conference, or someone else whose appointment will be announced after the Pope's visit?

Meanwhile the sentinels of the capital continue to pray their Rosarie at 10 rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame, Monday to Friday, from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.; at Saint-Georges de La Villette, 114 avenue Simon Bolivar, Wednesday and Friday at 5 p.m.; and in front of Notre-Dame du Travail, on Sunday at 6:15 p.m.