Paix liturgique

Is confrontation, then, the only remaining way for traditionalists to make themselves heard by the Church’s shepherds? One might very well think so.

Since 2013, apart from administrative matters (such as the reduction of priests to the lay state), there has been no dialogue between the SSPX and the Holy See. It took the resounding announcement of the consecration of four bishops for their Superior General to be received briefly by Cardinal Fernández. Subsequently, only sanctions, which were imposed on priests, religious, and members of the Third Order, and the severity of which surprised everyone. Yet, Father Pagliarani was never granted the audience with the Pope, even though he had repeatedly requested it, a request that, it seems therefore, was in vain.

It is now well known that the *Summorum Pontificum* pilgrimage, scheduled for October 23–25, does not include the celebration of Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica this year. However, the letter personally delivered to the Holy Father on December 17, 2025, contained not only this request for a celebration (which was ultimately denied) but also a second petition: in fact, the lay organizers of the international pilgrimage also requested therein an audience with the Pope, citing to that effect the desire he had expressed in an interview with Elise Ann Allen to meet the faithful who practice the traditional liturgy, so that he might get to know them better (Le pape Leo s’entretient avec Elise Ann Allen de Crux sur les questions LGBTQ+ et la liturgie | Fond). A request that proved equally futile.

The situation is completely different—as I noted in a previous letter—regarding the dialogue Rome maintains with the German bishops concerning the Synodal Path, particularly through the president of their Bishops' Conference. In this case, dialogue continues unabated, first with Bishop Bätzing, and now with Bishop Wilmer.

We must now try to understand why. It seems that all liberal contestatory claims are seen simply as being an "exaggeration" within the process of implementing the spirit of the Second Vatican Council—a process Roman authorities manage cautiously to avoid that system may collapse. For instance, requests from bishops to ordain married men—such as the recent statement by the Auxiliary Bishop of Regensburg or the Bishop of Antwerp’s announcement that he is ready to take action—are always treated with great consideration.

Conversely, demands regarding freedom for the traditional liturgy—whether the Mass or the sacraments—are perceived as intolerable attacks against a sort of constitutional law rooted in Vatican II principles. In the post-conciliar world, freedom for the previous *lex orandi* is inconceivable. The traditional liturgy now faces the censure of Article 1 of *Traditionis Custodes*: "The liturgical books promulgated in accordance with the decrees of the Second Vatican Council are the unique expression of the *lex orandi* of the Roman Rite." To entertain discussion on the matter would be to "open the door to sterile controversies," because it may jeopardize "ecclesial communion" (Cardinal Arthur Roche). Period.

Yet the traditional liturgy endures, suffering, no doubt, but more alive than ever. On Sunday, September 13, on the CNews channel—during the program *En quête d'esprit* (In Search of the Spirit), hosted by Aymeric Pourbaix of *France Catholique*—Cardinal Aveline, President of the French Bishops' Conference, and Jean-Marie Guénois of *Le Figaro* made an appearance trying to analyze the implications of the Pope's visit. Regarding the liturgical issue, Jean-Marie Guénois did not mince words: from this perspective, the situation is "traumatic." Cardinal Aveline limited himself to responded with mere generalities about the liturgical expectations of young people.

Yet it is evident that the Cardinal is fully aware of the problem. As a trusted advisor to Pope Leo XIV—having organized his visit to France and now serving as an indispensable figure in all matters concerning the Church in France—there is no doubt that liturgical pacification is a recurring topic in his conversations with the Pope. Bishop Olivier de Cagny of Évreux is in charge of this issue within the French Bishops' Conference, yet Cardinal Aveline is the key figure when it comes to considering the means to achieve such pacification.

I insist: in the current situation—where traditionalists are certainly a minority, yet young and steadily growing, and where modernists still hold all hierarchical positions but within an institution that is exhausted and running out of steam—the only solution is to accept *de facto*, and not necessarily through a *motu proprio*, a coexistence: a freedom that would be more informal yet more real than the one organized by *Summorum Pontificum*.

It is for this peaceful freedom to be able to have access to the traditional Mass and sacraments that participants in the Parisian vigils pray the Rosary at 10 Rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame—Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.—at Saint-Georges de La Villette (114 Avenue Simon Bolivar) on Wednesdays and Fridays at 5:00 p.m., and in front of Notre-Dame du Travail on Sundays at 6:15 p.m.