As worries mount over a possible ban against the Traditional Latin Mass, prominent Catholic and non-Catholic artists, activists, and leaders have come together in a letter to urge Pope Francis to refrain from any further restrictions against the extraordinary form of the Mass.
Published on Monday and titled “An Open Letter from the Americas to Pope Francis,” the letter calls the Latin Mass a “magnificent achievement of civilization” and “part of the common cultural heritage of humanity.”
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, who vocally supported a similar letter advocating for the Latin Mass published last week in the U.K., has endorsed the letter from the Americas, sharing it on his social media account.
Among the signatories are Dana Gioia, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who organized the letter through the Benedict XVI Institute; Frank La Rocca, composer, “Mass of the Americas”; David Conte, chair and professor of composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music; Larry Chapp, theologian and founder of Dorothy Day Workers Farm; Eduardo Verástegui, film producer and actor; Nina Shea, international religious freedom advocate; and Andrew Sullivan, writer and author.
The authors of the letter respectfully ask that “no further restrictions be placed on the Traditional Latin Mass so that it may be preserved for the good of the Catholic Church and of the world.”
What is the Latin Mass and what is going on?
The Latin Mass, also known as the Mass offered using the 1962 Roman Missal, was codified following the Council of Trent in the 16th century and is believed to have ancient origins.
Though the Vatican has not issued a comprehensive ban on the Latin liturgy, the Holy See has in recent years significantly restricted its use. In July 2021, Francis issued the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes that placed restrictions on Latin Masses.
The authors acknowledge the sacredness of the novus ordo (post-Vatican II) Mass and are careful to distance themselves from Latin Mass supporters who have been antagonistic toward Francis. The Catholic signees further explicitly pledge their continued “filial loyalty” to the pope.
However, in the letter they strive to make their case: “To deprive the next generation of artists of this source of mystery, beauty, and contemplation of the sacred seems shortsighted,” they argue.
“We come to you with the humility and obedience but also the confidence of children, telling a loving father of our spiritual needs,” the authors wrote. “All of us, believers and nonbelievers alike, recognize that this ancient liturgy, which inspired the work of Palestrina, Bach, and Beethoven and generations of great artists, is a magnificent achievement of civilization and part of the common cultural heritage of humanity. It is medicine for the soul, one antidote to the gross materialism of the postmodern age.”
‘Beauty evangelizes’
In a July 8 commentary piece in the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, Cordileone said that the beauty of the Latin Mass is an important part of the Church’s ministry in a “de-Christianized age that is becoming increasingly inhospitable to any traditional sense of religion.”
He pointed to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council on the importance of reading the signs of the times, saying that “one sign staring at us right now in large block letters is: Beauty evangelizes.”
“We live in an age when we need to leverage the power of beauty to touch minds, hearts, and souls, for beauty has the quality of an inescapably real experience, one that is not subject to argument … In an age of anxiety and unreason, beauty is thus a largely untapped resource for reaching people, especially young people, with the Gospel message of hope,” Cordileone wrote.
In a statement to CNA, Shea explained her decision to sign the letter, emphasizing that the Latin Mass is “part of our cultural heritage.”
Shea mentioned that one of her most memorable experiences with the Latin Mass was attending a liturgy celebrated by Chinese Cardinal Ignatius Kung shortly after his release from 33 years of communist imprisonment.
“He did not speak English, but we were able to unite in our prayers through our shared ancient liturgical language and in a way that was not unfamiliar to me,” she explained.
“I don’t often go to Latin Masses, but I have appreciated its beauty and the thought that my ancestors worshipped that way for centuries,” Shea said. “I think we Catholics should learn about and preserve our core ancient traditions passed down through the ages. Nothing is more central to that tradition than liturgical practice.”
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A handful of LOFRON resolution members stand outside of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in Trenton, New Jersey. It was here where they recited the Prayer of Consecration of America to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on July 4, 2022. / C… […]
Pope Francis meets with the United States bishops at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 23, 2015. / Credit: L’Osservatore Romano
CNA Staff, Apr 22, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88, visited the United States just once, nearly 10 years ago, in September 2015.
Despite the brevity of the visit, he accomplished a lot: Attracting hundreds of thousands of participants, he canonized a new saint (St. Junípero Serra), became the first pope to ever address a joint session of Congress, and galvanized the U.S. Catholic community with his presence and his speeches on the East Coast.
Washington, D.C.
Pope Francis began his tour of North America with several days in Cuba. Landing in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 22, 2015, Pope Francis met with President Barack Obama first thing the next morning. The meeting came amid a time of concerns for many American Catholics regarding politics, including the Obama administration’s contraceptive mandate and the recent legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide, via the June 2015 Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.
Pope Francis is greeted by President Barack Obama on Sept. 22, 2015. Credit: Somodevilla/Getty Images
During the presidential meeting, Francis praised Obama’s commitment to inclusivity and noted that American Catholics have contributed greatly to building a tolerant and inclusive society while also stressing that religious liberty “remains one of America’s most precious possessions.” He also encouraged commitment to addressing the “urgent” issue of climate change, building on his expansive 2015 encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’.
Pope Francis says Mass for clergy and religious in Philadelphia’s Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, Sept. 26, 2015. Credit: L’Osservatore Romano.
While in D.C., that same day, the pope addressed bishops and priests at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle and later celebrated Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. At the latter Mass, he celebrated the first canonization on American soil by declaring Junípero Serra, who founded missions along present-day California, a saint.
“He was the embodiment of ‘a Church which goes forth,’ a Church which sets out to bring everywhere the reconciling tenderness of God,” the pope said.
Crowds gather for the Mass canonizing St. Junipero Serra at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 23, 2015. Credit: Alan Holdren/CNA
On the same day, Francis made an unscheduled stop to visit with the Little Sisters of the Poor in Washington, D.C., to support the sisters as they awaited word on whether or not the Supreme Court will hear their case against the federal contraception mandate. (The sisters are still fighting aspects of the mandate, even after more than 14 years in court.)
Pope Francis greets Sister Marie Mathilde, 102 years old, at the Jeanne Jugan Residence in Washington, D.C., Sept. 23, 2015. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Little Sisters of the Poor
Francis addressed a joint session of Congress the next day, Sept. 24, making him the first pope to ever to do so. During his lengthy speech, he condemned the arms trade and the death penalty — statements that reportedly made some lawmakers in the room squirm.
Francis went on to assert that the family was being threatened like never before and praised American figures, including Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., for their tireless efforts to defend freedom and moral values. He also touched on respect for human life and the environment in the well-received speech.
Pope Francis speaks to the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 24, 2015. Credit: L’Osservatore Romano
The pope also visited St. Patrick Parish and met with people experiencing homelessness at Catholic Charities, addressing people who minister to the poor. He offered St. Joseph as their patron and model, because, he said, St. Joseph grappled with injustice and suffering in his care for Mary and Jesus.
“The Son of God came into this world as a homeless person,” the pope said. “The Son of God knew what it was to start life without a roof over his head.”
“We can find no social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever, for lack of housing. There are many unjust situations, but we know that God is suffering with us, experiencing them at our side. He does not abandon us.”
Controversially, while in D.C. Pope Francis met with Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who had become a cultural lightning rod for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses. The pope reportedly told her to “stay strong,” offering rosaries to Davis and her husband. The Vatican later clarified that Francis met with Davis and her husband as part of a large group invited by the nunciature, with the Vatican spokesperson adding that the pope “did not enter into the details” of her situation.
New York City
After flying to New York City the evening of Sept. 24 and praying vespers at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, Francis addressed the United Nations General Assembly the next day, Sept. 25, the fifth time a pope had addressed the body.
The pontiff issued a call to the countries of the world to reject what he called “ideological colonization” — the “imposition of anomalous models and lifestyles which are alien to people’s identity and, in the end, irresponsible.”
Pope Francis’ historic address to the U.N. in New York City on Sept. 25, 2015. Credit: Alan Holdren/CNA
Like his predecessor, Benedict XVI, Pope Francis made a solemn visit with other religious leaders to Ground Zero, the site of the 9/11 attacks, later on Sept. 25. He met with families of first responders, saying at the site museum that acts of destruction always have “a face, a concrete story, names.” He offered a “prayer of remembrance” for all those killed that day, along with a prayer for the survivors and those who are mourning the loss of their loved ones.
Pope Francis speaks during an interreligious prayer service at Ground Zero, Sept. 25, 2015. Credit: Addie Mena/CNA
Later that day, after visiting Our Lady, Queen of the Angels School in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, Francis celebrated Mass at Madison Square Garden. He encouraged people to remember those in the city who are often forgotten, including “foreigners, the children who go without schooling, those deprived of medical insurance, the homeless, the forgotten elderly.”
Madison Square Garden prepares for the papal Mass, Sept. 25, 2015. Credit: Alan Holdren/CNA
“Knowing that Jesus still walks our streets, that he is part of the lives of his people, that he is involved with us in one vast history of salvation, fills us with hope. A hope which liberates us from the forces pushing us to isolation and lack of concern for the lives of others, for the life of our city,” the pope said.
“A hope which frees us from empty ‘connections,’ from abstract analyses, or sensationalist routines. A hope which is unafraid of involvement, which acts as a leaven wherever we happen to live and work. A hope which makes us see, even in the midst of smog, the presence of God as he continues to walk the streets of our city.”
Philadelphia
Pope Francis’ visit included an appearance at the 2015 World Meeting of Families (WMF) in Philadelphia, an event that focuses on celebrating the gift of the family.
Pope Francis at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia on Sept. 26, 2015. Credit: L’Osservatore Romano
After flying to the “City of Brotherly Love” the morning of Sept. 26, Pope Francis took part in a Mass for clergy and religious at Philadelphia’s Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. In his homily address, the pope challenged the clergy and religious to inspire new vocations.
He called for women to take on a greater role in the Church, highlighting the example of St. Katharine Drexel — a Philadelphia native — and he reminded the priests and religious present of their role in ministering to families, couples preparing for marriage, and young people.
He later addressed a crowd of some 50,000 people at Independence Mall, the site of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, for a religious freedom rally with Hispanic and other immigrants.
Speaking to thousands of families gathered on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia that night, a visibly moved Pope Francis ditched his prepared remarks and instead gave an impromptu reflection on the beauty and dire importance of family life. He voiced his thanks at “the presence of all of you — who are a real witness that it’s worth being a family!” A society “is strong, solid, and edified on beauty, goodness, and truth,” he added.
Pope Francis addresses the Festival of Families in Philadelphia on Sept. 26, 2015. Credit: EWTN
On Sept. 27, the next day, Francis had an unscripted meeting with five abuse survivors — three women and two men — all of whom had been abused in childhood either by members of the clergy, family members, or educators. He promised accountability for perpetrators and expressed sorrow for the victims’ suffering.
In the face of such heinous acts as sexual abuse, “God cries,” he said, adding that “the criminal sins of the abuse of minors can’t be kept in silence any longer … I promise, with the vigilance of the Church, to protect minors and I promise [that] all of those responsible will be held accountable.”
He told a gathering of international bishops afterward that the survivors’ stories of suffering “have aggravated my heart” and said that crimes of abuse must never be kept in silence.
Later that morning, Francis visited a Philadelphia correctional facility, saying at the meeting with a group of 100 inmates and their families that every person is marked and bruised by life, but Jesus washes away our sins and invites us to live a full life.
Pope Francis embraces a man at Curran-Fromhold Correction Facility in Philadelphia on Sept. 27, 2015. Credit: EWTN
Reflecting on the trip, the Holy Father said it was “particularly moving for me to canonize St. Junípero Serra, who reminds us all of our call to be missionary disciples.”
He added that he was touched “to stand with my brothers and sisters of other religions at Ground Zero, that place which speaks so powerfully of the mystery of evil. Yet we know with certainty that evil never has the last word, and that, in God’s merciful plan, love and peace triumph over all.”
Furthermore, he promised his prayers for the U.S. people, saying: “This land has been blessed with tremendous gifts and opportunities. I pray that you may all be good and generous stewards of the human and material resources entrusted to you.”
“I thank the Lord that I was able to witness the faith of God’s people in this country, as manifested in our moments of prayer together and evidenced in so many works of charity.”
Concluding, he asked those present: “Do not let your enthusiasm for Jesus, his Church, our families, and the broader family of society run dry.”
“May our days together bear fruit that will last, generosity and care for others that will endure!” he said. “Just as we have received so much from God — gifts freely given us, and not of our own making — so let us freely give to others in return.”
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 8, 2022 / 05:18 am (CNA).
Amid attacks on Catholic churches and other security concerns surrounding a looming Supreme Court abortion case, the U.S. bishops are inviting Catholics … […]
15 Comments
Is the idea that the Latin Mass “oppresses” and “offends” others? And it’s gooddness must be supressed? So the answer is totalitarian culural Marxism? Where dividing peple eventually leads to a relatively small “elite” number of people enforcing “equality”? Reflect on the 20th Century: China, USSR, Cuba? Lately, Nicaragua! Note how totalitarian states brought about by violence is atheistic. Cannot believe in God in a controlled population.
Noteworthy, that Argentina, of all places, has had enough.
To wit:
“We likewise order and declare that Prelates, Administrators, Canons, chaplains and other secular priests, by whatsoever name they are called, or regular priests of any order, may not be obliged to celebrate Mass in any other way than that which we have ordered; and that they cannot be forced or compelled by anybody to change this missal, and that this present letter cannot at any time be revoked or modified, but that it shall always remain firm and valid in its force.”
And…
“No man whatsoever may have permission to infringe these provisions containing our permission, statute, ordinance, mandate, precept, concession, indult, declaration, will, decree and prohibition, or be so rash as to oppose them. But if anyone should presume to attempt this, he must know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of his Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.”
It’s getting so that you cannot believe much of what is said or written. What a different world we’d have if people but spoke the truth (“Let your Yes mean yes and your No mean no.”).
A further thought for TLM priests and seminarians to consider if the worst does happen…
At Nuremburg/Nürnberg, the defense “I was only following orders” did not carry any exonerating weight. The Allies soundly rejected that defense because a person in authority (in this case a priest) has a duty and an obligation to refuse to execute an illegal or immoral order. Sworn obedience ends where an illegal or immoral order begins.
Permit me to put in my bid for this week’s ‘Captain Obvious’ award:
Banning the Latin Mass makes absolutely no sense from any perspective, and the very fact that the Pope is trying to do it is many things – at this point there is a plethora of descriptive adjectives clamoring for recognition and after much deliberation I’ll just settle for this one – sad.
P.S. – Plethora is a word I like but don’t get to use much so now I feel better, and I am now in search of the opportunity to use the opposite – dearth.
And at the same time, let us put our efforts into the Music Ministry in the Novus Ordo. We do not want the banal modern hymns; we do not want the accompanying guitars and piano; we want the organ at Mass. and we want our beautiful old hymns back again.
Given that the smothering of the Mass of the Ages is in no small part a shot at North America, I’m not sure that a “Letter from the Americas” will do anything but cause celebration at the Vatican.
Glad to see Archbishop Cordileone’s comments on the letter. While many U.S. bishops are sympathetic to the TLM, it is distressing is that no American bishops seem to be willing to address Traditionis Custodes directly with Pope Francis and, with fraternal charity, say to him, for example,
“Holy Father, with respect, you do not have a clear picture of the Church in the United States. Most people who attend the Latin Mass also attend Novus Ordo Masses. They do not reject Vatican II. They simply want to be immersed in the rich tradition of the Catholic Church and the Holy Mass that dates back at least to the pontificate of Gregory the Great in the sixth century. Holy Father, in the United States, the Latin Mass is responsible for gaining many converts to the Catholic faith as well as bringing back Catholics who had fallen away from the faith. Furthermore, Latin Masses are filled with young married couples and their children. These families are strengthening the Church. Holy Father, please do not turn your back on them.”
Unless some American bishops show the testicular fortitude required to address this issue directly with Pope Francis, those loyal Catholics who want to experience the rich tradition of the Latin Mass will continue to be hurt and excluded by the bishops who are supposed to be their spiritual fathers. Jesus asked which father, if his son were to ask for a fish, would hand him a snake. Unfortunately, the Holy Father has handed his spiritual sons and daughters a snake in the form of Traditionis Custodes. American bishops should not remain silent.
Completely agree with you all in this stream! (Perhaps a first)! For the comic relief, thank you, Windswept Hs, MrsCracker and Martin. (Sad but true parallels of evil in church and state. MrsC, I love OrwelI’s Animal Farm, too! And Martin, is your version of “— fortitude” possibly a “Cardinal virtue”? Lol)
Is the idea that the Latin Mass “oppresses” and “offends” others? And it’s gooddness must be supressed? So the answer is totalitarian culural Marxism? Where dividing peple eventually leads to a relatively small “elite” number of people enforcing “equality”? Reflect on the 20th Century: China, USSR, Cuba? Lately, Nicaragua! Note how totalitarian states brought about by violence is atheistic. Cannot believe in God in a controlled population.
Noteworthy, that Argentina, of all places, has had enough.
For progressives, some people are more “equal” than others.
🙂
Wonderfully said, Bill B.
Restricting the TLM is an illegal action. Read Pius V’s Quo Primum https://lms.org.uk/quo-primum
To wit:
“We likewise order and declare that Prelates, Administrators, Canons, chaplains and other secular priests, by whatsoever name they are called, or regular priests of any order, may not be obliged to celebrate Mass in any other way than that which we have ordered; and that they cannot be forced or compelled by anybody to change this missal, and that this present letter cannot at any time be revoked or modified, but that it shall always remain firm and valid in its force.”
And…
“No man whatsoever may have permission to infringe these provisions containing our permission, statute, ordinance, mandate, precept, concession, indult, declaration, will, decree and prohibition, or be so rash as to oppose them. But if anyone should presume to attempt this, he must know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of his Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.”
The Latin Mass is an existential threat…..oh wait, that’s Trump. Sometimes I get the narratives confused (%).
It’s getting so that you cannot believe much of what is said or written. What a different world we’d have if people but spoke the truth (“Let your Yes mean yes and your No mean no.”).
A further thought for TLM priests and seminarians to consider if the worst does happen…
At Nuremburg/Nürnberg, the defense “I was only following orders” did not carry any exonerating weight. The Allies soundly rejected that defense because a person in authority (in this case a priest) has a duty and an obligation to refuse to execute an illegal or immoral order. Sworn obedience ends where an illegal or immoral order begins.
Permit me to put in my bid for this week’s ‘Captain Obvious’ award:
Banning the Latin Mass makes absolutely no sense from any perspective, and the very fact that the Pope is trying to do it is many things – at this point there is a plethora of descriptive adjectives clamoring for recognition and after much deliberation I’ll just settle for this one – sad.
P.S. – Plethora is a word I like but don’t get to use much so now I feel better, and I am now in search of the opportunity to use the opposite – dearth.
I’ll be back
Compare and contrast:
Celebrating a valid Mass in the manner it has been celebrated for more than a thousand years… and…
Sexually abusing dozens of sweet, virtuous, vulnerable nuns.
One of these things earns the ire of this pope and his Dark Vatican, and one of them is apparently a-okay.
It’s revolting.
Hey!
Where are all the popesplainers ‘splainin’ how all this really does make perfect sense?
brineyman, the only explanation is that they are otherwise occupied in prayer.
And at the same time, let us put our efforts into the Music Ministry in the Novus Ordo. We do not want the banal modern hymns; we do not want the accompanying guitars and piano; we want the organ at Mass. and we want our beautiful old hymns back again.
Given that the smothering of the Mass of the Ages is in no small part a shot at North America, I’m not sure that a “Letter from the Americas” will do anything but cause celebration at the Vatican.
Glad to see Archbishop Cordileone’s comments on the letter. While many U.S. bishops are sympathetic to the TLM, it is distressing is that no American bishops seem to be willing to address Traditionis Custodes directly with Pope Francis and, with fraternal charity, say to him, for example,
“Holy Father, with respect, you do not have a clear picture of the Church in the United States. Most people who attend the Latin Mass also attend Novus Ordo Masses. They do not reject Vatican II. They simply want to be immersed in the rich tradition of the Catholic Church and the Holy Mass that dates back at least to the pontificate of Gregory the Great in the sixth century. Holy Father, in the United States, the Latin Mass is responsible for gaining many converts to the Catholic faith as well as bringing back Catholics who had fallen away from the faith. Furthermore, Latin Masses are filled with young married couples and their children. These families are strengthening the Church. Holy Father, please do not turn your back on them.”
Unless some American bishops show the testicular fortitude required to address this issue directly with Pope Francis, those loyal Catholics who want to experience the rich tradition of the Latin Mass will continue to be hurt and excluded by the bishops who are supposed to be their spiritual fathers. Jesus asked which father, if his son were to ask for a fish, would hand him a snake. Unfortunately, the Holy Father has handed his spiritual sons and daughters a snake in the form of Traditionis Custodes. American bishops should not remain silent.
Completely agree with you all in this stream! (Perhaps a first)! For the comic relief, thank you, Windswept Hs, MrsCracker and Martin. (Sad but true parallels of evil in church and state. MrsC, I love OrwelI’s Animal Farm, too! And Martin, is your version of “— fortitude” possibly a “Cardinal virtue”? Lol)