Traditionalist Catholics are Roman Catholics, or persons who identify as Roman Catholics, who believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical forms, public and private devotions and presentation of Catholic teachings which prevailed in the Roman Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).^[1] Catholic Church redirects here. ... A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ... The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Terminology

Traditionalist Catholics generally prefer to be referred to either simply as Catholics or, if a distinction must be made, as "traditional Catholics" (with a lower-case T). However, since Roman Catholics in general consider themselves to be "traditional" in the sense of being faithful to historical Catholic teaching,^[2] the terms "traditionalist Catholics" and "Traditional Catholics" (with an upper-case T) are used in this article. It is not intended thereby to imply either that adherents of the traditionalist position are not true members of the Catholic Church or that "Traditional Catholic" is a formal title.

Different types of traditionalists

Traditionalist Catholics may be divided into four broad groups.

• Traditionalists enjoying the favour of the Holy See: traditionalist priests and laypeople in good standing with the "official" hierarchy of the Church. Several officially-approved societies of traditionalist priests exist, most notably the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICRSS) and the Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney (PAASJV). Traditionalists of this sort tend to regard the changes in the Church that followed the Second Vatican Council as being at least tolerable, though they may disapprove of them and wish them to be reversed.

• Traditionalists not enjoying the favour of the Holy See: traditionalist priests and laypeople who practise their faith outside the official structures of the Church, though they vehemently affirm their loyalty to the Church and to the papacy. The largest priestly society of this tendency is the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), which was established in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, a founding figure of Catholic traditionalism. Members of this category view the post-Conciliar changes as being unacceptable and doctrinally unsound. The fact that they recognise the official Church hierarchy while rejecting its decisions draws accusations of disloyalty and disobedience from the preceding group - whom this group in turn accuse of blind, un-Catholic obedience.

• Sedevacantists: priests and laypeople who regard the Pope and the bishops of the "official" Church as having fallen into heresy and having therefore forfeited their authority. Such people neither possess nor seek the approval of the present Church hierarchy. The terms sedevacantist and sedevacantism derive from the Latin phrase sede vacante: "while the chair [of Peter] is vacant", a term which is normally reserved for the period between the death or retirement of a bishop and the consecration of his successor. Sedevacantists usually date the vacancy of the papacy from the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, though some regard Pope John XXIII (1958-1963) as a true pope. Sedevacantist groups include the Society of St. Pius V (SSPV) and the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI).

• Conclavists: priests and laypeople stemming from the sedevacantist movement who have given recognition to a nominee of their own as the true Pope. Since they hold that the see of Rome is no longer vacant, they are not, strictly speaking, sedevacantists, but they are often classified as such, since they reject the official papal succession (and do so for the same reasons as sedevacantists). Conclavist groups include the true Catholic Church, the Palmarian Catholic Church, and the followers of David Bawden ("Pope Michael I").

There is some tension between the different groups at the official level - the SSPX, for example, condemns the FSSP and attendance at its Masses^[3] - but the divisions are sometimes less pronounced at the lay level, with some happily attending Masses celebrated by priests of any group. Divisions between sedevacantists and other traditionalists are generally somewhat more pronounced. Father Josef Bisig, one of the founding members of the FSSP, with Pope John Paul II in Vatican City. ... The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (Latin: Institutum Christi Regis Summi Sacerdotis) is a society of priests in the Catholic Church that celebrates the liturgy in Latin in accordance with its constitutions and founding documents based on permissions granted by Rome. ... Bishop Fernando Arêas Rifan with Pope Benedict XVI at St. ... The Society of St. ... The Most Reverend Dr. Marcel-François Lefebvre (November 29, 1905–March 25, 1991), better known as Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, was a French Roman Catholic bishop. ... Sede vacante coat of arms, used by the Holy See from a Popes death to the election of his successor Sedevacantism is a theological position embraced by a minority of Traditionalist Catholics which holds that the Papal See has been vacant since the death of Pope Pius XII in... The Venerable Pius XII, born Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Eugenio Pacelli (Rome, March 2, 1876 - October 9, 1958) served as the Pope from March 2, 1939 to 1958. ... See also: 15th-century Antipope John XXIII. Pope John XXIII (Latin: ; Italian: ), born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (November 25, 1881 – June 3, 1963), known as Blessed John XXIII since his beatification, was elected as the 261st Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City on October 28, 1958. ... The Society of St. ... The Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI) (Latin: Congregatio Mariae Reginae Immaculatae) is a traditional Catholic religious community. ... Sede vacante coat of arms, used by the Holy See from a Popes death to the election of his successor Sedevacantism is a theological position embraced by a minority of Traditionalist Catholics which holds that the Papal See has been vacant since the death of Pope Pius XII in... The true Catholic Church (tCC) is a small Roman Catholic Conclavist (see sedevacantism) group based in Kalispell, Montana, United States. ... The cathedral of Palmar de Troya The Palmarian Catholic Church (One Holy Catholic Apostolic and Palmarian Church) is a schismatic Catholic church with its own pope, Peter II. He is held as an antipope (a false claimant to the papacy) by the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Conclavist Antipope Michael I (David Bawden). ...

Many traditionalist Catholics associate themselves with a particular priestly society. Other small groups of traditionalists sometimes form around an individual "independent" priest who has no ties with any particular organisation. Other Catholics again, known as "Home Aloners" do not associate themselves with any priests, and attempt to practise their faith individually in the privacy of their own homes.

Some leaders of Independent Catholic Churches also claim to be traditionalist Catholics and to be preserving the Tridentine Mass and ancient traditions. Independent Catholic Churches are Christian denominations (or congregations) claiming valid apostolic succession of their bishops but are not a part of the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Old Catholic Churches under the Archbishop of Utrect or the Anglican Communion. ... The Tridentine Mass (Pontifical High Mass) being celebrated at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Wyandotte, Michigan - 1949. ...

Validity of holy orders of traditionalist clergy

Catholic doctrine holds that any validly ordained bishop can, with the required intention and using a valid form, validly ordain any other baptised male to the priesthood (and, indeed, to the episcopacy), even if the ordination is performed without official permission or approval, and even if the individuals involved are not Roman Catholics.^[4]

Clergy belonging to the first category of traditionalists mentioned above are, naturally, ordained with official approval and in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Canon Law (see especially Canons 1012-1023). However, some members of the second and especially of the third and fourth groups consider that ordinations conferred using the revised rite of ordination promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1968^[5] are invalid or of doubtful validity.^[6] Some therefore take the view that there are now very few validly ordained bishops and priests left in the world. On the other hand, the validity of the orders of some sedevacantist and conclavist priests, many of whom have been ordained by episcopi vagantes, is questioned by others. In Western culture, canon law is the law of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. ... This article cites very few or no references or sources. ... Episcopi vagantes (Episcopus vagans, singular) (Latin for wandering bishops) are persons who have been consecrated as bishops in a Christian church in some irregular fashion, especially those claiming to have valid Roman Catholic orders although their consecrations were not authorized by that church, or those having orders that the Roman...

The Holy See rarely comments on the validity of the orders of traditionalist clergy who are not in good standing with it. However, without pronouncing on the question of validity, it has declared devoid of canonical effect the consecration ceremony conducted by Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục for the Carmelite Order of the Holy Face group at midnight of 31 December 1975, and any later ordinations by those bishops.^[7] On the other hand, it recognizes the validity of the controversial episcopal consecrations that Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre conferred in 1988, while declaring Lefebvre and the other five bishops involved in the ceremony to have incurred automatic excommunication. It views ordinations performed by the bishops of the SSPX as being valid but illicit, and it sees those involved as being automatically suspended from exercising their orders. Archbishop Ngô Đình Thuc Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục (approximately pronounced Ngoh Din Took ) (October 6, 1897–December 13, 1984), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Huế, Vietnam, was born in Huế, on October 6, 1897, of affluent Catholic parents. ... The cathedral of Palmar de Troya The Palmarian Catholic Church (One Holy Catholic Apostolic and Palmarian Church) is a schismatic Catholic church with its own pope, Peter II. He is held as an antipope (a false claimant to the papacy) by the Roman Catholic Church. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Ecône Consecrations are those by which Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four Catholic bishops on 30 June 1988, notwithstanding the express prohibition of the Pope. ... The Society of St. ...

Traditionalist positions

Traditionalist Catholics believe that they are preserving Catholic orthodoxy by not accepting certain changes officially introduced since the Second Vatican Council, changes which have been described as amounting to a "veritable revolution". They claim that the positions now taken by mainstream Catholics - even conservative mainstream Catholics - would have been considered "modernist" or "liberal" at the time of the Council, and that they themselves hold positions that were then considered "conservative" or "traditional". The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Pope Benedict XVI has contrasted the "interpretation of discontinuity and rupture" which many traditionalists apply to the Council with the interpretation of "reform and continuity" put forward by the Church authorities. After quoting John XXIII's statement that the Council was intended to "transmit [Catholic] doctrine, pure and integral, without any attenuation or distortion", he continued:

"Our duty is not only to guard this precious treasure, as if we were concerned only with antiquity, but to dedicate ourselves with an earnest will and without fear to that work which our era demands of us...". It is necessary, Pope John XXIII said, that "adherence to all the teaching of the Church in its entirety and preciseness..." be presented in "faithful and perfect conformity to the authentic doctrine, which, however, should be studied and expounded through the methods of research and through the literary forms of modern thought. The substance of the ancient doctrine of the deposit of faith is one thing, and the way in which it is presented is another...", retaining the same meaning and message. [1]

Traditionalists, however, believe that errors have crept into the presentation and understanding of Catholic teaching since John XXIII spoke those words. They attribute the blame for this to liberal interpretations of the Conciliar documents, to harmful post-Conciliar pastoral decisions, to the text of the Conciliar documents themselves, or to some combination of these.

Most traditionalist Catholics view the Second Vatican Council as a valid, albeit problematic, Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church, though most sedevacantists regard it as wholly invalid. It is common for traditionalists in dispute with Rome to affirm that the Council was "pastoral", and hence that its decrees were not absolutely binding on Catholics in the same way as the dogmatic decrees of other Ecumenical Councils. Support for this view is sought in Pope John XXIII's Opening Address to the Council, Pope Paul VI's closing address, and the lack of formal dogmatic definitions in the Conciliar documents. On the other hand, Paul VI subsequently emphasised the authoritative nature of the Council's teachings.^[8] Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Athanasius · Augustine · Constantine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Calvin · Luther · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      An... Sede vacante coat of arms, used by the Holy See from a Popes death to the election of his successor Sedevacantism is a theological position embraced by a minority of Traditionalist Catholics which holds that the Papal See has been vacant since the death of Pope Pius XII in...

Traditionalists' claims of "discontinuity and rupture"

Traditionalists' claims that substantive changes have taken place in Catholic teaching and practice since the Council often crystallise around the following specific alleged examples:

• A new ecclesiology which they claim fails to recognise the Catholic Church as the one true church established by Jesus Christ, and instead holds that the true church "subsists in" the Catholic Church in an unclear way. They claim that this contradicts Pope Pius XII's Mystici Corporis Christi and other papal documents.
• A new ecumenism which they see as aiming at a false pan-Christian religious unity which does not require non-Catholics to convert to the Catholic faith. They see this as contradicting the teachings of the Bible, Pope Pius XI's Mortalium Animos, Pope Pius XII's Humani Generis and other documents.
• An acceptance, in the Second Vatican Council's decree Dignitatis Humanae, of the principle of religious liberty, which they claim was condemned by Pope Pius IX in Quanta Cura and the Syllabus of Errors.
• A new rite of Mass, which they refer to as the "Novus Ordo". They regard this as de-emphasizing the central Catholic doctrines that the Mass is a true sacrifice and that the bread and wine employed in the rite truly become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. They further contend that the revised liturgy is man-centered rather than God-centered; that it is less beautiful and spiritually edifying than the earlier liturgy; and that it omits certain texts that mention hell, miracles or sin. Traditionalists hold differing opinions on the validity and acceptability of the revised rite of Mass:
  • Some see it as valid, and as acceptable when necessary, though the older rite should be attended when possible.
  • Some, including adherents of the Society of St. Pius X, hold that it is in principle valid as a sacramental rite, but maintain that the revisions in the liturgy are displeasing to God, and that it is often celebrated improperly to the extent of being sacramentally invalid. They therefore generally refuse to attend it.
  • Some, including most sedevacantists, see it as invalid in principle and entirely unacceptable.^[9]
• An inappropriate emphasis on the "dignity of man", which they claim ignores original sin and the need for supernatural grace, and which they also claim has led to a sort of utopianism that sees world peace as possible without recognizing the kingship of Christ. They see this orientation as contradicting Pope Pius XI's Quas Primas, Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum, and other papal and conciliar documents on social matters.
• A teaching on collegiality that attributes to the bishops of the world a share, with the Pope, of responsibility for the Church's governance in a way that they claim is destructive of the authority of the Pope over the other bishops as the final arbiter of Catholic issues of faith and morals and which is alleged to encourage a "national" church mentality that also undermines the authority of the Holy See.

Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      In Christian... Pius XIIs signature Pope Pius XII (Latin: ), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (March 2, 1876 – October 9, 1958), reigned as the 260th pope, the human head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City, from March 2, 1939 until his death. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Ecumenism (also oecumenism, Å“cumenism) refers to initiatives aimed at greater religious unity or cooperation. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... Pius XI (born Achille Ratti May 31, 1857 - Rome, February 10, 1939) was Pope from February 6, 1922 until February 10, 1939. ... Pius XIIs signature Pope Pius XII (Latin: ), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (March 2, 1876 – October 9, 1958), reigned as the 260th pope, the human head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City, from March 2, 1939 until his death. ... Dignitatis Humanæ is the Second Vatican Councils Declaration on Religious Freedom. ... Pope Pius IX (May 13, 1792 – February 7, 1878), born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from his election in June 16, 1846, until his death more than 31 years later in 1878. ... Quanta Cura was a Papal encyclical issued by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1864, which condemned religious freedom and freedom of speech. ... The Syllabus of Errors (Latin: Syllabus Errorum) was a document issued by Pope Pius IX on December 8,1864, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, as an appendix to his encyclical Quanta Cura. ... The Mass of Pope Paul VI is the liturgy of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite as revised after the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). ... Marcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome For other uses, see Sacrifice (disambiguation). ... The Tridentine Mass (Pontifical High Mass) being celebrated at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Wyandotte, Michigan - 1949. ... The Society of St. ... Original Sin redirects here. ... Pope Pius XI (Latin: ; Italian: Pio XI; May 31, 1857 – February 10, 1939), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, reigned as Pope from February 6, 1922 and as sovereign of Vatican City from 1929 until his death on February 10, 1939. ... Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues. ...

Mainstream Catholics' criticism of traditionalists' claims

Mainstream Catholics responding to claims of "discontinuity and rupture" have made the following points:

• Such claims are stated to be false, exaggerated, or lacking appreciation of the organic character of Tradition. They argue, for example, that Dignitatis Humanae does not in fact contradict the Church's earlier teaching on religious liberty, [2] and that the revised rite of Mass represents a legitimate development of the earlier liturgy.
• Traditionalists are said not to distinguish properly between changeable pastoral practices (such as the liturgy of the Mass) and the unchangeable principles of the Catholic faith (such as the dogmas surrounding the Mass). Traditionalists deny this claim.
• Traditionalists who declare the decisions of Church authorities to be incompatible with the Church's unchanging Tradition are said to be acting against the teaching of Pope Pius XII that to "the Teaching Authority of the Church ... has been entrusted by Christ Our Lord the whole deposit of faith - Sacred Scripture and divine Tradition - to be preserved, guarded and interpreted" (emphases added).^[10] Traditionalists reply with the words of the First Vatican Council: "The Holy Spirit was promised to the successors of Peter not so that they might, by his revelation, make known some new doctrine" (emphases added).

Dignitatis Humanæ is the Second Vatican Councils Declaration on Religious Freedom. ... Pius XIIs signature Pope Pius XII (Latin: ), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (March 2, 1876 – October 9, 1958), reigned as the 260th pope, the human head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City, from March 2, 1939 until his death. ... The First Vatican Council was summoned by Pope Pius IX by the bull Aeterni Patris of June 29, 1868. ...

Sedevacantists' claims

Sedevacantists claim that they avoid much of the mainstream Catholic critique of traditionalism because they believe that there is at present no Pope or body of bishops whose teaching must be accepted. They also criticise non-sedevacantists for recognising the recent Popes, on grounds such as the following:^[11]

• By declaring that the revised liturgy of the Mass promulgated and defended by these Popes is evil, they teach that the Church can and has decreed evil.
• By declaring that the teachings of the Second Vatican Council contradict the Church's Tradition, they either repudiate the teaching of the First Vatican Council on the infallibility of even the ordinary and universal magisterium of the Pope and the bishops or they implicitly deny that the Pope and bishops at the Second Vatican Council were truly the Pope and truly Catholic bishops.
• By refusing subjection to a supposedly legitimate Pope, they contravene the famous Bull Unam sanctam in which Pope Boniface VIII stated: "... we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff."

The Mass of Pope Paul VI is the liturgy of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite as revised after the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). ... For other uses of Mass, see Mass (disambiguation). ... The First Vatican Council was summoned by Pope Pius IX by the bull Aeterni Patris of June 29, 1868. ... On November 18, 1302, Pope Boniface VIII issued the Papal bull Unam sanctam (The One Holy), which historians consider one of the most extreme statements of Papal spiritual supremacy ever made. ... Pope Boniface VIII (c. ...

Practices of traditionalist Catholics

The rite of Mass

The best-known and most visible sign of Catholic traditionalism is an attachment to the form that the Roman Rite liturgy of the Mass had before the liturgical reform of 1969-1970. This form is generally known as the Tridentine Mass, though traditionalists usually prefer to call it the Traditional Mass. Many refer to it as the Latin Mass, after the language that almost everywhere was the only one authorized for its celebration (see Tridentine Mass#Language). Latin Rite, in the singular and accompanied, in English, by the definite article, refers to the sui juris particular Church of the Roman Catholic Church that developed in the area of western Europe and northern Africa where Latin was for many centuries the language of education and culture. ... For other uses of Mass, see Mass (disambiguation). ... The Mass of Pope Paul VI is the liturgy of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite as revised after the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). ... The Tridentine Mass (Pontifical High Mass) being celebrated at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Wyandotte, Michigan - 1949. ... The term Latin Mass refers to the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Mass celebrated in Latin. ... The Tridentine Mass (Pontifical High Mass) being celebrated at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Wyandotte, Michigan - 1949. ...

Different traditionalist priests use different editions of the Roman Missal to celebrate the Tridentine Mass. Most use that of 1962, the last before the post-Conciliar reform and the only one for which the Holy See gives authorisation. Since this edition was promulgated by Pope John XXIII, sedevacantists naturally reject it and generally use the 1920 Missal, with some modifications (some even reject the revised rites for Holy Week promulgated by Pius XII in 1955, though they regard Pius XII as a true pope). A series of modifications to the 1962 liturgy introduced in 1965, which are used by some traditionalists in good standing with Rome, explain the references that are sometimes encountered to "the 1965 Missal", though no new edition of the Roman Missal was published in that year. The Roman Missal (Missale Romanum) is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Latin rite of Mass. ...

Linked with the celebration of the Tridentine Mass is the observance of the liturgical calendar of saints' days as it existed before the revision of 1969. Some also ignore the revisions of 1960 (by Pope John XXIII)^[12] and 1955 (by Pope Pius XII), preferring the General Roman Calendar as in 1954.

Individual and private devotions

Traditionalist Catholics lay stress on strict following of customs prevailing in the Latin Church immediately before the Second Vatican Council, such as the following:

• Abstaining from meat on Fridays.^[13] Present discipline maintains Fridays and Lent as days and times of penance, declares that abstinence from meat or some other food as determined by the local episcopal conference is to be observed on all Fridays (unless a solemnity falls on the Friday) and on Ash Wednesday, and allows episcopal conferences to permit other practices of personal penance to take the place of abstinence from meat (canon 1249-1253 of the 1983 Code).^[14] No group of traditionalists advocates returning to the pre-1917 discipline.
• Fasting from midnight before receiving Holy Communion. This discipline was modified in 1953, several years before the Second Vatican Council, by Pope Pius XII, who reduced the fast period to three hours.^[15] So only those who reject the changes made by this Pope insist on this matter.
• Kneeling to receive Communion directly in the mouth in the form of consecrated bread alone, and from the hand of a cleric rather than a layperson.^[16]
• Women wearing a headcovering in church. Canon 1262 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law^[17] mandated that, in church, women should cover their heads and men should uncover theirs "unless this is in contrast with approved customs of peoples", but the practice was not universal even prior to the Council.
• Frequent confession, a practice that grew in the first half of the twentieth century, when, following the Holy See's rejection of the opinion of "certain theologians of good repute ... that daily Communion could be permitted to the faithful only rarely and subject to many conditions",^[18] frequent communion led to frequent confession, although the only strict obligation was that "all the faithful who have reached the age of discretion are bound faithfully to confess their grave sins at least once a year".^[19]
• Prayers such as the Stations of the Cross and the Rosary in the form in use before the late twentieth century.^[20]

In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is a conference consisting of all the bishops within a given territory. ... For other uses, see Eucharist (disambiguation). ... The Christian headcovering is a veiling worn by some Christian women. ... This article is about the practice of confession in the Modern confessional in the Church of the Holy Name, Dunedin, New Zealand. ... The 12th Station of the Cross - Jesus dies on the Cross. ... Our Lady of Lourdes appearing at Lourdes with Rosary beads. ...

Traditionalism and the Eastern Catholic Churches

The Second Vatican Council's decree Orientalium Ecclesiarum encouraged the 22 Eastern Catholic Churches to return to their own past traditions and practices, which in some cases had been overlaid with elements taken from the Latin Church. Subsequent Vatican documents reinforced this tendency. Some of the Latinizing modifications to be undone date back decades or even centuries, and the process of reviving older traditions is ongoing. This process is has been opposed by some, perhaps most notably by the Priestly Society of Saint Josaphat which claims to be part of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and which has close links with the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). Orientalium Ecclesiarum is the Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite from the Second Vatican Council. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Athanasius · Augustine · Constantine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Calvin · Luther · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The... The Latin Rite is one of the 23 sui iuris particular Churches within the Catholic Church. ... Saint Josaphat Kuncevyc of Polotsk. ... The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), also known as the Ukrainian Catholic Church, is one of the successor Churches to the acceptance of Christianity by Grand Prince Vladimir the Great (Ukrainian Volodymyr) of Kiev (Kyiv), in 988. ... The Society of St. ...

Number of traditionalist Catholics

According to the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, the Catholic Church's worldwide recorded membership at the end of 2005 was 1,114,966,000.^[21] Estimates of the total number of traditionalists within this population have ranged from 1 million to 7 million.[3] [4] It has also been claimed that there are upwards of 2 million traditionalists in dispute with Rome, and a similar number in good standing with Rome.[5] Estimates of the number of supporters of the SSPX range from 600,000 to 1 million. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

There are roughly 500,000 Catholic priests in the world. The two most prominent traditionalist organisations are the SSPX and the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP); the SSPX has around 500 priests, and the FSSP has roughly 200.

For purposes of comparison with mainstream Catholic organisations, the Knights of Columbus in the United States are stated to have 1.7 million members, the Neocatechumenal Way is reported to have around 1 million members,^[22] and Opus Dei is claimed to have 87,000 members. Knights of Columbus emblem The Knights of Columbus is the worlds largest Roman Catholic fraternal service organization. ... Painting of Kiko Argüello, most used in the Neocatechumenal Way. ... For other uses, see Opus Dei (disambiguation). ...

Places of worship

A pre-Vatican II Latin-rite altar with reredos

Some traditionalist Catholics attend Mass celebrated in the pre-Conciliar rite by priests in good standing with the Church authorities. Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, the President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, occasionally celebrates the Tridentine Mass in public, and other cardinals (including Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI) have also done so in recent years. University Church, Dublin - study of Tridentine altar. ... University Church, Dublin - study of Tridentine altar. ... An altar and reredos from University Church, Dublin A reredos (also spelled raredos) is a screen or decoration behind the altar in a church, usually depicting religious iconography or images. ... Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos (born July 4, 1929) is a Colombian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei is a commission of the Roman Catholic Church aiming to bring back traditionalist Catholics into communion with Rome, primarily the Society of Saint Pius X. It is headed by Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos. ... Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: ; born April 16, 1927 as Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany) is the 265th reigning pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. ...

Altar of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, as arranged in 1700 and still used, without modification, today. It faces both east and versus populum (towards the people)

Many other groups and individual priests, including the Society of St. Pius X, celebrate the Tridentine Mass in a situation of schism or separation^[23] from the Church. Traditionalists who worship outside the Church's official structures justify their position on the grounds that they must do so in order to ensure they are able to administer or receive all of the Sacraments - not only the Eucharist - in the traditional way, and to be able to give and hear sermons that contradict the teaching of the diocesan bishops. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1528x2371, 734 KB) scanning of a (now deteriorated) slide taken by me in the late 1960s (I would have obediently followed the strong recommendation about Wikimedia Commons, but I have encountered a difficulty in logging in there. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1528x2371, 734 KB) scanning of a (now deteriorated) slide taken by me in the late 1960s (I would have obediently followed the strong recommendation about Wikimedia Commons, but I have encountered a difficulty in logging in there. ... Chapel Interior at Night. ...

Priests in good standing with the Church offer the Tridentine Mass according to the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal, as do many other priests, notably those of the SSPX. Others offer Mass according to earlier editions.

List of Tridentine Masses in North America

A publication bearing the name Official Traditional Catholic Directory: Listing All Traditional Latin Masses and Traditional Resources for North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico) and giving contacts for similar information on Asia (India, Malaysia) and Europe (England, Germany, Italy, Switzerland) has been published since 1994. It distinguishes between what it calls the "Traditional Latin Mass and Divine Office, as before the 'modernizing' revisions of 1960, and 1962" and "the Modernized Mass and Divine Office of 1962" (the form used by the SSPX and the only form authorized by the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum). It warns against "Mass under the auspices of a diocese adhering to the New Order, including Masses under the auspices of 'motu' organizations, such as the Fraternity of St. Peter and the Institute of Christ the King, High Priest", stating: "Most diocesan services are not even the Vatican II 'Mass of 1962', but a pseudo-traditional service mixed with the invalid Novus Ordo (New Order) service of 1969, which should be scrupulously avoided by the faithful." It advises to choose in the following order: "Independent", "Society of St. Pius V, Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen" (sedevacantist), "Society of St. Pius X", "Diocese". Papal Arms of Pope Benedict XVI. Summorum Pontificum (English: ) is the Apostolic Letter motu proprio data of Pope Benedict XVI, which formulates the canonical rules to be respected in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church for the celebration of Mass according to the Missal promulgated by John XXIII in... Papal Arms of Pope Benedict XVI. Summorum Pontificum (English: ) is the Apostolic Letter motu proprio data of Pope Benedict XVI, which formulates the canonical rules to be respected in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church for the celebration of Mass according to the Missal promulgated by John XXIII in...

Relations with the Holy See

The Holy See recognizes as fully legitimate the preference for the traditional forms of worship shown by those traditionalist Catholics who do not dispute the authority of the Holy See. This was apparent most recently in Benedict XVI's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum (2007), and also in Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter Ecclesia Dei (1988). A motu proprio is a papal rescript in which the clause motu proprio (Latin, of his own motion) is used, signifying that the provisions of the rescript were decided by the Pope personally and not by a cardinal or other advisors. ... Papal Arms of Pope Benedict XVI. Summorum Pontificum (English: ) is the Apostolic Letter motu proprio data of Pope Benedict XVI, which formulates the canonical rules to be respected in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church for the celebration of Mass according to the Missal promulgated by John XXIII in... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Ecclesia Dei Ecclesia Dei is the papal document (technically speaking, a motu proprio) that Pope John Paul II wrote in reaction to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer’s unlawful consecration in 1988 of four bishops. ...

Summorum Pontificum was issued in July 2007, following months of rumour and speculation. In this document, Pope Benedict XVI provided that priests of the Latin Rite can freely choose between the 1962 Roman Missal and the modern rite of Mass when celebrating their private Masses (which, in spite of the name, laypeople may also attend). Priests in charge of particular churches can permit stable groups of laypeople attached to the Tridentine Mass to have Mass celebrated for them in that form, provided that the celebrating priest is "qualified to [celebrate] and not juridically impeded" (this would exclude traditionalist priests not in good standing with Rome). Papal Arms of Pope Benedict XVI. Summorum Pontificum (English: ) is the Apostolic Letter motu proprio data of Pope Benedict XVI, which formulates the canonical rules to be respected in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church for the celebration of Mass according to the Missal promulgated by John XXIII in... The Latin Rite is one of the 23 sui iuris particular Churches within the Catholic Church. ... The Mass of Pope Paul VI is the liturgy of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite as revised after the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). ...

Various traditionalist groups welcomed Summorum Pontificum. The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales applauded the Pope's decision,^[24] and the Latin Mass Society of Ireland also expressed its gratitude.^[25] The Catholic Publishing House Baronius Press issued a similar response, and prepared to publish a special print run of their edition of the 1962 Missal around 14 September 2007, the date of the coming into effect of the provisions of Summorum Pontificum. The Society of St. Pius X, which was consulted by Pope Benedict prior to the publication of the motu proprio, also thanked the Pope,^[26] though it also referred to "difficulties that still remain", included "disputed doctrinal issues" and the notice of excommunication which still affects its bishops. Papal Arms of Pope Benedict XVI. Summorum Pontificum (English: ) is the Apostolic Letter motu proprio data of Pope Benedict XVI, which formulates the canonical rules to be respected in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church for the celebration of Mass according to the Missal promulgated by John XXIII in... The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales is a Roman Catholic society based in Britain that is dedicated to making the Tridentine Mass more widely available. ... The Latin Mass Society of Ireland, founded in 1999, is a Roman Catholic society based in Ireland that is dedicated to the preservation of the traditional Tridentine Mass as one of the Churchs liturgy and making it more widely available. ... Baronius Press is a traditional Catholic book publisher with headquarters in London, England. ... is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The Society of St. ...

A fiercely debated question is whether traditionalists who operate outside the ordinary structures of the Church and in dispute with the Church authorities are schismatic and excommunicated. The word schism (IPA: or ), from the Greek σχίσμα, skhísma (from σχίζω, skhízō, to tear, to split), means a division or a split, usually in an organization or a movement. ... Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community. ...

The clearest cases of schism are provided by the sedevacantists and conclavists, who openly refuse communion with Pope Benedict XVI and his bishops. Many other traditionalists are also regarded by the Holy See as schismatic, though their schismatic status derives, on a case-by-case basis, from their attitudes and conduct as individuals rather than from their association with any particular group such as the SSPX. In fact, the situation of the SSPX has been described as a "situation of separation ... even if it was not a formal schism".[11] With regard to the 1988 episcopal consecrations that Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer performed for the SSPX against the orders of Pope John Paul II, the Holy See recognizes their validity, but sees the bishops involved as automatically excommunicated. It views the priests of the SSPX whom these bishops ordain as validly ordained, but, in accordance with canon 1383 of the Code of Canon Law, prohibited from exercising their priestly functions. The Ecclesia Dei Commission has stated that attendance at Masses offered by such priests is "morally illicit" for Catholics in normal circumstances, though attendance is not, of itself, an act subject to ecclesiastical penalties such as excommunication. [12] [13] [14] Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer (° 1904 Campinas, São Paulo – † April 25, 1991 Campos, Rio de Janeiro) was a Roman Catholic bishop and bishop of the diocese of Campos, Brazil. ...

The Ecclesia Dei Commission

The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei was founded in July 1988 in the wake of Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter Ecclesia Dei. Pope Benedict XVI was a member of the Commission during his tenure as Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei is a commission of the Roman Catholic Church aiming to bring back traditionalist Catholics into communion with Rome, primarily the Society of Saint Pius X. It is headed by Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Ecclesia Dei Ecclesia Dei is the papal document (technically speaking, a motu proprio) that Pope John Paul II wrote in reaction to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer’s unlawful consecration in 1988 of four bishops. ... The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) (Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei) is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia. ...

Speaking on 16 May 2007 to the Fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, Cardinal Castrillón, the current head of the Commission, stated that his department had been founded for the care of those "traditionalist Catholics" who, while discontented with the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council, had broken with Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, "because they disagreed with his schismatic action in ordaining Bishops without the required papal mandate". He added that at present the Commission's activity is not limited to the service of those Catholics, nor to "the efforts undertaken to end the regrettable schismatic situation and secure the return of those brethren belonging to the Fraternity of Saint Pius X to full communion." It extends also, he said, to "satisfying the just aspirations of people, unrelated to the two aforementioned groups, who, because of their specific sensitiveness, wish to keep alive the earlier Latin liturgy in the celebration of the Eucharist and the other sacraments."^[27] is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Most Reverend Dr. Marcel-François Lefebvre (November 29, 1905–March 25, 1991), better known as Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, was a French Roman Catholic bishop. ... The Society of St. ... Full communion is completeness of that relationship between Christian individuals and groups which is known as communion. ... The Latin Rite is one of the 23 sui iuris particular Churches within the Catholic Church. ... For other uses, see Eucharist (disambiguation). ... In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite that mediates divine grace, constituting a sacred mystery. ...

While Cardinal Castrillón has indicated that it is intended to make the Commission an organ of the Holy See for the purpose of preserving and maintaining the traditional liturgy, he has stated that this is not with the purpose of "going backward, of returning to the times before the 1970 reform.... What is in question is instead a generous offer of the Vicar of Christ wishing... to place at the Church's disposal all the treasures of the Latin liturgy that for centuries nourished the spiritual life of so many generations of Catholic faithful. The Holy Father wishes to preserve the immense spiritual, cultural and esthetic treasure linked with the old liturgy. Recovery of these riches goes together with the no less precious riches of the Church's present liturgy."

References

The Latin Rite is one of the 23 sui iuris particular Churches within the Catholic Church. ... Saint Josaphat Kuncevyc of Polotsk. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) (Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei) is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia. ... is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Emmanuel Milingo (born June 13, 1930) was a Zambian Roman Catholic archbishop. ... is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... The Roman Missal (Missale Romanum) is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Latin rite of Mass. ... For other uses, see Lent (disambiguation). ... In the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. ... Holy Saturday is the day before Easter in the Christian calendar. ... In the Roman Catholic Church, the Holy Days of Obligation are the days, other than Sundays, on which the faithful are required to attend Mass. ... In the liturgical calendar of the Western Christian churches, Ember days are four separate sets of three days within the same week - specifically, the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday - roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, that were formerly set aside for fasting and prayer. ... This article cites very few or no references or sources. ... Our Lady of Lourdes appearing at Lourdes with Rosary beads. ... Zenit News Agency is an international news agency. ... The Universe is a newspaper for Roman Catholics in Britain and Ireland. ... Pope John Paul II (Latin: , Italian: , Polish: ) born   IPA: ; 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) reigned as the 264th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City from 16 October 1978, until his death, almost 27 years later, making his the second-longest... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Ecclesia Dei Ecclesia Dei is the papal document (technically speaking, a motu proprio) that Pope John Paul II wrote in reaction to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer’s unlawful consecration in 1988 of four bishops. ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

See also

Doctrinal and liturgical issues

• Second Vatican Council
• Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus
• Sedevacantism
• Tridentine Mass
• Mass of Paul VI
• Roman Missal
• Summorum Pontificum

The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Latin phrase Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus, meaning: Outside the Church there is no salvation, is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Sede vacante coat of arms, used by the Holy See from a Popes death to the election of his successor Sedevacantism is a theological position embraced by a minority of Traditionalist Catholics which holds that the Papal See has been vacant since the death of Pope Pius XII in... The Tridentine Mass (Pontifical High Mass) being celebrated at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Wyandotte, Michigan - 1949. ... The Mass of Pope Paul VI is the liturgy of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite as revised after the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). ... The Roman Missal (Missale Romanum) is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Latin rite of Mass. ... Papal Arms of Pope Benedict XVI. Summorum Pontificum (English: ) is the Apostolic Letter motu proprio data of Pope Benedict XVI, which formulates the canonical rules to be respected in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church for the celebration of Mass according to the Missal promulgated by John XXIII in...

Notable Traditionalist Catholics

• Marcel Lefebvre
• Antônio de Castro Mayer
• Bernard Fellay
• Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục
• William F. Buckley, Jr.
• Mel Gibson
• Alan Keyes
• Pat Buchanan

The Most Reverend Dr. Marcel-François Lefebvre (November 29, 1905–March 25, 1991), better known as Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, was a French Roman Catholic bishop. ... Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer (° 1904 Campinas, São Paulo – † April 25, 1991 Campos, Rio de Janeiro) was a Roman Catholic bishop and bishop of the diocese of Campos, Brazil. ... Bishop Bernard Fellay, current Superior General of the Society of St. ... Archbishop Ngô Đình Thuc Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục (approximately pronounced Ngoh Din Took ) (October 6, 1897–December 13, 1984), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Huế, Vietnam, was born in Huế, on October 6, 1897, of affluent Catholic parents. ... This article is about the conservative journalist and commentator. ... Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, AO (born January 3, 1956) is an American-Australian actor, historian, Academy Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter. ... Alan Keyes (born August 7, 1950) is an American political activist, author and former diplomat. ... Patrick Joseph Pat Buchanan (born November 2, 1938) is an American politician, author, syndicated columnist and broadcaster. ...

Canonically recognized traditionalist groups

• List of Traditionalist groups in communion with Rome
• Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius
• Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter
• Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney
• Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
• Latin Mass Society of England and Wales
• Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce

A list of priestly societies and religious institutes in good standing with the Church authorities that are dedicated to preserving an older rite of Catholic Mass. ... The Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius (CRSJC) is a clerical Institute of Consecrated Life in the Catholic Church, founded in 1998 in the Archdiocese of Chicago as the Society of St. ... Father Josef Bisig, one of the founding members of the FSSP, with Pope John Paul II in Vatican City. ... Bishop Fernando Arêas Rifan with Pope Benedict XVI at St. ... The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (Latin: Institutum Christi Regis Summi Sacerdotis) is a society of priests in the Catholic Church that celebrates the liturgy in Latin in accordance with its constitutions and founding documents based on permissions granted by Rome. ... The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales is a Roman Catholic society based in Britain that is dedicated to making the Tridentine Mass more widely available. ... Una Voce (Engl. ...

Traditionalist organizations that the Catholic Church considers irregular

• Society of St. Pius X
• Priestly Society of Saint Josaphat
• Society of St. Pius V
• Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen

The Society of St. ... Saint Josaphat Kuncevyc of Polotsk. ... The Society of St. ... The Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI) (Latin: Congregatio Mariae Reginae Immaculatae) is a traditional Catholic religious community. ...

External links

• International Federation Una Voce The main international organization of Traditionalists considered regular by the Holy See
• The Society of St. Pius X The largest traditionalist body considered irregular by the Holy See
• The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei The Vatican department which deals with relations with traditionalists

Media

• Video of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre's 1988 consecration of Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson, Bernard Fellay, and Alfonso de Galarreta as bishops of the Society of St. Pius X