Bishop: Priests celebrating traditional Latin Mass need permission

As he continues to pray, study and discern Pope Francis’ new apostolic letter — Traditionis Custodes — which places greater oversight on parishes that celebrate the traditional Latin Mass, Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger is asking priests in the Diocese of Albany to request his authorization to continue to celebrate this Mass.

“Until I share with you what I discern, including any initiatives necessary for our Diocese, priests already celebrating Mass according to the more ancient use need to request my authorization to continue to enjoy this faculty,” Bishop Scharfenberger wrote in a letter (at l.) to the faithful of the Diocese on July 26. “This petition is to be communicated to the Bishop’s Office, as stated in my initial response to (Traditionis Custodes) on July 16, 2021. I will consider all requests very carefully on a case-by-case basis.”

Pope Francis, saying he was acting for the good of the unity of the Catholic Church, restored limits on the celebration of the Mass on July 16 according to the Roman Missal in use before the Second Vatican Council, overturning or severely restricting permissions St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI had given to celebrate the so-called Tridentine-rite Mass.

His apostolic letter “Traditionis Custodes” (“Guardians of the Tradition”) declares the liturgical books promulgated after the Second Vatican Council to be “the unique expression of the ‘lex orandi’ (law of worship) of the Roman Rite,” restoring the obligation of priests to have their bishops’ permission to celebrate according to the “extraordinary” or pre-Vatican II Mass and ordering bishops not to establish any new groups or parishes in their dioceses devoted to the old liturgy.

Priests currently celebrating Mass according to the old missal must request authorization from their bishop to continue doing so, Pope Francis ordered, and for any priest ordained after the document’s publication July 16, the bishop must consult with the Vatican before granting authorization.
Bishop Scharfenberger added: “For the sake of consistency and adherence to the Supreme Pontiff’s legislation, the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII, known until days ago as the “extraordinary form” of the Roman Rite, is now referred to as the “more ancient use,” or the usus antiquior.” 

Bishop Scharfenberger wrote in the letter — on the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne — that he will be focusing on two key points in his discernment.
“I now bring to prayer and study two matters to determine parameters for celebrating the more ancient use of the Roman Rite: (1) selection of sacred sites, regionally based, suitable for the usus antiquior,” the Bishop wrote, “and (2) availability of priests qualified for such celebration in accord with the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII, with due regard for our general need of priests to celebrate in the unique expression of the Roman Rite, the 1970 Missal promulgated by St. Paul VI, across the 14 counties of our Diocese. Your ongoing thoughts and the opinions of my advisors are most welcome and will be most carefully considered.

“As one family in communion with Christ Jesus, I am holding all of you close in prayer, especially during this period of study and discernment. I humbly ask for your prayers in my ministry to you.”