Cardinal Sarah calls restrictions on the traditional Mass 'neither wise nor respectful'
In an interview with Il Giornale, the former prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship said opposition to the traditional Latin Mass will fade with the generation of 1968 and criticized the restrictions placed on the older liturgy
Cardinal Robert Sarah said opposition to the traditional Latin Mass will disappear along with the generation of 1968. He spoke in a recent interview with the Italian journalist Nico Spuntoni, published in the newspaper Il Giornale. The former prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments described the restrictions imposed by Pope Leo XIV on the traditional liturgy as "neither wise nor respectful" toward the legacy of Benedict XVI.
The dislike of Latin and Gregorian chant found in some parts of the Church is confined to "cultural circles turned in on themselves" and has more to do with psychology than with any solid grounds, Sarah said. Once the influence of the generation of 1968 fades, he said, so will the "one-sided and baseless positions" that have damaged the cultural reach of Latin Catholicism.
Criticism of Traditionis Custodes
Turning to the 2021 restrictions, Sarah said Traditionis Custodes not only lacks judgment but is also disrespectful toward Benedict XVI, who accepted the decision with the humility of a lamb even though it was imposed during his lifetime. Access to ritual forms "recognized and used for centuries" should not legitimately be restricted by decree, the cardinal said. He condemned hostility toward Catholics who feel attached to the tradition, calling it "short-sighted," "purely ideological" and ultimately "harmful and destructive for the Church."
Effect on the ordinary form
Sarah also spoke about the effect the extraordinary form of the Latin Mass can have on celebrations of the ordinary form, which he said often lack a sense of the sacred. Many priests have said that the experience of the extraordinary form has allowed them to celebrate more meaningfully.
Sarah said Benedict XVI believed the older form could have a positive influence on ordinary celebrations. Benedict's intention, he said, was to guarantee the widest possible access to that liturgy, so that the people of God could choose the form that best reflects their faith.
Defense of the traditional rite
Responding to calls to abolish the restrictions, the cardinal said it is inappropriate to limit access to rites that have served the faith for centuries. "If a rite stops serving the faith, it will disappear on its own; but if it preserves and nourishes it, we must not limit it, because that would hinder the preservation and spread of the faith itself," he said.
He praised the faithful who travel long distances out of love for God to attend a traditional Mass, and suggested that the Church's hierarchy should be able to read the signs of the times today rather than cling to those of 1968.
Sarah said the Church cannot condemn people who attend Mass simply because they prefer one form over another, saying such a stance would be short-term, ideological and not pastoral, and would harm the Church.
