Vatican does not allow traditionalist seminarians to be ordained

Rome is apparently blocking the ordination of seminarians from a traditionalist community because there is no guarantee that they will be allowed to celebrate the pre-conciliar liturgy after their ordination. At the weekend, the Superior of the Missionaries of Divine Charity announced that five seminarians have been waiting over a year for their ordination as deacons. One of them has even been waiting for over two years. The organisation is a community in the French diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, where the ordination of all prospective clerics was temporarily suspended. However, according to Superior General Jean-Raphaël Dubrule, the delay is not related to the general situation in the diocese, which has normalized since the appointment of Coadjutor Bishop François Touvet, in charge of clerical training. Instead, the problem is the celebration of the liturgy according to the books in force in 1962, as provided for in the community's statutes.

After many discussions with the relevant Vatican authorities, which were conducted by Bishop Touvet, it emerged that the situation is not only about the ordination rite, but also about the possibility for future priests to celebrate the pre-conciliar liturgy. "The Roman authorities have no certainty about this possibility, and so it could be that candidates are ordained without subsequently being allowed to celebrate according to the old rite. They would then no longer be able to exercise their ministry within the framework of the congregation and in accordance with the statutes," Dubrules' statement reads.

Concern about possible further tightening by Rome

The "Société des missionnaires de la miséricorde divine" was founded in Toulon in 2005. According to the diocese, it now has 22 members, including seven priests, one deacon, two brothers and 12 seminarians. Its aim is to realise its three charisms: mercy, the celebration of Mass in the pre-conciliar form and missionary work, particularly among Muslims. The community is subject to diocesan law and thus to the diocesan bishop. The Motu Proprio "Traditionis custodes" (2021) stipulates that priests who are ordained after its publication and who wish to celebrate according to the Missale Romanum of 1962 must submit a formal request to the diocesan bishop. The latter must consult the Vatican before granting authorisation.

For some weeks now, there have been fears in traditionalist circles that the Vatican wants to restrict the celebration of the liturgy according to the 1962 books even further than Pope Francis and the Dicastery for Divine Worship have already done in recent years. The rumours were fuelled by the Pope's dismissal on Monday of the prior of the "Christ the King Institute" Gilles Wach in an audience on Monday. in an audience on Monday. The internationally active institute celebrates the liturgy in its pre-conciliar form. Nothing has been revealed about the topics of the dialogue. The communities that celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass in accordance with their statutes are not formally exempt from the regulations issued in 2021. However, in 2022 Pope Francis granted the the Society of St Peter by decree the permissionto use the pre-conciliar liturgy not only for the celebration of the Eucharist, but for all sacraments. Corresponding decrees for other communities have not been announced. (fxn)