Cardinal Müller: Traditional Catholics could go to the Society of St Pius X

The German Curia Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller has warned that bishops could urge Catholics who favour the traditional Latin form of worship to join the Society of Saint Pius X. He had heard from some bishops "that Catholics who reject the newer form of the liturgy can either stay at home or join the Lefebvrians," Müller told the Catholic television station EWTN at the weekend.

However, it is not the Traditional Latin Mass that is dividing the Church. Rather, the cause is tensions between conservative and liberal currents within the Catholic Church. These have deepened since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), particularly with regard to the interpretation of the required reforms, according to Müller, who was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican from 2012 to 2017.

Heightened tensions

The continued application of the document "Traditionis custodes" published by Pope Francis in 2021, which severely restricted the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass, has also further intensified these tensions. According to Müller, there is a conflict between those who want to maintain doctrinal and liturgical continuity and those who are in favour of a more pastoral and inclusive approach.

The Society of St Pius X rejects most of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The main points of contention are liturgy, religious freedom and ecumenism. As the Fraternity has no legal status in the Church, it relies on its own bishops to confer ordinations. (KNA)