Episode 3107: Summorum Pontificum or Traditionis Custodes? Holy Father Stop the Confusion

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Book Recommendation of the Day
“Le sette stazioni sopra la Passione di N.S. Gesù Christo" (1710)
This devotional work, translating to "The Seven Stations on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ," reflects St. Francis Caracciolo's deep spirituality and meditation on Christ's Passion. It was published posthumously and remains a testament to his theological insights.
SO, before getting started I want to discuss some of the movements going on in the church. As Catholic it is your responsibility to watch, read and understand any and all movements in the church. If you hear a bishop, Cardinal or Pope making a move or declaring any official document, read it and determine what this means to your one holy catholic apostolic church. Do not become appatheic but get engaged because your kids and grandkids future depends on it. You should even educate them so they know what is going on and how they need to be alert. The Francis Liberals are testing the Pope. They want to double down on the removal of anything traditional and surely want to implement the highly defective, illegal and quote possibly herectical plans of Pope Francis and his henchmen like Cardinal Roche. So what am I talking about? Well as you may know you’re your life time you saw the release of the Summorum Pontificum by Pope Benedict to Traditionis Custodes by Pope Francis. This is highly unusual for a Pope to reverse a previous Pope unless there was error. When you see that you know something devious is underway. Now you may say “what are you talking about”. Well! What we are in the middle of right now is a The War on the Sacred and the Future of the Church.
But before I even get into the specific of that, I want to discuss how a good father handled problems.
The Contradiction Between Summorum Pontificum 2007 and Traditionis Custodes 2021 just 14 years apart is so very confusing. Let Your Yes Be Yes: The Sin of Confusion and the Wound to Holy Religion
“God is not the author of confusion, but of peace: as also I teach in all the churches of the saints.”
— 1 Corinthians 14:33
The Church’s Duty to Speak with Clarity and Constancy
From the very foundation of the Catholic Church, it has been the sacred duty of the hierarchy especially the pope and bishops to teach the truth clearly, consistently, and authoritatively. The Church, as the Mystical Body of Christ, is entrusted with proclaiming unchanging truths in a world filled with error and deception.
Our Lord warned, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no, for whatever is more than this is from the evil one” (Matt. 5:37). Likewise, the saints and doctors of the Church have always affirmed that ambiguity, contradiction, and confusion in matters of faith and worship are deeply harmful to the faithful and an affront to God.
The Tragedy of Liturgical Contradiction
In 2007, Summorum Pontificum by Pope Benedict XVI declared the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) to be “never abrogated.” It affirmed that the ancient form of the Mass rooted in apostolic tradition and sanctified by centuries of use was a perpetual treasure of the Church, rightly called the “extraordinary form” of the Roman Rite.
Just fourteen years later, in 2021, Pope Francis’ Traditionis Custodes reversed the course entirely:
• It denied the legitimacy of the TLM as a current expression of the Roman Rite.
• It restricted its use, even among faithful Catholics devoted to it for spiritual and doctrinal reasons.
• It placed harsh limitations on priests and parishes that had been peacefully and fruitfully offering the traditional Mass.
This stark contradiction between Summorum Pontificum and Traditionis Custodes is more than just administrative change it is a source of grave confusion, scandal, and spiritual harm to the faithful.
Confusion as a Sin Against the Faithful
To confuse the faithful in matters of worship is to betray the very mission of the Church. Worship is not incidental it is the highest expression of what we believe (lex orandi, lex credendi). When one pope calls the ancient liturgy sacred and permitted, and another calls it divisive and restricts it, what are the faithful to believe?
This confusion:
• Wounds trust in the magisterium.
• Undermines obedience by making the faithful appear disloyal simply for adhering to what was once promoted by the papacy.
• Fosters division, not unity.
• Breeds despair, especially among those who left novelties behind to find reverence, silence, and doctrinal clarity in the TLM.
Such confusion, especially in the sacred liturgy, is not a mere pastoral misstep it is a sin against the virtue of religion, which demands right worship and fidelity to the divine tradition entrusted to the Church.
What the Saints and Popes Have Said About Confusion and Fidelity
St. Vincent of Lérins (5th century):
“What all men have at all times and everywhere believed must be regarded as true, for that is truly and properly Catholic.”
To radically reverse liturgical norms undermines this universal principle and replaces consistency with novelty, which the Church has always condemned.
Pope St. Pius X:
“Far, far from the clergy be the love of novelty!”
(Pascendi Dominici Gregis, 1907)
He taught that modernism introduces confusion by disguising change as development, and warned that this confusion leads souls away from the truth.
St. Alphonsus Liguori:
“To cause a single mortal sin in another, if it could have been prevented, is a greater evil than the destruction of the whole material universe.”
To disrupt the liturgical life of the faithful and scandalize them by opposing papal teachings within living memory is to risk not only confusion but sin, both in the one who legislates and in the souls affected.
Pope Benedict XVI:
“What was sacred for prior generations remains sacred and great for us too; it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.”
Traditionis Custodes stands in direct contradiction to this principle, sowing suspicion toward sacred things, even suggesting that what once sanctified the saints now divides the Church.
A Call to Restoration and Repentance
From a traditional Catholic view, this is not merely a matter of opinion or preference it is a matter of justice, clarity, and fidelity. The hierarchy of the Church has the duty not only to govern but to govern in continuity with what came before, especially in the realm of the sacred liturgy.
The faithful cry out not in rebellion, but in righteous sorrow, begging that the confusion be ended, that the wounds be healed, and that the liturgy be restored as a source of unity, reverence, and sanctity.
We pray that future popes, especially a true shepherd such as Pope Leo XVI, will:
• Reaffirm the immemorial liturgy as a rightful expression of Catholic worship.
• Condemn confusion and contradiction in the Church’s public discipline.
• Uphold tradition not as a relic, but as the living heartbeat of the Church.
So With the Bishop Martin of Charolette attempting to close down the final TLM center but being pause by Pope Leo and then saying he will pause until October and at that time unless he see’s a change in Pope Francis Traditionis Custodes (2021). So this signals an indirect challenge.
So you may ask what is Traditionis Custodes (2021) because your pastor never educated you.
So let me explain what Pope Benedicts encyclical Summorum Pontificum (2007) was and did.
In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI, recognizing a growing hunger for authentic liturgical worship, issued the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. This landmark document clarified what many faithful Catholics already knew in their hearts: the Traditional Latin Mass was never abrogated and had always remained a valid and sacred expression of the Roman Rite.
Under Summorum Pontificum:
• Every priest of the Roman Rite had the right to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) without needing permission from his bishop.
• The TLM was called the “Extraordinary Form” of the Roman Rite, existing alongside the Novus Ordo Missae (Ordinary Form).
• It affirmed the Church’s continuity, saying, “What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too.”
• It was a healing gesture toward traditionalist groups and individuals wounded by decades of liturgical abuses and modernism.
Summorum Pontificum was not merely a concession to nostalgia. It was a recognition of the deep doctrinal, liturgical, and spiritual richness of the Roman Rite as celebrated for centuries, from St. Gregory the Great to Pope St. Pius V, to Pope Pius XII.
Now for its Suppression of Traditionis Custodes (2021)
In stark contrast, Pope Francis’ 2021 motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes, was a reversal of Pope Benedict’s legacy. Rather than preserve tradition, it sought to suppress it.
Key changes under Traditionis Custodes:
• Declared the Novus Ordo as the “unique expression” of the Roman Rite, sidelining the Traditional Latin Mass.
• Required priests to obtain explicit permission from their bishop to celebrate the TLM.
• Bishops were instructed not to allow the TLM in parish churches without Vatican approval.
• New groups devoted to the TLM were prohibited from forming.
• Priests ordained after 2021 must receive permission from the Holy See to celebrate the TLM.
• Celebrants and communities must affirm the “validity and legitimacy” of Vatican II and the Novus Ordo.
This was not an act of unity, but of liturgical tyranny, driven by ideologues in the Vatican who have long been hostile to tradition.
Cardinal Roche and the Rise of Modernist Reformers
A key architect of this suppression was Cardinal Arthur Roche, head of the Dicastery for Divine Worship. Under his leadership, the conciliar spirit of rupture was aggressively enforced. Cardinal Roche, and others like him, operate with an ideology that seeks to refashion the Church into a humanistic, egalitarian, and ecumenical body devoid of its hierarchical, sacrificial, and supernatural character.
He and his allies:
• View the Mass not as a sacrifice, but as a “community meal” emphasizing participation over reverence.
• Promote horizontal liturgy: guitars, dancing, banality and exclude Gregorian chant, silence, and adoration.
• Aim to eliminate traditional expressions of the faith under the guise of “unity.”
• Display a profound disdain for the sensus fidelium, especially those attached to tradition.
Their goal is not renewal, but reconstruction a new church without roots, without reverence, and without Rome.
What Has Been Lost
Since the implementation of Traditionis Custodes, faithful Catholics have suffered:
• The closure of thriving Latin Mass communities.
• The denial of the liturgy that nourished saints, martyrs, and popes.
• Vocational suppression young men attracted to the TLM priesthood are now discouraged.
• Deep spiritual anguish, as what was once sacred is now treated with suspicion.
The sacred liturgy is not a tool of division it is the very expression of our Catholic identity. By wounding the liturgy, the Vatican has wounded the Church herself.
What Pope Leo XVI Must Do to Restore the Church
If Pope Leo XVI is to be a true shepherd and guardian of Catholic Tradition, he must:
1. Repeal Traditionis Custodes Completely
• Acknowledge that it caused division, wounded the faithful, and betrayed the Church’s organic development.
• Restore Summorum Pontificum or a stronger framework that guarantees universal access to the Traditional Latin Mass.
2. Remove Liturgical Modernists from Power
• Dismiss or silence prelates like Cardinal Roche who publicly denigrate Catholic tradition.
• Replace them with bishops and cardinals loyal to the faith of all time.
3. Reaffirm the Doctrinal Value of the Latin Mass
• Publicly declare that the TLM is not only valid and permissible, but also doctrinally formative and necessary for the Church’s identity.
• Promote the celebration of High Masses, Gregorian chant, ad orientem worship, and the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue and kneeling.
4. Reinforce the Link Between Liturgy and Dogma
• Emphasize that lex orandi lex credendi (the law of prayer is the law of belief) demands that we worship as our forefathers did, so we may believe as they believed.
5. Call for Repentance and Reparation
• Urge the faithful and clergy to make reparation for the liturgical abuses and doctrinal confusion of the past 60 years.
• Encourage a return to fasting, penance, and Eucharistic adoration.
Conclusion
The battle between Summorum Pontificum and Traditionis Custodes is not merely about Latin or incense it is about the soul of the Church. Are we a Church founded on sacred tradition and reverence for the mysteries of God, or one remade in the image of man?
Let us pray that Pope Leo XVI, if God so wills his election, will be the Pope to restore the sacred, defend the faithful, and unite the Church once more under the banner of eternal truth not modern novelty.
Vigilant in Hope: Embracing the Call to Watchfulness"
Liturgical Context:
• Wednesday after the First Sunday after Ascension
• Within the Octave of the Ascension of Our Lord
• Commemoration of Saint Francis Caracciolo, Confessor
Epistle – Wisdom 4:7–14
"But the just man, though he die early, shall be at rest. For the age that is honorable comes not with the passing of time, nor can it be measured in terms of years. Rather, understanding is the hoary crown for men, and an unsullied life, the attainment of old age. He who pleased God was loved; he who lived among sinners was transported—snatched away, lest wickedness pervert his mind or deceit beguile his soul; for the witchery of paltry things obscures what is right and the whirl of desire transforms the innocent mind. Having become perfect in a short while, he reached the fullness of a long career; for his soul was pleasing to the Lord, therefore He sped him out of the midst of wickedness. But the people saw and did not understand, nor did they take this into account."
Reflection on the Epistle – Wisdom 4:7–14
This passage emphasizes the value of a virtuous life over longevity. The just man, even if he dies young, is at peace because he has lived righteously. From a traditional Catholic perspective, it reminds us that sanctity is not measured by the length of days but by the depth of one's relationship with God. The early departure of the just is seen as a divine mercy, sparing them from the corrupting influences of the world.
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." – Psalm 116:15
Gospel: Luke 12:35–40
"Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands. And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he comes shall find watching. Amen I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and passing will minister unto them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open. Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not, the Son of man will come."
Reflection on the Gospel – Luke 12:35–40
Jesus calls His disciples to be vigilant, likening them to servants awaiting their master's return. The imagery of girded loins and burning lamps signifies readiness and active faith. The traditional Catholic interpretation sees this as an exhortation to live in a state of grace, always prepared for the Lord's coming, whether at the end of time or at the moment of personal death.
"Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour." – Matthew 25:13
Traditional Feast Days – June 4, 2025
Saint Francis Caracciolo, Confessor
Saint Francis Caracciolo (1563–1608) was the co-founder of the Clerics Regular Minor, also known as the Adorno Fathers. He was renowned for his deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and his commitment to the reform of the clergy. His life exemplified humility, piety, and a zealous love for the Eucharist.

Themes and Quotes for Meditation
• Vigilance in Faith: Living each day in readiness for the Lord's return.
• The Value of a Holy Life: Recognizing that sanctity is not about longevity but about fidelity to God.
• Eucharistic Devotion: Drawing inspiration from Saint Francis Caracciolo's love for the Blessed Sacrament.
• Hope in the Midst of the World: Trusting in God's promises amidst life's uncertainties.
Concluding Prayer
Prayer for Watchfulness and Holiness
O Lord, who calls us to be ever watchful for Your return, grant us the grace to live each day in the light of eternity. May we, inspired by the example of Saint Francis Caracciolo, grow in love for the Holy Eucharist and remain steadfast in faith. Strengthen us to resist the temptations of the world and to seek always the things that are above. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.