Pope Leo XIV Eases Ban, Allows Traditional Latin Mass at the Vatican
Pope Leo XIV has authorised the celebration of the traditional Latin, or Tridentine, Mass at St Peter’s Basilica this weekend — easing restrictions that had long frustrated conservative Catholics.
The Mass, which will be held on Saturday and led by U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, marks a symbolic gesture toward reconciliation within the Church. Cardinal Burke, an outspoken critic of the late Pope Francis, will preside over the ceremony — conducted in Latin, with the priest facing the altar, accompanied by incense and Gregorian chants.
The Tridentine Mass, once the universal form of Catholic worship, was largely replaced after the reforms of the 1960s and further restricted by Pope Francis in 2021.
Observers say Leo’s decision signals his awareness of lingering divisions within the 1.4-billion-member Church. “Maybe the tensions within the Church are stronger than we imagined a few months ago,” one Vatican analyst told AFP.
Since his election on May 8 following Francis’s death, Pope Leo has sought a strategic balance — maintaining his predecessor’s emphasis on compassion for the poor, the environment, and social inclusion, while reaching out to traditionalists alienated in recent years.
