Group says pope has authorized a traditional Latin Mass in St. Peter's Basilica

Pope Leo XIV has given permission for U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass in St. Peter's Basilica during a pilgrimage in October.

Una Voce International, a federation of groups of Catholics attached to the pre-Vatican II liturgy, announced the pope's decision in a press statement Sept. 8.

Cardinal Burke is scheduled to celebrate the Mass Oct. 25 at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica with people attending the annual Ad Petri Sedem "Summorum Pontificum" Pilgrimage to Rome, the group said.

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Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, confirmed Sept. 12 that Pope Leo authorized the celebration. Cardinal Burke did not respond to a request for comment.

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During the group's pilgrimages in 2023 and 2024, the Vatican did not allow the celebration of the old Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.

In the statement, Joseph Shaw, president of the federation, said, "We are grateful to Pope Leo for his pastoral response to the request for a Traditional Mass in St. Peter's. This celebration symbolizes the unity with the Holy Father so desired by Catholics attached to the ancient rite of Mass."

In 2021, Pope Francis issued "Traditionis Custodes" ("Guardians of the Tradition"), which significantly limited celebrations of the traditional Latin Mass using the 1962 Roman Missal.

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Permission for Cardinal Burke to preside over the liturgy "is the first concrete indication of the attitude of Pope Leo XIV to the Traditional Mass," the federation said. "In the latter years of Pope Francis, the official view was that this form of the Mass, while not completely prohibited, should not be 'promoted' or given prominence, with high-profile celebrants in important churches."

Shaw told Catholic News Service Sept. 10 that while the annual pilgrimage had grown to close to 1,000 participants, "I am sure that the Holy Father's permission for Mass in St. Peter's with Cardinal Burke will boost (the numbers) significantly."

A version of this article appeared in the September 21, 2025 issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "Pope authorizes traditional Latin Mass in St. Peter’s"