Incoming Vatican Changes - Francis' Favorite Peña Parra to be removed

Finances and loyalists: Leo's risk 

by Nico Spuntone

Il Giornale

February 26, 2026

"In the sacred chambers, the silence of the Curia's spiritual exercises contrasts with the noise of rumors about upcoming appointments. Leo XIV is getting closer and closer to the end of his first year as pope. With the heavy task of concluding a Jubilee begun by his predecessor behind him, the sporty pope intends to start shaping his team. However, his will be a soft revolution because he aims to avoid any signs of a total break with the recent past. In this, he is helped by the natural expiry of some important appointments. The finance sector has become one of the most important for the government of the Holy See, and it is on this front that the Pontiff will pursue one of the most obvious changes. We can anticipate, in fact, that Carmelo Barbagallo, president of the Financial Supervision and Information Authority (ASIF) since 2019, will be leaving. On February 28, he will blow out 70 candles, a fateful milestone for the departure of lay people in power in the Curia. The Pope has not planned an extension for him. The succession “at home” sees Federico Antellini Russo in the lead, who has been director with the function of vice president since the end of 2024. 

The Masses of Holy Week & Tenebrae — A Publication to Assist in Pre-55 Services

Those who are blessed with access to Holy Week in the Tridentine Rite, that is, the rite celebrated for a thousand years and more prior to Pius XII's changes in the mid-1950s, may find helpful a resource published by Os Justi Press: The Masses of Holy Week & Tenebrae, which contains the liturgy (in Latin with English translation) for Palm Sunday, the Triduum Masses, and the Office of Tenebrae, including complete Gregorian chants. Summary rubrics are indicated. No page turning is required. The book features many medieval illustrations as well.

This second edition features a new cover and, for the first time, full-color printing throughout, which dramatically enhances the beauty of the illuminations found within. Additionally, some typographical errors discovered in the first printing have been corrected.

The Mother of God and salvation - an article on the Vatican Document on the Blessed Virgin

The Mother of God and salvation

by John Lamont

Faithful Catholics have rightly been outraged by the doctrinal note Mater Populi Fidelis published on November 4, 2025 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The document was signed by Cardinal Victor Fernández, the Prefect of the Dicastery, and its publication was ordered by Pope Leo XIV. In his address to the Dicastery on January 29th 2026, Pope Leo praised and endorsed the document,  describing it as 'the doctrinal Note Mater Populi fidelis, on certain Marian titles referring to Mary's cooperation in the work of salvation (4 November 2025), which encourages popular Marian devotion, deepening its biblical and theological foundations, while offering precise and important clarifications for Mariology'.

Worldwide Spiritual Bouquet for the Pope and the TLM

With the coming months set to prove pivotal for the Traditional Latin Mass and the cause of Catholic Tradition within the Church, Missae pro Missa hereby announces a new worldwide spiritual bouquet beginning Feb. 22, Feast of the Chair of St. Peter and First Sunday of Lent, to conclude on June 29, Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul, which follows the next Consistory of Cardinals called by Pope Leo XIV.

The intention of this latest campaign is straightforward: for the Pope to recognize the full freedom of the TLM.

As with our earlier campaigns, we invite all Catholics to participate in four ways:

1. Request Masses to be said for this intention (e.g., through a parish, religious order, or another group). Or if you're a priest, celebrate Masses for this intention.

2. Offer your own hearings of Mass for this intention.

3. Pray rosaries (or undertake other prayers/sacrifices) for this intention.

4. Share this initiative with others.

Please submit your spiritual offerings via the website form. The worldwide totals will be updated daily and displayed on our home page. 

Our goal is to have 10,000 Masses requested and 100,000 rosaries prayed for the above-stated intention throughout these next four months (Feb. 22 - June 29). A Mass intention "for Pope Leo XIV," "for the freedom of the TLM," or for your personal intentions is sufficient--God knows the rest.

We believe the timing of this campaign is providential, falling between two major feasts linked to the Papacy and leading up to the Consistory of Cardinals, during which the liturgy will likely be discussed. Adding importance--and urgency--to the situation is the Society of St. Pius X's announcement of episcopal consecrations for July 1, and talks between the SSPX and the Vatican in the meantime. In short, in the upcoming months the Pope will undoubtedly be faced with the question of the TLM and the place of Tradition within the Church.

Amidst the complexities and uncertainty of the situation, we do not presume to know which specific outcomes will bring about the most good for the Church, for the TLM and Tradition, and ultimately for souls. But we do not need to know. We simply need to trust that God does know the optimal solution, and that He has the power to bring it about--often in His own mysterious way. We just need to ask, and there is no more powerful way to unite our intentions with His than in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

To participate in the spiritual bouquet, please visit: https://www.missaepromissa.com/ 

False Normality and Its Consequences

 

       

By James Baresel

            “Catholics come to church with certain expectations not widely held by earlier generations when it comes to participation in the Church’s rituals. That is largely the result of the Liturgical Movement of the 20th century, which precipitated a major overhaul of the public worship that the Church offers to God.”

Communiqué from the General House: the Society’s response to Rome (SSPX) - Consecrations to go ahead

 Communiqué regarding the response of the General Council of the Society of Saint Pius X to the proposal of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The United States: the "Evil Empire"? Nothing could be Further from the Truth -- by Roberto de Mattei

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Munich

 Corrispondenza Romana

February 18, 2026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, attending the Security Conference held on February 14 at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, delivered a broad and detailed speech in which he reaffirmed that the United States and Europe belong to a single civilization and must unite their forces to combat common enemies, both internal and external. And yet, for many conservatives and traditionally-oriented Catholics, the United States represents a kind of new "Evil Empire."

LENT

 

If you please, this Lent, place among your intentions a special personal intention of the editor of Rorate Caeli.

Thank you so much for your readership and kindness.

Meeting between Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and Superior-General of the SSPX: Official Communiqué

 

DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH

COMMUNIQUÉ

Regarding the meeting between the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Superior General of the FSSPX

On February 12, 2026, a cordial and sincere meeting took place at the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith between the Prefect, His Eminence Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, and the Superior General of the FSSPX (Society of Saint Pius X), the Reverend Don Davide Pagliarani, with the approval of the Holy Father Leo XIV.

The Long Shadow of Vatican II: Ambiguity as Ecclesial Cancer

By the Canon of Shaftesbury

On February 8, Bishop Bernard Fellay of the Society of Saint Pius X delivered a sermon in which he spoke of the necessity for the Society to consecrate new bishops. The purpose of this piece is not to address the merits or challenges of that decision, but rather to focus on some of the problems he identified as plaguing the Church today and how these flow from a reading of the Second Vatican Council that has led to profound confusion—confusion that was aggravated by Pope Francis.

Pope to Spanish Priests: "The authentic nucleus of the priesthood is to be an Alter Christus." - Pontifical University Professor Andrea Grillo: I hate this!

Letter of the Holy Father to the Presbytery of the Archdiocese of Madrid on the occasion of the Presbyteral Assembly “Convivium”

Dear sons,

I am happy to address this letter to you on the occasion of your Presbyteral Assembly and to do so with a sincere desire for fraternity and unity. I thank your Archbishop and, from my heart, each one of you for your willingness to gather as a presbyterate, not only to discuss common issues, but also to support one another in the mission you share.

Op-Ed: Will the SSPX Reach an Agreement with Pope Leo XIV?

by Jan Filip Libicki

The announcement of new episcopal consecrations within the Society of Saint Pius X, followed by a swift reaction from the Vatican, raises a question that has been returning for nearly four decades: can the "Lefebvrists" and the Pope reach a lasting agreement? This time, however, the context is entirely different from that of 1988—both doctrinally and ecclesially.

New novel tells of a pair of priests exiled by their bishop to an ugly, dying parish in the hinterlands — and their unexpected success

Bishop J. Donald Doherty was chuckling at the large map of his diocese that covered most of his desk, its parish churches marked by bright blue crosses, the parish boundaries by dotted blue lines, their schools and the diocesan high school by (of course) little red schoolhouses, the cemeteries by bright green crosses. Near the northern edge of his fief lay a lonely blue cross, circled by him, a moment ago, in heavy black ink. He pressed the intercom button on his phone.

Auberon Waugh on Marcel Lefebvre (1976)

Papal Prejudice

Auberon Waugh

The Spectator

7 August, 1976

Not much excitement has been apparent in Britain after the Pope's decision, announced on 25 July, to suspend Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre from all priestly duties under pain of excommunication. Few newspapers even bothered to mention it. The Archbishop, after all, resides in Switzerland, if of French origin, a former Archbishop of Dakar; and the internal squabbles of a foreign organisation like the Roman Catholic Church can scarcely expect much precedence. So it may be—I only say it 'may' be—that the early stages of what will later develop into one of the great ironies of history have passed more or less unnoticed.

Short Note: The Francis Credibility Problem (SSPX) - Who can trust any deal now?

Rorate will eventually weigh in on the probable consecrations of the Society of Saint Pius X. What we know at the moment is very limited, especially from the Holy See, which has remained very circumspect.

After not having made any consecrations during the Francis years, the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) should, one would hope, display more patience towards Leo XIV. He is relatively young, and has arrived not long ago. 

But Francis left one extremely difficulty legacy to his successor: the collapse of Vatican credibility.

Interview of the Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X on the Consecrations

 From the SSPX news website:

“Suprema lex, salus animarum”

Urgent - SSPX Superior General going back to Rome for Talks

 Communique of the General House of the 

Society of Saint Pius X:

Following the announcement on February 2nd of future episcopal consecrations for the Society of Saint Pius X, His Eminence Cardinal Fernández wrote to the Superior General to propose a meeting in Rome. The Superior General accepted this proposal. The meeting will take place on Thursday, February 12th.

International Una Voce Federation (FIUV) on Future SSPX Consecrations

 FIUV is the largest international association of diocesan Catholics attached to the Traditional Mass.

This is their statement on current events:

Una Voce International and the Latin Mass Society have heard with concern the announcement by the Superior General of the Society of St Pius X (SSPX), Fr Davide Pagliarani, that the SSPX will carry out Episcopal consecrations on 1st July this year.

Organizing Pontifical Masses: A Call for Help

Urgent - SSPX Consecrations - Full Sermon of the Superior-General of the SSPX, Fr. Davide Pagliarani

[For the earlier news, read here; the news was delivered by Fr. Pagliarani in the seminary of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, France, in a Mass for Candlemas; translation from the original French -- apologies for any mistake made in rush.]

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Dear confreres, dear seminarians, dear sisters and dear faithful, what a joy to be able to bless the habit of the 22 new seminarians. 

URGENT - Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) Announces Future Consecrations for July 1st, 2026

A news item of the SSPX; full communique at the bottom:

On this February 2, 2026, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, Father Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, during the ceremony of the imposition of the cassocks, which he presided over at the International Seminary of Saint-Curé-d’Ars, in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, France, publicly announced his decision to entrust to the bishops of the Fraternity the task of proceeding with new episcopal consecrations, on July 1st next.

SEPTUAGESIMA: In The Beginning

 

Septuagesimatide begins today. The lessons for Matins introduce the theme of the penitential pre-lenten season of Septuagesima: Creation and Fall, and Original Sin; and God's intervention in History to purify mankind through a remnant in an ark (Sexagesima week) and to choose a People for himself; and the will of the unfathomable Divinity to reveal himself through his chosen people of Israel; and the Mystery of the Incarnation, through which the promise to Abraham ("in thee shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed", First Lesson in the Matins for Quinquagesima Sunday) would be fulfilled by the Divine Son of the Blessed Virgin ("I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel", Third Lesson in the Matins for Wednesday in Septuagesima week).

The reality of Original Sin ("I am the Immaculate Conception") and the great need for penitence in our times ("Penance! Penance! Penance!") were also the messages of the memorable events which began on February 11, 1858:

Leo XIV, quoting Mother Teresa: “The Greatest Destroyer of Peace is Abortion.”

 [T]here will be no peace without ending the war that humanity wages against itself when it discards the weak, excludes the poor, and remains indifferent to refugees and the oppressed. Only those who care for the smallest can do truly great things. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, saint of the poor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, said in this regard that “the greatest destroyer of peace is abortion” (cf. Address at the National Prayer Breakfast, February 3, 1994).

The Question of the Traditional Mass in Pope Leo XIV’s Pontificate

A guest article by the Canon of Shaftesbury, who serves as a canonist in a major archdiocese.

We find ourselves in the early days of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, and there are reasons for cautious optimism. Several signs suggest that the Holy Father wishes to address some of the more pressing challenges inherited from his predecessor.

Guest Article: The Crisis of Modern Ecumenism

"Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformers" (1660) [source]

By the Canon of Shaftesbury, a prominent canonist in a major archdiocese.

Tucho Fernández, Head of the Inquisition, Compares the Inquisition to the Holocaust

 

The "DDF" (Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith) is the successor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is the successor of the Congregation for the Holy Office, which is the successor of the Congregation for the Roman and Universal Inquisition. (True, the national inquisitions, such as those of the Spanish realms, were not exactly the same as the universal Inquisition in Rome, but were not unrelated, and used the same procedures in general.)

Yesterday, its leader, Tucho Cardinal Fernández, compared his own congregation to one of the most horrifying episodes of the past century of horrors, the Holocaust promoted by Nazi Germany.

It is nothing short of astonishing. Catholic apologists spend centuries making sure people understand the historical truths of the Catholic past, so often distorted by the enemies of the Church, and along comes someone as unpleasant and ignorant as Tucho to malign the Catholic name once again.

From InfoVaticana:

Leo XIV and the Challenge of Synodality - and of Germany -- by Roberto de Mattei

Leo Riding the German Machine

Roberto de Mattei

Corrispondenza Romana

January 28. 2026

Thirty years ago, French historian François Furet published a famous book that presented itself as an assessment of 20th-century Communism in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union (The Past of an Illusion, Italian translation published by Mondadori, Milan, 1995). The originality of the work lay in its being a history of Communism, not as a party or state system, but as the attractive force of an idea that turned out to be an illusion, and therefore a utopia.

The path of this utopia, wrote Furet, “is more mysterious than the real history of communism.” Its spread throughout the world was in fact much more widespread than that of Communist power. However, the disappearance of so-called 'Real Socialism' meant the loss of credibility of the historical promise, and therefore its end, because communism ceased to appear as the bright future of humanity. Hence the title of Furet's book: The Past of an Illusion.

The Catholic Problem with "Magic" - An Essay by John Lamont

The Catholic Problem with "Magic" 

(A response to Morello)

by John Lamont

Saul and the Witch of Endor
(Victoria and Albert Museum)

The Loss of the Sense of Sin Is Intimately Connected to the Loss of Doctrine

The following guest post is by Dominic J. Grigio, author of The Disastrous Pontificate: Pope Francis’ Rupture from the Magisterium.

During the Most Holy Mass for the Inauguration of his Pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI said something quite remarkable, ‘Pregate per me, perché io non fugga, per paura, davanti ai lupi — Pray for me, that I may not flee for fear of the wolves.’^[1]

The wolf is a powerful Christian symbol for wickedness and deceit within the Church, especially among those exercising pastoral leadership such as popes, cardinals, bishops and priests. These connotations of deceitful wickedness can be traced back to a warning from Our Lord, ‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.’ (Mt 7:15). The Greek word for ‘ravenous’ used by Matthew is harpax which has two meanings — rapacious or ravening, and robbery by a swindler^[2]. In the context Matthew’s Gospel our Lord’s warning about the ravening wolf disguised as a sheep conveys the danger of the disguised evil of those pastors who steal salvation from souls through imposing doctrinal error.

Address of Leo XIV to the Tribunal of the Roman Rota: Do not let a false notion of compassion obscure the Truth

[Note: the Apostolic Tribunal of the Roman Rota is the is the highest appellate tribunal of the Catholic Church - including regarding annulments.]  

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you.

Your Excellency,

Dear Prelate Auditors of the Apostolic Tribunal of the Roman Rota,

At this, our first meeting, I would first of all like to express my appreciation for your work, which is a valuable service for the universal judiciary function that lies with the Pope, and in which the Lord has called you to participate. “Veritatem facientes in caritate” (Eph 4:15): this is an expression that can be applied to your daily mission in the administering of justice.

Pope Leo XIV is starting to make waves — and some are worried (And the strange case of the visit to Spain)

By Wanderer

Argentina

 In keeping with Francis' teachings, Pope Leo is starting to make trouble [original word: lío]. And on several levels. 

For example, what has just happened in Spain. It is known that a few weeks ago he called Cardinal Cobo, Archbishop of Madrid, to tell him that he wants to visit Spain this year. In other words, he invited himself, and no one knows exactly why. The problem is that the official invitation must be issued by the head of state, the king, and by the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez. The former will do as he is told, and the latter was reluctant to sign the invitation. And that is why the dates of the visit have not yet been confirmed. 

TLM Sunday 2026: "Introibo ad altare Dei"

 

The author preparing to offer private Mass during the snow and ice storm of January 25, 2026.

Many priests went up physically alone to the altar of God on this Lord's Day. And many of them, no doubt, offered the Church's ancient worship which, especially among the crop of younger priests, has never been so popular as in the 1970's where a failed attempt was made in so many places to snuff it out.

Francis-Collapse of Catholicism in Latin America

 

Catholicism has been in collapse in Latin America since the aftermath of Vatican II -- but it went into vertiginous tailspin in the pontificate of the Pope from Argentina.

We have often covered this in Rorate.

New Secretary of Dicastery for Clergy an Old Enemy of the Old Mass

 

Pope Leo XIV appointed today Archbishop Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli, hitherto archbishop of Gorizia, Italy, as secretary of the Dicastery for the Clergy.

Louis XVI, King, Martyr: a Catholic going to death and His Last Will and Testament

 

Procession to eternity

On January 20, 1793, the National Convention condemned Louis XVI to death, his execution scheduled for the next day. Louis spent that evening saying goodbye to his wife and children. The following day, January 21, dawned cold and wet. Louis arose at five. At eight o'clock a guard of 1,200 horsemen arrived to escort the former king on a two-hour carriage ride to his place of execution. Accompanying Louis, at his invitation, was a priest, Henry Essex Edgeworth, an Englishman living in France. Edgeworth recorded the event and we join his narrative as he and the fated King enter the carriage to begin their journey:

Audience of Pope Leo XIV with the FSSP -

 Official communiqué of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter – Fribourg, January 20, 2026

Following a request presented by the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Pope Leo XIV received Father John Berg in private audience at the Vatican on Monday, January 19, 2026. He was accompanied by Father Josef Bisig, one of the founders of the Fraternity, former Superior General, and current Rector of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, USA.

Cardinal Roche is Sad and Worried

 by The Wanderer

Argentina

Those who visit the Dicastery for Divine Worship say that Cardinal Roche has been looking downcast lately; they find him sad and worried. And no wonder. His career as a bishop, now drawing to a close in the shadows of old age, has been a series of failures. His tenure in Leeds was disastrous in many respects, including financially. That is why—and this is no secret—the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales asked Pope Benedict in 2012 to find him another position where he could do no harm to souls or banks. And good old Ratzinger had no better idea than to place him as Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, making him the natural successor to Cardinal Robert Sarah. (Moral: to be a good ruler, it is not enough to be wise and pious).

Open Letter to the Priests and Pastors of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

January 15^th, 2026

Feast of Our Lady of Prompt Succor

To my dear Brothers in the Vineyard of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Grace and peace to you in this holy Season of the Nativity of Our Lord.

With pastoral concern and fraternal affection, I write to you at a moment of genuine trial for the Church, to recall to your hearts the true nature of that obedience which must ever animate the soul of the priest. You are called, above all, to obedience to Christ Himself, in imitation of His perfect obedience to the Father, who “humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a Cross.” Such obedience is never without cost; yet it is always fruitful, both in this life and in the life to come. Therefore, do not shrink from the Cross that obedience may place upon your shoulders.

Cardinal Roche defends Traditionis custodes: a response

This is Dr Joseph Shaw's 'Briefing' to supporters of the Latin Mass Society. You can join the email list for these occasional briefings here.

At the recent Consistory of Cardinals in Rome, Arthur, Cardinal Roche, distributed a short text on the liturgy to those assembled, which is critical of the Traditional Mass. Readers can see my analysis of the arguments employed there on the FIUV website here [reposted to Rorate Caeli below]. In this Bulletin I want to take a step back to consider its wider implications.

As I note in my analysis, this text does not respond to the criticisms that have been made of the official justification of Traditionis custodes, but simply reiterates this justification, at greater length. The argument is that liturgical pluralism undermines the unity of the Church. Critics have pointed out that the Church has always fostered a plurality of Rites and Usages, with Vatican II itself supporting this policy. Cardinal Roche’s text does nothing to address this. Is there a good kind of pluralism to be distinguished from a bad kind? Is there a difference between a pluralism of Rites (as in Eastern and Western) and pluralism within the Western Rite? Is there a difference between the pluralism represented by the Ordinariate or the (reformed) Ambrosian Rite of Milan, and the pluralism of Ordinary and Extraordinary Form, that we need to understand? There might be arguments along these lines, but no the defender of Traditionis custodes has made a serious attempt to set them out. They have just repeated the original claim, that pluralism is a problem, and in this text Cardinal Roche does so all over again.

What are we to make of this?

Una Voce responds to Roche Consistory Report against the Traditional Mass

During the recent consistory, the meeting of cardinals in Rome, Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, handed out a two-sided piece of paper containing some reflections on the liturgy to those present: this has been made available by Diane Montagna here. The liturgy had been among the four topics originally proposed for discussion at the meeting, but the cardinals decided to focus on just two, leaving the liturgy out. Cardinal Roche’s document was accordingly handed out without being formally discussed.