A handful of acquaintances have been asking me how many Masses according to the 1962 Missal have been publicly celebrated by bishops at Papal Basilicas (as they have been known since 2006) in recent years, and I feel that at least a few of our readers would be interested in this information as well. Here is the list of such Masses since the year 2000 -- we can see how far things have improved since Summorum Pontificum, and how much farther we still have to go. (If I have omitted any Masses or forgotten to mention any bishops who were present at the Masses listed below, please supply the missing information in the combox.)
Private Masses that may have been offered in the Papal Basilicas by cardinals, bishops and superior generals are not included in this list.
It should be kept in mind that many private Masses are celebrated daily in St. Peter's Basilica, and that there is a regularly-scheduled First Saturday Mass at the Capella Cesi in St. Mary Major (offered by priests of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest), in addition to private Masses in the same Basilica.
1) September 2, 2000 (Saturday) -- Messa Prelatizia according to the Traditional Ambrosian Rite, Bishop Bernardo Citterio, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Milan, at St. Stephen Chapel of ST. PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS. This was billed as the official Mass of the Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce for the Jubilee Year 2000. In attendance were the highest officials of Una Voce, led by the late Michael Davies.
Private Masses that may have been offered in the Papal Basilicas by cardinals, bishops and superior generals are not included in this list.
It should be kept in mind that many private Masses are celebrated daily in St. Peter's Basilica, and that there is a regularly-scheduled First Saturday Mass at the Capella Cesi in St. Mary Major (offered by priests of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest), in addition to private Masses in the same Basilica.
1) September 2, 2000 (Saturday) -- Messa Prelatizia according to the Traditional Ambrosian Rite, Bishop Bernardo Citterio, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Milan, at St. Stephen Chapel of ST. PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS. This was billed as the official Mass of the Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce for the Jubilee Year 2000. In attendance were the highest officials of Una Voce, led by the late Michael Davies.
2) May 24, 2003 (Sunday) -- Solemn Pontifical Mass offered by Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei and Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, at the Papal Altar of ST. MARY MAJOR.
Five cardinals and one archbishop (and future cardinal) were present: Bernard Cardinal Law, the Archbishop Emeritus of Boston; William Cardinal Baum, Major Penitentiary Emeritus; Jorge Arturo Cardinal Medina Estévez, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments; Alfons Maria Stickler, Archivist and Librarian Emeritus of the Holy Roman Church; Armand Gaetan Razafindratandra, Archbishop Emeritus of Antananarivo, Madagascar, and Archbishop Julián Herranz (later Cardinal), President of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts.
Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos read a message from Angelo Cardinal Sodano, at that time the Vatican's Secretary of State, transmitting the Pope's blessing to those present.
This was the first traditional Solemn Pontifical Mass in any of the four Patriarchal / Papal Basilicas in Rome since the liturgical reform.
This was the first traditional Solemn Pontifical Mass in any of the four Patriarchal / Papal Basilicas in Rome since the liturgical reform.
3) February 23, 2008 (Saturday) -- Solemn Pontifical Mass, with diaconal ordinations for the Institute of the Good Shepherd, by Archbishop Luigi de Magistris, Pro-Major Penitentiary Emeritus of the Apostolic Penitentiary, at the ARCHBASILICA OF ST. JOHN LATERAN. He celebrated Mass in front of the Cathedra of the Bishop of Rome, on the altar that is used by the Pope every Corpus Christi in the square of the same Basilica.
4) April 16, 2009 (Easter Thursday) -- Solemn Mass, offered by Fr. Stefano Ma. Manelli FFI, Founder and Superior General of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, at the Papal Altar of the ARCHBASILICA OF ST. JOHN LATERAN.
4) April 16, 2009 (Easter Thursday) -- Solemn Mass, offered by Fr. Stefano Ma. Manelli FFI, Founder and Superior General of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, at the Papal Altar of the ARCHBASILICA OF ST. JOHN LATERAN.
5) April 21, 2009 (Tuesday) -- Solemn Pontifical Mass offered by Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, at the Papal Altar of the ARCHBASILICA OF ST. JOHN LATERAN.
6) October 18, 2009 (Sunday) -- Solemn Pontifical Mass offered by Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, at the Chapel of Eucharistic Adoration in ST. PETER'S BASILICA.
In attendance was Bishop Athanasius Schneider, who was then the Auxiliary Bishop of Karaganda in Kazakhstan.
7) January 7, 2010 (Thursday) -- Solemn Pontifical Mass offered by Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, at the Papal Altar of the ARCHBASILICA OF ST. JOHN LATERAN.
The sermon was preached by Bishop Luc Mathys, at that time Bishop of Armidale, Australia. Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett, then and now the Bishop of Lismore, Australia, was also present.
8) May 15, 2011 (Sunday) -- Solemn Pontifical Mass offered by Walter Cardinal Brandmüller, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, at the Altar of the Chair in ST. PETER'S BASILICA.
Three cardinals and three bishops were present: William Joseph Cardinal Levada, at that time the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Franc Cardinal Rodé, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and Domenico Cardinal Bartolucci, who conducted the choir. Also present were Bishop Marc Aillet of Bayonne, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of Maria Santissima in Astana, Kazakhstan, and Bishop Peter J. Elliott, Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne.
9) November 5, 2011 (Saturday) -- Low Mass (Messa Prelatizia) offered by Dario Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy and President Emeritus of PCED, at the Chapel of Eucharistic Adoration in ST. PETER'S BASILICA. This Mass was for the 20th General Assembly of the Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce, in Rome.
10) November 3, 2012 (Saturday) -- Solemn Pontifical Mass offered by Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, at the Altar of the Chair in ST. PETER'S BASILICA.
Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia OP, Vice President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, was in attendance.
Cardinal Cañizares Llovera read a message from Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, the Vatican's Secretary of State, transmitting the Pope's greetings to those present.
Cardinal Cañizares Llovera read a message from Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, the Vatican's Secretary of State, transmitting the Pope's greetings to those present.
