In the decades after Quattuor Abhinc Annos and Ecclesia Dei, despite the enormous difficulties, the Traditional Latin Mass has not been lacking in champions and defenders in the Catholic hierarchy. To be especially noted are the Cardinals who unofficially functioned as the "protectors"(so to speak) of this Mass since the late 1980's, distinguishing themselves among their peers by frequent traveling and speaking on behalf of those attached to the TLM and, most importantly, by offering numerous public celebrations of Pontifical Mass according to the older Roman Missals. In the 1990's there was the late Alfons Cardinal Stickler, Librarian and Archivist Emeritus of the Holy Roman Church. In the first decade of the 21st century there was Dario Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, then the President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei - turning 86 this year and in retirement. In the second decade of the 21st century their mantle has doubtless fallen to Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, who has most likely celebrated far more Solemn Pontifical Masses (according to the 1962 Missal) than any Cardinal since the liturgical reforms of the late 1960's.
The following is his upcoming schedule of Pontifical Masses (1962 Missal) and Conferences from March to June of this year. Our readers will remember that he had already celebrated a Solemn Pontifical Mass on January 10 of this year at the Roman Basilica of San Nicolas in Carcere.
March 6-9, United Kingdom.
Cardinal Burke will be visiting the UK for the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Children's youth conference in Southport (March 6 - 8). He will talk on the evening of the 7th of March upon the theme "The New Evangelisation of the Fallen Christian West". (The full conference schedule can be read at this link.)
Cardinal Burke also gives a talk on Friday, 6th March at 7pm in Chester (DoubleTree Hotel). The talk will be on “Remaining in the Truth of Christ on Holy Matrimony”.
Cardinal Burke also gives a talk on Friday, 6th March at 7pm in Chester (DoubleTree Hotel). The talk will be on “Remaining in the Truth of Christ on Holy Matrimony”.
He will also offer Pontifical Low Mass at the Shrine of SS Peter, Paul and Philomena, New Brighton on Sunday, March 8 at 10.30 am. The next day, March 9, he will offer Solemn Pontifical Mass at the Shrine of Saint Augustine, Ramsgate at 6.30 pm.
March 20-21, Germany (Herzegonrath).
Cardinal Burke will be in Germany to participate in the 17th Cologne Liturgical Conference (March 18-21, 2015). His talk on the evening of March 20 has the title "'Till death do us part' - Marriage Theology in the Catholic Church in the wake of the recent Bishops' Synod in Rome on Marriage and Family."
The next day, March 21 at 10 am, the Cardinal will offer a Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Parish Church of St. Gertrude in Herzegonrath, Germany. This Mass will conclude the Conference.
April 25, Germany (Schwanheim district, Frankfurt)
Cardinal Burke will be at the 25th anniversary celebrations and Annual General Meeting of Pro Missa Tridentina, one of Una Voce's German member-associations. To mark the occasion he will celebrate a Solemn Pontifical Mass on April 25, 10 am at the St. Mauritius Church in Frankfurt-Schwanheim (see picture at left).
May 1-2, France (Lourdes)
As in past years, Cardinal Burke will be joining the Institute of Christ the King in their annual Lourdes pilgrimage events. On the 1st of May there will be a Solemn High Mass celebrated by Monsignor Gilles Wach, with Cardinal Burke assisting. After the Mass there will be Stations of the Cross, then a conference by the Cardinal, ending with Vespers and Candlelight procession.
On the following day, May 2, a Solemn Pontifical Mass will be offered by Cardinal Burke followed by a conference given by Monsignor Wach and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament with singing of the Te Deum. This will conclude the official Institute of Christ the King Lourdes pilgrimage.
June 1-4, United States (New York)
Cardinal Burke will be at the Sacra Liturgia USA Conference (June 1-4, 2015) in New York City, the lectures taking place at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues) while the conference liturgies will be at the Church of Saint Catherine of Siena (411 E 68th Street), run by the Dominicans and located at the Upper East Side. Cardinal Burke's talk (on June 1) will be on "Beauty in the Sacred Liturgy and the Beauty of a Holy Life".
In the course of the conference there will be two Masses (June 2 and 4) according to the 1962 Missal but there have been no announcements yet if or when Cardinal Burke will be celebrating any of these two.
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June 13, Italy (Rome).
Cardinal Burke will be one of four Cardinals taking part in the IV Convegno sul Motu Proprio 'Summorum Pontificum' organized by the Amicizia Sacerdotale Summorum Pontificum - Giovani e Tradizione. The previous Conferences had taken place in 2008, 2009 and 2011. The other Cardinals in this conference will be Müller, Brandmüller and De Paolis.
His Eminence will offer the opening Messa Prelatizia (Low Mass of a bishop) on June 13 at 8:30 am in the Chiesa dei Ss. Domenico e Sisto, the university church of the Angelicum in Rome. At 10 am he will give the introductory talk of the Conference, on the topic “La Tradizione come fondamento della liturgia cattolica”.
