May we dare to ask if it's working? On February 22, the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, we at Missae pro Missa announced our latest worldwide campaign: a spiritual bouquet of Masses and rosaries offered specifically for Pope Leo XIV to recognize the full freedom of the Traditional Latin Mass.
As we approach the halfway mark of the campaign--which concludes June 29 on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, following the next Consistory of Cardinals--faithful from nearly 30 countries have already contributed over 2,000 Masses and 8,500 rosaries, all offered for this intention.
While still short of our goal of 10,000 Masses and 100,000 rosaries--for which we continue to implore the participation of all TLM-loving Catholics--the sheer number of prayers already offered begs the question: Is it working? Can God possibly refuse to hear the heartfelt cries of so many faithful who only seek His greater glory and the sanctification of their souls through the immemorial liturgy of the Roman Rite? Can He who told us "ask and you shall receive" fail to answer our prayers, especially intentions offered in union with His own Sacrifice on Calvary, re-presented at every Mass, and placed in the hands of His Mother, Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces?
Confining ourselves to what we can see, there is indeed hope that our prayers are having an effect. Undoubtedly the most concrete example is the recent letter of Cardinal Parolin to the Plenary Assembly of the French bishops, conveying Leo XIV's wishes for "practical solutions that generously include those sincerely attached to the Vetus Ordo." A profound shift from the harsh rhetoric of Traditionis Custodes and its call for "unity" through suppression of the ancient rite, the emphasis is now on rediscovering "a perspective that can allow brothers, enriched by their diversity, to welcome one another in charity and in the unity of faith." A tone that sounds a lot like Summorum Pontificum ...
On the other hand, we also see causes for disappointment. The much-anticipated June Consistory will not, it appears, discuss the liturgy as was widely expected, but will focus on evangelization and Evangelii Gaudium. TLM restrictions continue across the world, with no relief for weary faithful in countless dioceses. Negotiations between the Vatican and SSPX appear to be at a standstill with the July 1 episcopal consecrations fast approaching.
Hence, based on what is visible to the senses, the situation appears to be a mixed bag. Yet this takes us precisely to the heart of the question. We are Catholics. We live by faith and not by sight. We hope in what we cannot see. We believe in the efficacy of prayer, and in the Holy Mass as the most powerful prayer. We believe in the power of Mary's intercession, especially through the Holy Rosary. We believe in Divine Providence, which often brings about God's designs in the most unexpected ways, using the most surprising instruments.
And so we believe--irrespective of our human eyes and human judgment--that every Mass, every rosary offered for the full freedom of the TLM does make a difference. Our prayers are changing things, are "working," and are being used by God to bring about His most holy will.
The only thing we do not know is precisely how God will bring it about. But thankfully, as we mentioned when we launched the campaign, we do not need to know. We simply need to exchange our human eyes with the eyes of faith, and to continue onward with the assurance that "to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints" (Rom. 8:28).
