"Let the Ancient and Modern Rites Coexist. Banning Latin? That Would Be a Gift to the Rebels."
Gerhard Müller: "Demanding blind obedience is not the Christian style. No compromises on dogma — but more tolerance in pastoral practice."
Benedict XVI appointed him to lead the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Francis created him a cardinal. Gerhard Ludwig Müller is one of the most eminent living theologians and one of the most authoritative members of the College of Cardinals. In this interview with Il Giornale, the German cardinal argues that the time has come to close the chapter of restrictions on the Tridentine Mass opened in 2021 with the promulgation of Traditionis Custodes, and to return to liberalizing the ancient liturgy as Ratzinger had done.
Your Eminence, do you believe that the imminent Lefebvrian schism should lead the Church to rethink the restrictions on the Latin Mass still in force?
Yes — not least because the Lefebvrians can turn these bans into a symbol of dissent toward Rome. The restrictive measures have amounted almost to free propaganda for the Lefebvrians, who could exploit them instrumentally to spread their arguments.
So in your view, Traditionis Custodes has not worked?
It has not had a positive effect. Using an authoritarian manner to demand blind obedience is not our style — it is not the Christian style. Only in matters of dogma must there be no compromises. In concrete pastoral practice, a certain tolerance is possible.
Can the ancient rite and the new Missal coexist?
Benedict XVI had found a good solution with Summorum Pontificum, fully accepting the ancient rite. That Motu Proprio had brought so much peace to the Church. Let us not forget that the Church has various rites, which also take different forms. One cannot simply prohibit the rite in its ancient form.
Why has Traditionis Custodes not had the hoped-for effect?
The authoritarian approach of many bishops who focused only on banning certainly did not help. But that is not the style of a good pastor. I think some self-criticism is called for on this point. To claim that everyone who prefers the ancient rite rejects the Second Vatican Council is simply false. By the same logic, one could say that not everyone who prefers the Novus Ordo accepts the Council — just look at what is happening in Germany, where certain bishops love to invoke the Council yet systematically repudiate its actual doctrine.
How do you respond to those who think the so-called Latin Mass is harmful to unity?
How can it be harmful if the saints and the Fathers of the Church celebrated in that form? And the Second Vatican Council never said that the form celebrated up until that point was wrong. When one compares the two forms, it becomes immediately apparent that it is the same rite, with very few nuances of difference.
What has been your own experience with the ancient rite?
I celebrate the liturgy in the new form, but I have had no difficulty accepting invitations to celebrate with groups and associations that are in full fidelity to the Church. A few years ago I celebrated the closing Mass of the traditional Chartres pilgrimage before 22,000 young people. How can we tell them they must stay home simply because they prefer Mass in the ancient form?
So it is not true that those who choose the ancient liturgy reject the Council?
Within the Church we already have associations and groups that legitimately celebrate the ancient form and fully recognize the Council in union with the Pope and the episcopal college.
Indeed, I would say that fully permitting this liturgical form — while also bringing people to accept the Council — is also a solution for those who, after the disobedience of the consecrations of the Society of Saint Pius X, will wish to return fully to unity with the Pope, who is the permanent principle of unity and the foundation of the Church.
[Source, in Italian]
