CLEVELAND, Ohio (LifeSiteNews) — The Vatican has granted two diocesan Traditional Latin Masses (TLM) in the Diocese of Cleveland two-year extensions before their suppression per the dictates of Pope Francis’ Traditionis Custodes.
The executive director of communications for the Diocese of Cleveland, Nancy Fishburn, confirmed to the Catholic Herald on Tuesday that the extensions were granted to St. Mary’s Church in Akron and St. Stephen’s in Cleveland, where the TLMs are offered by diocesan priests.
St. Mary’s offers a Latin Mass at 1 pm on Sundays, and St. Stephen’s in Cleveland offers Latin Masses on Sunday at 9:30 am, as well as on First Fridays at 6:30 pm, and First Saturdays at 9:30 am.
The bishop of Cleveland, Edward Malesic, in 2023 aimed to preserve the Latin Mass in the diocese by establishing a diocesan shrine for the TLM, which meets the requirements of Traditionis Custodes by offering the TLM in a non-parish location.
At the time, there were about a dozen diocesan-based sites for the TLM in the Diocese of Cleveland, which were the same year largely suppressed due to Traditionis Custodes, leaving the TLM in three remaining locations, including St. Elizabeth of Hungary, the newly established shrine.
LifeSiteNews reached out to the pastors of St. Mary’s and St. Stephen’s for comment, but has not heard back as of publishing.
Liturgist and theologian Dr. Peter Kwasniewski remarked Tuesday on X regarding the TLM extension, “Things are so chaotic right now. This is good as far as it goes, but much more needs to be done to restore rightful citizenship to the old rite and the faithful who are nourished by it.”
While the Vatican under Leo has granted another parish in Texas a two-year extension to offer the Traditional Latin Mass, the pope has not given any indications thus far, including in this decision, that he will declare Traditionis Custodes abrogated or modify its diktats.
On the contrary, the two-year TLM extensions, as well as the TLM crackdowns ordered by bishops since Leo took office, could suggest the pope will not undo Traditionis Custodes.
Traditionis Custodes has been decried by high-ranking prelates as well as theologians as a repudiation of the perennial practice of the Catholic Church and even of solemn Church decrees.
Cardinal Raymond Burke has stressed that the Latin Mass was “never juridically abrogated” and that it is not permissible for a pope to pretend to wield “absolute power” to “eradicate a liturgical discipline.”
St. Pius V’s 1570 bull Quo Primum permanently authorized the traditional Mass, declaring that it may be used “freely and lawfully” in “perpetuity” and even that the wrath of God would fall upon those who would dare to restrict or abolish the Traditional Latin Mass, also known as the Tridentine Mass.
“This present document cannot be revoked or modified, but remains always valid and retains its full force,” Quo Primum added.
