Pope eases rules to allow traditional mass at Vatican

Pope Leo

Pope Leo XIV has authorised a traditional mass to take place this weekend at the Vatican, lifting restrictions that angered conservatives in his latest attempt to heal splits within the Catholic Church.

The Tridentine or so-called Latin mass was commonly used across the Church before it was modernised in the 1960s, and was further limited by Pope Francis in 2021.

With Leo’s approval, it will be celebrated in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Saturday afternoon by ultraconservative US Cardinal Raymond Burke, a fierce opponent of the late pontiff.

Conducted in Latin by a priest who keeps his back to the congregation, in a ceremony marked by the use of incense and Gregorian chants, the Mass is preferred by many traditionalist Catholics. Punch