Rumours and Facts about the Document against Holy Mass That Wasn't Published
- Such a document, in the form of an Apostolic Constitution, has been in the Vatican's drawers since late 2021.
- Francis was supposed to sign it in February 2022, but he refused.
- Cardinal Roche, head of the Dicastery for the Liturgy, who presented the document to Francis, fell out of favour with the tyrant. Francis has not received Roche personally since.
- Cardinal Roche is "not a skilful person, let alone an intelligent one", but "a person who has a habit of screwing up every project and every organisation".
- Cardinal Roche ended up in Rome because in just three years as Bishop of Leeds, England, he had caused all kinds of chaos, including financial, although the diocese is wealthy. Cardinal Nichols asked Benedict XVI to remove Roche from England, and Benedict had no better idea than to make him Secretary of the Congregation for the Liturgy.
- The second reason for Francis' disdain for Roche is that Roche's manifesto 'Traditiones custodes' caused Francis a lot of headaches, especially as the Latin Mass movement continues to grow.
- Francis didn't sign the document because liturgy is not his main focus and he is very careful not to make any martyrs.
- Roche's dicastery is divided. Roche's main opponent is Archbishop Vittorio Viola, secretary of the dicastery and desperate to get the cardinal's purple.
- The new attack on the Mass was launched by Monsignor Viola and not by Cardinal Roche. It has been neutralised for the time being.
- Requests for the Mass from many bishops, priests, faithful and personalities of the world have reached Francis' desk and seem to have had an effect.
Picture: Arthur Roche © Mazur , CC BY-NC-ND, #newsRzqdhucwub