Cardinal Sarah: 'Do We Have the Authority to Suppress a 1,600-Year-Old Liturgy?'

[00:00:00]What if one of the most respected Cardinals in the Catholic Church openly questioned whether the church even has the authority to suppress the traditional Latin Mass? That is exactly what Cardinal Robert Sarah recently did.

[00:00:12]In a June 29th interview with journalist Diane Montagna, released on July 17th, the former prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship reflected on the future of the traditional Latin Mass and several other major issues facing the church. Cardinal Sarah spoke with remarkable clarity. "I don't know what authority we have to prevent a liturgy that has been celebrated for centuries," he said. He then recalled the words of Pope Benedict the 16th, who taught that what was sacred for previous generations remains sacred today. According to Cardinal Sarah, the Tridentine Mass has nourished Catholic life for around 1,600 years. "We cannot say that what has been done for 1,600 years is no longer valid now," he stated. The Cardinal also pointed to a message Pope Leo the 14th sent to the bishops of France earlier this year. Sarah interpreted that message as an encouragement to be more open toward Catholics attached to the traditional Latin Mass. In his view, that attitude should not be limited to France. It should apply everywhere. "I think we should encourage all bishops to be more fatherly and more open," he said. He noted that the Catholic Church already contains several different rites, including the Mozarabic Rite and the Ambrosian Rite. Because of this diversity, he said he does not understand why someone would completely suppress the older Roman liturgy. At the same time, Cardinal Sarah addressed Pope Francis' 2021 document Traditionis Custodes, which greatly restricted the traditional Latin Mass. Rather than calling for a dramatic repeal, he suggested that the document could simply disappear gradually. He explained that the church is built on continuity. "The church is a continuity," he said. The interview then moved to another important topic, the recent Synod on Synodality. Cardinal Sarah admitted that he has never fully understood the expression synodal church. For centuries, he said, Catholics have described the church as the mystical body of Christ, the bride of Christ, a mother, and a teacher. He noted that neither church tradition nor the documents of the Second Vatican Council use the phrase synodal church. What does the synodal church mean? He asked.

[00:02:20]Nothing. Sarah warned against treating church doctrine as something that can be decided by voting. The church must teach, he explained. A doctrine is not something one votes on. He stressed that moral teachings come from God and cannot be changed by majority opinion. The cardinal also commented on proposals discussed by study group number nine, which has examined questions related to church governance and pastoral issues.

[00:02:44]He said any document proposing a paradigm shift should be carefully reviewed by Pope Leo the 14th before being distributed throughout the church.

[00:02:52]No one can change moral doctrine, Sarah insisted. The teaching we give is not our own teaching. It is God's. Looking at a wider world, Sarah expressed concern that church discussions often focus too heavily on social and political topics. He argued that the church's first mission is spiritual, not simply dialogue, not simply listening, but bringing God's light to a world living in darkness. For Cardinal Sarah, the key to peace is not found primarily in politics or diplomacy. It is found in a sacred and faithful liturgy. A sacred liturgy, not a game, not entertainment, he said. Finally, despite the challenges facing the church, Sarah ended on a hopeful note. The church, he reminded Catholics, does not belong to any pope, bishop, or project. It belongs to Christ. And because it belongs to Christ, there is no reason for fear.

[00:03:43]Christ will not abandon his church, Cardinal Sarah said. He will remain with her until the end of the world.