Here’s the raw material.
Highlights… my emphases:
[…]
In light of this knowledge, I wish to share a bit of background. Shortly after I was named Bishop-Elect of this beautiful Diocese, I received communication from the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. My predecessor had written to that Dicastery in March of 2023 asking for permission for the Mass in the Extraordinary Form to continue in four of the parishes in our diocese. The reply of the Dicastery was to request that I personally revisit the direction set by Pope Francis in Traditionis Custodes in 2021 and to take the necessary time to evaluate and respond.
[…]
In conversation only days ago with our nuncio, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, he affirmed that the Motu Proprio remains the normative guide.
[…]
Current indications are that Pope Leo does not intend to abrogate Traditionis Custodes which still serves as the current definitive guidance of the Church Universal.
[…]
I have decided to provide for the continuation of Mass celebrated according to the Roman Missal of 1962 on a monthly basis at the Chapel of our retreat center, Christ Prince of Peace in Benton, Tennessee, and to place the care of this community under Fr. David Carter as my delegate (Traditionis Custodes, Art. 3 §2, §3 and §4).
I realize that your preference would be the continuation of this celebration in your parish church, and I am deeply aware of the suffering and loss you are feeling. I do believe the reform of the Liturgy as directed by the Second Vatican Council and as implemented by St. Paul VI and St. John Paul II is a gift of the Holy Spirit for the Church. In my judgment, the wisdom of Pope Francis in Traditionis Custodes is also guided by the Holy Spirit and for that reason I have chosen not to ask for a dispensation from the prohibition of celebrating the 1962 Missal in parish churches and chapels. I ask you to trust in the Lord’s guidance of his church and his promise to remain with her until the end of time. Know also of my heartfelt…
Notes:
He has clearly heard what was said in England. He know, for sure, about the Pontifical Mass in St. Peter’s. He knows that there is a different Pope now. He knows that he can ask for a dispensation.
Paul VI gave generous permissions.
John Paul II commanded by his Apostolic Authority that “respect must everywhere be shown for the feelings of all those who are attached to the Latin liturgical tradition, by a wide and generous application of the directives already issued some time ago” (Ecclesia Dei adflicta 6c).
If I recall, Benedict XVI was also a Pope. When did the Holy Spirit get involved? AFTER Benedict? When was it that Popes became wise?
So, remember people of Knoxville, its because of the Holy Spirit and Peter and Paul and Francis and reasons and deep affection and love.
One might ask what the rush is all about.
The latest instalment in the ongoing series of “yes, we can just reverse bad decisions made by previous Popes”, in which Leo completely undoes Francis’s October 2024 reorganisation of the Diocese of Rome: https://t.co/TQWXGaTWgN pic.twitter.com/3iXA2DE2II
— Matthew Hazell (@M_P_Hazell) November 26, 2025
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AND he knows that TC was based – explicitly – on a lie that a great number of the world’s bishops had problems with the Vetus Ordo.
I believe Father plugged this article the other day, but in case anyone missed it, an article by the sagacious Dr. Peter Kwasniewski called “Why They Are Taking Away Your Traditional Latin Mass” helps make sense of faithful Catholic persecution. You can also listen to his articles on YouTube which I find terrific.
In the land to which you look back across the Atlantic, we would have only one comment – See you next Tuesday. Poor man.
I’ve come to sincerely detest all this “I love you” language from the priests and bishops ruthlessly abusing the laity. It’s either insincere or psychopathic, but in any case it’s inappropriate and disgusting. “I love you” . . . unless you disagree with me seriously at which point I’ll publicly call you a traitor and someone acting against the unity of the Church and schismatic. “I love you and I understand what you’re suffering deep in my heart” . . . except that I won’t even remotely bother to do the absolute bare minimum to try to relieve that suffering even though it’s entirely within my power because I sincerely believe in the “unity” of the Church even though I haven’t even tried to explain what that means or how your loving the Traditional Latin Mass somehow goes against the “unity” of the Church.
Truly, these priests and bishops are behaving despicably. They make a mockery of the vocation of being a shepherd for Christ. They apparently know next to nothing about the liturgical traditions of the Church, but are too ignorant of their own ignorance to feel any shame or to make any effort to replace the gap in their knowledge with actual information.
These guys are making the Pharisees look reasonable. At least the Pharisees didn’t try to hide their contempt for the common people under a bunch of “I love you” language.
By the way, abusers will tell you they love you and what they are doing TO you is for your own good.
“I do believe the reform of the Liturgy as directed by the Second Vatican Council and as implemented by St. Paul VI and St. John Paul II is a gift of the Holy Spirit for the Church.”
So the Holy Spirit goes out of His way to torture those who wish to worship the Triune God using the traditional Latin Mass? Somehow I don’t think that’s a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Can we start early predictions for 2026?
– The SSPX will continue explosive growth
– TC will NOT be revoked
– More bishops will choose to abandon or isolate those attached to the TLM
– Fr. Z. will still not be a monsignor <- This really should be corrected.
A chapel in Benton. Does he have any idea where Benton is? It’s not quite “you can’t get there from here,” but only by the standards of East Tennessee (which are pretty high in that regard).