In 1976, Pope Paul VI met with Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. The discussion was not about doctrine. It was about suppression. According to newly highlighted notes from a USCCB news service article, Paul VI rejected Lefebvre’s request to allow the Traditional Latin Mass in designated chapels, on the grounds of “liturgical unity.” The Mass was not to be accommodated. It was to be eliminated. He points to Paul VI’s accusation that Lefebvre was acting “like an anti-pope,” while noting the article offers little engagement with Lefebvre’s theological objections. The Vatican’s determination to suppress the old rite was clear. The Traditional Mass […]
