Editing Pope Benedict XVI (section)

==== ''Motu proprio'' on Tridentine Mass ====
{{Main|Summorum Pontificum}}

[[File:unchurch.jpg|thumb|right|upright|An altar set for the [[Traditional Latin Mass]]]]

On 7 July 2007, Benedict issued the ''[[motu proprio]] Summorum Pontificum'', declaring that upon "the request of the faithful", the celebration of [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] according to the [[1962 missal|Missal of 1962]] (of the [[Tridentine Mass]]), was to be more easily permitted. Stable groups who previously had to petition their bishop to have a Tridentine Mass may now merely request permission from their local priest.<ref name="Afica Latin">{{cite news |title=Pope Allows Worldwide Use of Old Latin Mass|publisher=Catholic Information Service for Africa|date=10 July 2007|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200707101009.html}}</ref> While ''Summorum Pontificum'' directs that pastors should provide the Tridentine Mass upon the requests of the faithful, it also allows for any qualified priest to offer private celebrations of the Tridentine Mass, to which the faithful may be admitted if they wish.<ref name="letter Motu">{{cite web|title=Letter of His Holiness Benedict XVI to the Bishops on the Occasion of the Publication of the Apostolic Letter ''Motu Proprio Data'' Summorum Pontificum, On the Use of the Roman Liturgy Prior to the Reform of 1970 |url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20070707_lettera-vescovi_en.html |author=Pope Benedict XVI |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010203101/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20070707_lettera-vescovi_en.html |archive-date=10 October 2011}}</ref> For regularly scheduled public celebrations of the Tridentine Mass, the permission of the priest in charge of the church is required.<ref>Article 5 §4 of the motu proprio</ref>

In an accompanying letter, the Pope outlined his position concerning questions about the new guidelines.<ref name="letter Motu" /> As there were fears that the move would entail a reversal of the Second Vatican Council,<ref name="Jason">{{cite news|title=Criticism over return of Latin Mass |author=Burke, Jason |url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/09/stories/2007070955601600.htm |date=9 July 2007 |access-date=4 October 2011 |location=Chennai, India |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108194155/http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/09/stories/2007070955601600.htm |work=The Hindu |archive-date=8 November 2012 }}</ref> Benedict emphasised that the Tridentine Mass would not detract from the council and that the [[Mass of Paul VI]] would still be the norm and priests were not permitted to refuse to say the Mass in that form. He pointed out that the use of Tridentine Mass "was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted."<ref name="letter Motu" /> The letter also decried "deformations of the [[liturgy]] ... because in many places celebrations were not faithful to the prescriptions of the new Missal" as the Second Vatican Council was wrongly seen "as authorising or even requiring creativity", mentioning his own experience.<ref name="letter Motu" />

The Pope considered that allowing the Tridentine Mass to those who request it was a means to prevent or heal [[schism]], stating that, on occasions in history, "not enough was done by the Church's leaders to maintain or regain reconciliation and unity" and that this "imposes an obligation on us today: to make every effort to enable for all those who truly desire unity to remain in that unity or to attain it anew."<ref name="letter Motu" /> Cardinal [[Darío Castrillón Hoyos]], the president of the [[Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei|Pontifical Commission established to facilitate full ecclesial communion of those associated with that Society]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/ced_documents/rc_con_cfaith_20090930_ecclesia-dei_en.html |title=Pontifical Commission 'Ecclesia Dei' |publisher=Vatican.va |access-date=14 June 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911163000/https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/ced_documents/rc_con_cfaith_20090930_ecclesia-dei_en.html |archive-date=11 September 2011 }}</ref> stated that the decree "opened the door for their return". Bishop [[Bernard Fellay]], superior general of the SSPX, expressed "deep gratitude to the Sovereign Pontiff for this great spiritual benefit".<ref name="Afica Latin" />

In July 2021, Pope Francis issued the [[Ecclesiastical letter#Letters of the popes in modern times|apostolic letter]] titled ''[[Traditionis custodes]]'', which substantially reversed the decision of Benedict{{nbsp}}XVI in ''Summorum Pontificum'' and imposed new and broad restrictions on the use of the [[Traditional Latin Mass]]. The decision was controversial and widely criticized by conservative and [[traditionalist Catholics]] as lacking in charity and an attack on those attached to the liturgical patrimony of the Church.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Pope Francis renews restrictions on old Latin Mass, reversing Benedict XVI|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/pope-francis-latin-mass/2021/07/16/5fe7238e-e638-11eb-88c5-4fd6382c47cb_story.html|access-date=19 July 2021|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Horowitz|first=Jason|date=16 July 2021|title=Pope Francis Restricts Use of Old Latin Mass, in a Blow to Conservatives|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/16/world/europe/pope-francis-old-latin-mass.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/16/world/europe/pope-francis-old-latin-mass.html |archive-date=28 December 2021 |url-access=limited|access-date=19 July 2021|issn=0362-4331}}{{cbignore}}</ref>