Cardinal Nichols of Westminster forbids the Triduum in London.

More to come?

It no longer comes as a surprise when an outrageous action is perpetrated by a high-ranking Church official against Traditional Latin Mass adherents. Those acts have become so frequent many have become resigned to them, and other horribilia emanating from highly placed liberals [sic] in the Holy Catholic Church. That is the reason your Tatler blogs less and less on the Church. The only thing left for us, and it happens to be the best thing, is to pray to our Lord, our Lady and, for good measure, St Joseph. We will, by God’s grace, come through these dismal times, though God only knows when.

Every now and then however, an event occurs so beyond the pale, it jolts your Tatler out of his lethargy. Such an event occurred yesterday and it is thus:

From the National Catholic Reporter.

LONDON — Cardinal Vincent Nichols has declined to give permission for the old Latin rite celebration of the Easter Triduum in Westminster, making it the first time since the 1990s that the Easter Triduum won’t be celebrated in the Diocese of Westminster according to the liturgical books in use before the 1970 reform of the liturgy.

What is the putative cause for His Eminence banning the Triduum, among the most moving and beautiful rites of traditional worship? Supposedly, according to the Register, it was out of concern the celebration of it in his diocese, which includes  London, might draw  “parishioners from other parts of the archdiocese who attend the traditional liturgy in other churches.” And what might be the number of those traditional worshippers lured to St Mary Moorefields, in the City, where the Triduum is celebrated? All of 200. Right, so what is the real reason? This is.

In his email, Cardinal Nichols said he took his decision in accordance with “the parameters laid down by the Holy See” — an implicit reference to Pope Francis’ 2021 apostolic letter Traditionis Custodes (Guardians of the Tradition) and subsequent clarifications from the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, which imposed restrictions on the traditional Latin liturgy.

Meaning, however indirect, it comes from the Pope.

Shutting down TLM completely seems to be the goal of our decidedly liberal Church leadership, which will become even greater in number with every appointment Pope Francis and his inevitable liberal successor(s) make. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to this writer that in time, our present or future pope will pronounce the Traditional Latin Mass anathema, and those Catholics who attend it are no longer fulfilling their obligation. Church leadership need not fear much fallout from such a move, as traditional worshippers and celebrants are only a tiny number, maybe three percent, of all Catholics. If a Latin Mass ban leads to schism of some of that small number (obedient souls like this writer will stay, regardless), it is difficult to imagine the liberals being overly upset by it, seeing it more as a thorn being removed from their side with no pulling required.

Regardless of how many stay or leave, the liberals will be free to get on with their modernistic agenda, including remarriage after divorce, same-sex marriage, abortion, ordination of women, transsexual rights, etc., thus emulating the mainstream Protestant denominations, which they seem to hold in such envy, particularly the Anglicans. One thing they seem to pay little heed to is the steady decline in church attendance and possible explanations for it.

As the old Prayer Book says: Let us pray for the whole State of Christ’s church. Kyrie eleison.