CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (LifeSiteNews) – The bishop of Richmond, Virginia is ending the Traditional Latin Mass in Charlottesville, Virginia, after the two-year permission given by Rome expires this week.
Bishop Barry Knestout informed Fr. Joseph Mary Lukyamuzi, the pastor of Holy Comforter Catholic Church in Charlottesville, that the “dispensation” granted in virtue of Traditionis custodes for the parish to offer the Traditional Latin Mass expires on July 5.
The bishop stated that he intends to renew the dispensation, but that until he receives the renewal, the parish cannot offer the old Mass. Instead, the Novus Ordo can be offered in Latin, Ad Orientem (facing east), an option already available for any priest not requiring special permission from the bishop.
Citing Traditionis Custodes, the bishop expressed his “confidence” that the pastor would lead the faithful toward the Novus Ordo as “the unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite.”
Per the bishop’s instruction, this past weekend saw the last Sunday Latin Mass on June 30. The parish will offer a final Tridentine Mass on Friday, July 5, at 6 p.m., as a votive Mass of the Sacred Heart. A parishioner told LifeSiteNews that Sunday’s Latin Mass was packed to overflowing.
In view of suppression of the old Mass, the pastor put out a questionnaire to parishioners asking how often families would attend a Novus Ordo in Latin ad orientem as a replacement of the Traditional Latin Mass.
The suppression of the Latin Mass in Charlottesville comes as reports from Rome confirm the Vatican is considering a more universal suppression of the Traditional Mass.
READ: Reports: Vatican planning to enforce a ‘final’ ban of Traditional Latin Mass, likely on July 16
Vatican journalist Diane Montagna confirmed that a document further restricting the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), backed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has been “presented to Pope Francis.”
According to “well-informed sources,” if published, the document would ban the offering of the TLM by all priests except those belonging to “approved ex-Ecclesia Dei institutes,” including the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) and the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP).
READ: Vatican reporter says sources confirm document further suppressing Latin Mass is ‘serious and real’
The document would “prohibit bishops from themselves celebrating or authorizing” the TLM, and “suspend existing permissions” for the Traditional Mass apart from those offered by ex-Ecclesia Dei communities.
LifeSiteNews has received information indicating that a likely date for these expected restrictions is July 16, the anniversary of the implementation of Traditionis Custodes.
The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and the Society of St. Pius X both offer the Traditional Latin Mass within the Diocese of Richmond. These groups and other Latin Mass Catholics were targeted by the FBI in their infamous “Richmond memo” as “radical traditional Catholics” who were a danger because of such things as their conservative, pro-life views, dubbed “extreme” by the aggressively pro-abortion Biden regime.
Bishop Knestout of Richmond strongly condemned the FBI memo against traditional Catholics.
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