Cdl Burke: Christ ‘Will Not Permit’ the Latin Mass to Be ‘Lost’

God bless His Eminence! He is a voice of sanity in an increasingly chaotic Church. H/T to William Graham of the Traditional Christian History FB group who brought this to my attention.

From LifeSiteNews

By Michael Haynes

Cdl. Burke has once again encouraged Catholics devoted to the ancient liturgy, following the Pope's July 2021 restrictions.

TAMPA, Florida (LifeSiteNews) — American Cardinal Raymond Burke has reaffirmed his support of the traditional Latin Mass, saying Christ “will not permit that this most beautiful form of the Roman Rite be lost.”

Speaking to OnePeterFive after he celebrated a traditional Mass in Florida recently, Burke offered some brief words of encouragement to Catholics devoted to the ancient liturgy.

When asked about the state of the Catholic Church following the July 16, 2021 promulgation of Traditionis Custodes (TC), which restricts the ancient liturgy, Burke replied: 

The More Ancient Usage of the Roman Rite is a great treasure in the Church, going back to the time of Pope Saint Gregory the Great and even before. It must be fostered and continued in the Church.

The patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta has previously argued that TC “naturally generates a profound distress and even sense of confusion and abandonment.”

He echoed this in his conversation with OnePeterFive, warning that “the interpretation of the present legislation that would limit the faithful from having access to this most beautiful form of the Roman Rite must be corrected.”

“I am confident that Our Lord will have that come about,” he added. 

The 74-year-old cardinal also offered encouragement to Catholics depressed by the papal restrictions on the ancient liturgy. “The lay faithful and the priests should not be discouraged, because Our Lord will not permit that this most beautiful form of the Roman Rite be lost,” he stated. 

“In reality it is clear that it is desired as the form of our most perfect encounter with Our Lord sacramentally.” 

Burke stated that the traditional Latin Mass will “continue to nurture the faithful spiritually, as you can see here today, with the participation of so many lay faithful –with their families, young people, old people. It’s just beautiful. [You can see] their deep love for the Church and for the Sacred Liturgy.”

These recent comments echo those Burke made during a January interview with EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo, in which the cardinal urged Catholics not to lose heart over Traditionis Custodes.

“Our Lord isn’t going to permit – I know this – Our Lord is not going to permit that this beautiful gift of the more ancient usage, the beautiful gift of these rites, will be lost,” said the cardinal, who served as Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura from 2008 to 2014.

It’s clear that He hasn’t permitted it [to be lost], and since the time of the Council there’s been a continual growth and interest in the more ancient usage. I know so many lay faithful and also priests who have told me that being able to assist at the Holy Mass according to the usus antiquior has so helped them to deepen their understanding and their appreciation and their participation in the Holy Mass.

Burke is well known for his promotion and celebration of the traditional Latin Mass, being a regular celebrant of the ancient liturgy. He also supports the various traditional societies – such as the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP),the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP), and the Institute of the Good Shepherd (IBP) – by offering Masses for them and performing their ordinations. 

In his first public statement following the promulgation of TC, Burke spoke of how he joined Catholics “in their sentiments of profound sorrow” at the “severity of the discipline” found in the motu proprio. The cardinal declared that he himself has an “intense bond” with the Latin Mass.

While urging Catholics to remain faithful to the traditional liturgy, and the Church, the cardinal has also styled the restrictions on the Mass as something which is “nurturing” their faith.

“This is nurturing your closeness to your bishop and your closeness to the whole Church, and that is the way that we can best fight this battle, and then to vindicate our rights in the Church, to make recourses when injustices are done to legitimate communities of the faithful,” he said.