Dom Jeremias Schröder, Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation: "The Traditional Latin Mass Can No Longer Be Pushed Out Entirely."

 

From Rorate Cæli

This major interview was published in German by the official news website of the German Bishops, Katholisch.de, last week. It has essential content for Traditional Catholics, and we post the translation here for the record of current events.

 

Abbot Primate: The Old Mass Can No Longer Be Pushed Out Entirely 

"I am very curious to see how Pope Leo will approach the problem" 

Ludwig Ring-Eifel, for KNA

April 30, 2026

Amid the dying of monasteries and the challenges of digital transformation, Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder sees opportunities for religious life. In this interview, he also speaks about the liturgy dispute and the Benedictine perspective on it.

Question: Abbot Jeremias, the news from the world of monasteries sounds rather discordant at the moment: some speak of dying communities, others rave about a new flourishing. Which is it?

Question: Abbot Jeremias, the news from the world of monasteries sounds rather discordant at the moment: some speak of dying communities, others rave about a new flourishing. Which is it?

Schröder: We are dealing with two opposing movements. On one side, there are communities that are genuinely dying out slowly, and shaping that transition well is a major challenge. Then there are others that had been written off and have managed to recover. I experienced this myself at the monastery of Georgenberg in Tyrol. I was actually supposed to wind it down, so to speak — but then a few new members entered, and the community is alive again.

Question: Is it true that stricter orders like the Trappists or Carthusians have a harder time surviving?

Schröder: I am not sure that strictness is the right criterion for distinction. I would rather say it comes down to continuity and quality. When there have been no new entries for a long time, something breaks down. And the quality of community life is absolutely crucial. You can sense whether there are shared goals and a genuine spirit of fellowship. Communities like that keep attracting people. So I am confident that this form of life will not die out.

Question: What role does the liturgy play in this? Is there a trend toward the old liturgy in Benedictine monasteries? Is there a conflict between traditionalists and modernists?

Schröder: I do not see a conflict there. Among us Benedictines, traditional liturgy and the current liturgy coexist in a very peaceful way. Across the entire Order, we have about ten abbeys that celebrate in the old rite, most of them in France. They belong predominantly to the Congregation of Solesmes, though the majority of monasteries in that congregation celebrate according to the new Missal. From the Abbey of Fontgombault, a group of monasteries has emerged that celebrate according to the old rite. They are fully integrated within their congregation. Then there is also the monastery of Le Barroux and its daughter foundations, which were initially oriented toward Lefebvre. After the unauthorized episcopal consecrations of 1988, that monastery returned to full communion with Rome and is now directly under my authority as Abbot Primate. And then there is the community in Norcia. We all treat one another with respect, and as Abbot Primate I am also Abbot Primate for those communities, even though I myself can only celebrate Mass according to the new Missal. That is what I did when I was invited to Fontgombault to celebrate the Conventual Mass, and it was accepted as a matter of course.

Question: Can the Benedictines serve as a model for the whole Church in this regard?

Schröder: In a certain sense, yes — because we are already practicing this peaceful coexistence. I am very curious to see how Pope Leo will approach the problem. Now that Pope Benedict opened doors here, the old form can no longer be pushed out entirely. We have brothers and sisters who have built their entire religious life on this form of prayer and Mass celebration. It now has a right to exist within the Church and should at least be permitted in certain areas.

Question: Smartphones and social media are changing life behind monastery walls as well. An abbot in Italy recently called for largely giving them up. What is your view?

Schröder: Each monastery decides that for itself. But it absolutely has to be addressed in the formation of novices, and renunciation needs to be practiced. And it is — including handing over one's phone during the novitiate. How far that goes depends on the particular orientation of the monastery. A deeply contemplative community will handle it differently from one engaged in active youth ministry. But a real effort is genuinely needed. I myself, for example, have deliberately set aside specific times for reading physical books — not digital — in order to rediscover that way of reading.

Question: What about artificial intelligence? Is it making inroads into monastery life as well?

Schröder: That applies above all to simultaneous translation at synods and assemblies — we come from very different countries, after all. And I have to say, the AI simultaneous translation really does work well. But here at our university of Sant'Anselmo, most students continue to speak several languages, and that is beneficial for developing an understanding of other ways of thinking.

Question: What is the situation at the Pontifical Universities in Rome? Under Pope Francis there seemed to be efforts toward far-reaching mergers…

Schröder: Of course, our universities are relatively small by international standards when it comes to student numbers. But the project of extensive mergers at the undergraduate level does not seem to be actively pursued at the moment. The Pontifical Universities here in Rome each have their own distinct profile, and I think that will remain the case. Our university, at any rate, cannot complain of a lack of interest — we are close to an all-time high in student enrollment. 

[Source]

Pictured: Dom Jeremias Schröder, Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation