4 September 2003
Your Eminence,
Ad Limina Visit to the Holy Father of the Bishops of England and Wales
13-24 October 2003
I enclose a document, The Provision of the Traditional Rite Mass (1962 Missal) in England and Wales, prepared by the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales which provides accurate information on the extent to which the English and Welsh bishops have implemented the Holy Father’s express wish for ‘wide and generous application of the directives already issued...by the Apostolic See for the use of the Roman Missal according to the typical edition of 1962’ (Apostolic Letter of John Paul II, Ecclesia Dei Adflicta).
As you will see, the Latin Mass Society has had to report with a heavy heart that many faithful throughout England and Wales with a desire to worship according to the traditional Roman rite are denied access to the Mass and other Sacraments in the rite they love, despite continuous and heartfelt pleas to our bishops for their pastoral charity. Some of the bishops have tried to be generous to us and for this we are very grateful; several others are indifferent and could easily do more to facilitate the ‘ecclesial communion’ of the faithful ‘attached to the previous liturgical and disciplinary forms of the Latin tradition’ as called for by John Paul II; unfortunately, at least 9 bishops or auxiliary bishops have – as our evidence will show – failed to implement the Holy Father’s wishes, so that the spiritual needs of very many of the faithful have gone unfulfilled. The consequence of this discrimination against those of the faithful attached to the traditional Roman rite is that some of them have been driven into the arms of the Society of St Pius X, a body not in full communion with the Holy See.
The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales will never allow itself to be separated from the Holy Father but we must state clearly that in many parts of England and Wales we live as a disadvantaged and disregarded part of the Catholic body of Christ.
In filial devotion to the Holy Father, we turn to Rome to ardently request that a clear instruction be given to the English and Welsh bishops that the Holy See expects them to grant generous permissions for Sunday and Holy Day celebrations of the traditional Roman Mass and Sacraments in convenient churches and at convenient times, and, to enable this, to extend invitations to the traditional priestly orders such as the Fraternity of St Peter and the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest (who are urgently awaiting such an invitation) to send priests to make the Mass and Sacraments available to the faithful who are attached to the traditional Roman rite.
I earnestly request your Eminence and your servants to read the enclosed document and to exhort the English and Welsh bishops accordingly.
I have also sent copies of the document to the Congregation for the Clergy, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Secretariat of State.
I remain, your Eminence, your obedient servant in Jesus Christ and ask your blessing for myself and for the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales.
Yours in Jesus Christ the Lord,
David Lloyd
Chairman
cc: Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, Congregation for the Clergy
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Secretariat of State