ROME — The Vatican has insisted that the latest leaked documents surrounding the Latin Mass are not the smoking thurible they appear to be, but merely “partial,” “incomplete,” and presumably misunderstood by everyone except those who read them with the proper incense-filtered glasses.
The documents, quietly dropped online by a Vatican journalist with an apparently functioning internet connection, paint an awkward picture. They suggest Pope Francis may have gone full censor on the ancient rite not because the bishops begged him to — as he’d claimed — but rather despite them quietly advising not to poke the cassocked hornet’s nest.
Naturally, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni didn’t confirm the authenticity of the documents — that would be gauche — but did concede they probably “form part” of the source material used in Pope Francis’s 2021 crackdown. You know, the one that put the old-school Tridentine Mass in a liturgical chokehold for the good of unity, or whatever the preferred euphemism was that week.
Bruni, bless him, added that the leaked dossier was “very partial” and based on only a small portion of the overall decision-making process — which also included secret memos, whispered consultations, and probably a fair few novenas.
Still, traditionalists are feeling vindicated. According to the documents, most bishops actually liked Pope Benedict’s Latin Mass revival and warned that reversing it might drive traditionalists into the arms of schismatic fringe groups, or worse — Twitter.
Cue the Gregorian chant of “I told you so.”
To recap: Pope Francis rolled back Benedict XVI’s Latin Mass liberalisation in 2021, citing disharmony in the pews and the not-so-subtle implication that Latin-loving Catholics were more interested in sniffing sanctity than embracing synodality. The leaked files, however, suggest many bishops felt things were going just fine — even seeing a rise in priestly vocations among the traditionalist crowd (no word on whether they also saw a rise in lace).
The unearthed pages include a five-page “general assessment” from the Vatican’s doctrine office and a seven-page grab-bag of bishoply quotes. Some were lukewarm on the Latin revival, describing it as “disruptive” or “dangerous.” Others were more sanguine, noting its seriousness, solemnity, and surprising popularity among the under-30s — a demographic the modern liturgy struggles to lure without guitars.
There are no signatures, no seals, and not even a papal post-it to prove these documents were ever meant to see the light of day. But one thing is clear: if this was supposed to be the death knell of the Latin Mass, someone forgot to muffle the bells.
Enter Pope Leo XIV, the newly minted first American pontiff (yes, really), whose papacy is already being serenaded by Gregorian grievances. Traditionalists are urging him to take up the chalice and reverse course — or at the very least, allow bishops to grant exceptions with more frequency than a parish raffle.
So far, a small concession has been made: the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas, has received a two-year Latin Mass permission slip. A minor miracle, some might say.
Whether Pope Leo chooses to mend fences or keep the incense burning under lock and key remains to be seen. For now, the faithful — and the formerly faithful, like yours truly — will be watching with interest, one eye on the Vatican, the other on the next Dropbox leak.
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