Archbishop Gänswein Calls for Restoration of Summorum Pontificum

A leading voice close to Benedict XVI urges the Church to restore the liturgical peace and freedom of Summorum Pontificum.

“Archbishop Georg Gänswein, longtime secretary to Pope Benedict XVI, continues to defend the Church’s liturgical tradition.”

(Source: LifeSiteNews)

Catholics attached to the Traditional Latin Mass received unexpected encouragement this week from Archbishop Georg Gänswein, longtime personal secretary to Pope Benedict XVI and currently the papal nuncio to Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. In a recent interview with the German Catholic network K‑TV, reported by LifeSiteNews, Archbishop Gänswein expressed his hope that the Church will reverse the current restrictions on the Tridentine Mass and return to the liturgical peace established under Summorum Pontificum.

Gänswein, who worked at Benedict XVI’s side for decades and remains one of the most authoritative witnesses to the late pope’s intentions, emphasized that the Traditional Latin Mass “allowed the Church not only to live but to live well for centuries, and the sacred nourished by it and from it.” He questioned how something so central to Catholic life could suddenly be treated as problematic, stating plainly: “It can’t be that it was valid and valuable yesterday and then no longer valid tomorrow. So this is an unnatural situation.”

According to the LifeSite report, the archbishop also referenced the 2020 survey of bishops that preceded Traditionis Custodes, noting that the results—though never officially published—showed broad satisfaction with Summorum Pontificum. “The result ultimately was that satisfaction was achieved,” he explained, calling Benedict XVI’s approach “a path to peace, especially in the liturgy.” For this reason, he expressed hope that Pope Leo XIV will restore the norms of Summorum Pontificum and allow the Roman Rite to flourish in unity rather than division.

For Catholics devoted to the Traditional Latin Mass, Archbishop Gänswein’s words are more than a personal opinion—they are a reminder that the liturgical heritage of the Church remains deeply cherished by those who knew Benedict XVI best. His call for restoration reflects not nostalgia, but a conviction that the Church’s ancient worship continues to bear fruit, and that true unity is found not in suppression but in generosity.