Traditionis Custodes: What Can YOU Do? Get out that pen and paper!

Write the Holy Father at the address below and ask him to restore the Traditional Latin Mass.

There's gobs of fast-breaking news regarding the report by long-time Vatican Journalist Diane Montagna that the world's bishops were far more positive about the Traditional Latin Mass than the subsequent motu proprio Traditionis Custodes (TC) let on. Indeed, the report on the world-wide survey of bishops warned that suppressing the TLM might well lead to far more problems than the supposed ones TC was trying to solve.

You can find a quick run-down on Montagna's findings here: What's Going On With Traditionis Custodes?

A Critical Moment for the TLM?

Honestly, as of this writing it's really too early to tell whether this week will be a turning point or not. There are some indications that momentum is building and this might prompt Pope Leo XIV to address the issue of TC and the TLM.

Write a Letter!

We have a new Holy Father whose actions seem to indicate that his attitudes towards Tradition (capital "T") might not be quite the same as those of his immediate predecessor. Therefore, we think the time is right to write Pope Leo and request restoration of the Traditional Latin Mass! (Keep reading and we'll show you how...)

Write the Holy Father asking him to restore the Traditional Latin Mass. Do it today!

Rescind or Restore?

The goal for most of us is the restoration of the Traditional Latin Mass to our respective communities. We'd prefer to attend an Extraordinary Form Mass in our home parish, rather than having to drive an hour or more to find a venue where people like us have an opportunity to worship the way so many of our saints and ancestors did for well over a thousand years! We want all Catholics to once more be given the opportunity to attend this venerable and rich form of worship.

So, how best to ask for that when writing the Holy Father? Do we ask that he rescind Traditionis Custodes or do we ask that he fully restore Summorum Pontificum? Both are legitimate requests. Either request would be suggesting that Pope Francis was wrong when it came to severely restricting the TLM, but requesting the latter is at least focusing on the positive aspects of Pope Benedict XVI's motu proprio and asking for the opportunity to let the TLM flourish once again.

"I ain't never written no Pope before...how fancy do I gotta be?"

The good news is that you don't have to be "fancy" at all! You're not a canon lawyer arguing a case before an ecclesial courtroom. You're just a regular Catholic who attends Mass weekly and who loves the TLM to the point that you want to write the Holy Father about it. The letter doesn't have to be long (in fact, shorter is way better). You don't have to make every point in favor of the TLM. You just need to make your request from your personal perspective.

We would, however, recommend using one of the two recognized forms of addressing the Pope (see below) rather than opening your letter with "Yo! Pope, what up?"

Address:

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV

00120 Vatican City, Italy, Europe

Postage from US: $1.65 (That's 3x Forever Stamps or 1 Global Forever Stamp)

Letter Salutation:

Your Holiness or Most Holy Father

Possible Talking Points:

• Thank him for the steps he has taken to restore some beautiful practices and traditions such as restoring the papal imposition of the pallium and emphasizing the need for the Western Church to "recover the sense of mystery." (more details on this below)

• Describe your personal attachment to the TLM...where you attend, how many people are there, what your family thinks of the Mass.

• Describe what you find beautiful, inspiring, and meaningful about the TLM

• If you attend (or attended prior to TC implementation) the TLM at a regular Novus Ordo parish, describe how your community got along together; describe families attending both forms of the Latin Rite and growing in faith as a result.

• Respectfully and prayerfully request that he restore the freedoms granted under Summorum Pontificum.

Things we'd recommend avoiding:

• Don't launch into a "compare and contrast" essay on the Ordinary vs. Extraordinary Form. You're not in a debate. If the Extraordinary Form satisfies your spiritual needs in a particularly beneficial way, talk about that. Don't talk about how disappointed you might be with the newer form of the Mass, and don't launch into a diatribe about the New Mass by citing instances of liturgical abuses.

• Don't offer a critique of Vatican II. Again, you're not engaging in a debate with the Holy Father.

• Tread very carefully in your critique of Traditionis Custodes. Criticizing the motu proprio's author won't create the desired result. Describing TC's effect on you and your family (essentially being evicted from your home parish, hour-long drives, being made to feel like a second class Catholic might be effective, but perhaps a better strategy is to emphasize how much Summorum Pontificum helped (rather than how much TC hurt).

Some Additional Background Info:

In his May 14, 2025 address to Eastern Catholic Churches, Pope Leo XIV said:

“We have great need to recover the sense of mystery that remains alive in your liturgies, liturgies that engage the human person in his or her entirety, that sing of the beauty of salvation and evoke a sense of wonder at how God’s majesty embraces our human frailty!”

He continued:

“It is likewise important to rediscover, especially in the Christian West, a sense of the primacy of God, the importance of mystagogy and the values so typical of Eastern spirituality: constant intercession, penance, fasting, and weeping for one’s own sins and for those of all humanity (penthos)!”

The above remarks were widely interpreted as a gentle critique of Western liturgical minimalism and a call to restore reverence, beauty, and transcendence in Roman worship.

Ready to Start Writing?!

Remember: it doesn't have to be long! If your penmanship is reasonably legible, you may even want to consider a hand-written note. The important take-aways are:

• Use the right mailing address and the right form of address (salutation)

• Don't skimp on postage! You took the time to write the letter; make sure it gets there.

• Describe what the TLM means to you, and why you hope that the Holy Father will fully restore it. Add a short personal anecdote if you like

• Avoid the temptation to use this letter as occasion for criticizing perceived opponents of Tradition.

A sample letter: (Come on, now...this is just a SAMPLE. No cutting & pasting!)

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV

00120 Vatican City, Italy, Europe

Most Holy Father,

Thank you for everything you've done so far to honor the traditions of our faith. When I heard your words to the Eastern Churches about how we in the West need to “recover the sense of mystery” in our liturgy, it really struck a chord. That’s something I and many others have found in the Traditional Latin Mass—it’s helped us feel the sacred again.

That’s why I’m writing with a simple request: please consider restoring the freedoms Pope Benedict gave us in Summorum Pontificum. I’ve seen how this Mass draws young families, inspires vocations, and encourages reverence in a way that speaks deeply to people today. It’s not just about nostalgia—it’s about helping souls connect with God.

I’m grateful for your leadership, and I’ll keep praying for you as you guide the Church in these challenging times. God bless you, Holy Father.