News

Whereas, the Supreme Pontiff Francis has issued on July 16, 2021 an Apostolic Letter motu proprio On the Use of the Roman Liturgy Prior to the Reform of 1970, Traditionis custodes;

Whereas, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has published on December 4, 2021 several responsa ad dubia expressing the mind of the same Congregation in response to a number of questions concerning the provisions of Traditionis custodes;

Whereas, there exists in the Diocese of Jefferson City a community of the faithful attached to the celebration of the Mass according to the Missale Romanum of 1962;

Whereas, the regular celebration of the Mass according to the Missale Romanum of 1962 has been ongoing at the parochial church of St. Brendan in Mexico, Missouri since December of 2018;

Whereas, I have undertaken a study of the norms of the motu proprio and the principles laid out in the responsa ad dubia to ensure their proper implementation, and consulted with the presbyteral council and the pastor of St. Brendan Parish (cf. canon 50);

Whereas, on February 28, 2022 the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has granted a dispensation from art. 3 §2 of Traditionis custodes for the parochial church of St. Brendan in Mexico, Missouri (Prot. N. 101/22);

Therefore, I, the Most Reverend W. Shawn McKnight, by the grace of God and favor of the Apostolic See, Bishop of Jefferson City, do hereby decree the following:

1. It is the exclusive competence of the Bishop of Jefferson City to authorize the use of the Missale Romanum of 1962 within the Diocese of Jefferson City (Traditionis custodes, art. 2).
2. All priests, deacons, and instituted ministers must have received authorization from the Bishop of Jefferson City in order to assist in their capacity as ordained or instituted ministers in the celebration of the Mass according to the Missale Romanum of 1962 within the Diocese of Jefferson City (Traditionis custodes, art. 5). For priests ordained after July 16, 2021, the bishop will need to consult the Holy See prior to granting such authorization (Traditionis custodes, art. 4). The use of this authorization will be subject to these norms and to the limits established by the bishop when such authorization is granted.
3. In virtue of the dispensation from Traditionis custodes, art. 3 §2 granted by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (Prot. N. 101/22), celebrations of the Mass according to the Missale Romanum of 1962 may continue regularly at the parochial church of St. Brendan in Mexico, Missouri. Such celebrations are not to occur regularly in other parochial churches (Traditionis custodes, art. 3 §2).
4. There is no provision in the Diocese of Jefferson City for the celebration of the other sacraments according to the Rituale Romanum or Pontificale Romanum (cf. responsa ad dubia of the Congregation for Divine Worship). All other sacraments are to be celebrated using the liturgical books promulgated by Saint Paul VI and Saint John Paul II, either in Latin or in the vernacular.
5. When authorization is given to celebrate Mass using the Missale Romanum of 1962, the readings from Sacred Scripture at those Masses must be proclaimed in the vernacular, using the translation approved for liturgical use by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Traditionis custodes, art. 3 §3).
6. On weekdays, priests who have been given the authorization to celebrate Mass according to the Missale Romanum of 1962 are not permitted to make use of that authorization if they celebrate Mass a second time on the same day in accordance with the permission otherwise granted in the Faculties and Permissions for Priests of the Diocese of Jefferson City (c. 905 §2; cf. responsa ad dubia of the Congregation for Divine Worship).
7. Priests who have received the authorization to celebrate Mass according to the Missale Romanum of 1962 may make use of that authorization on Sundays. All celebrations of the Church’s liturgies on other Holy Days of Obligation, as well as on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, are to use exclusively the liturgical books promulgated by Saint Paul VI and Saint John Paul II, either in Latin or in the vernacular.

I order this decree to be promulgated by being published on the diocesan website. The provisions contained herein are effective immediately, and because the dispensation from the Congregation for Divine Worship referenced in no. 3 above has been granted for a period of two years, these provisions will need to be reviewed and updated after February 28, 2024.

Given at the Chancery in Jefferson City, Missouri on the 6^th day of April, 2022.