The traditionalist priest, founder of a religious order, and former Superior General Louis-Marie de Blignières has presented a proposal for the future of the traditional rite to the cardinals gathered today in Rome.
[Katholisches] Shortly before the start of the first extraordinary consistory of cardinals under Pope Leo XIV, where liturgical issues are also to be discussed, a letter from traditionalist circles is drawing attention. The letter, addressed to the cardinals of the Sacred College, submits a concrete proposal for overcoming the tensions surrounding the celebration of the traditional form of the Roman Rite that have existed since the 2021 motu proprio Traditionis custodes.
The author of the letter is Father Louis-Marie de Blignières, founder and longtime Superior General of the traditional Fraternity of St. Vincent Ferrer. According to Vatican sources, the document, dated December 24, was sent in printed form to fifteen cardinals known for their particular interest in the traditional liturgy. Furthermore, at least one hundred other cardinals received the text via email. This was first reported by the American Vaticanist Diane Montagna.
At the center of the proposal is the establishment of an independent ecclesiastical jurisdiction for the Vetus Ordo—the traditional Roman liturgy. The idea is that this structure would be comparable to a military ordinariate: it would have its own jurisdiction but remain fully integrated into the hierarchical order of the Church and in communion with the Apostolic See. The goal is to create a stable pastoral and legal framework for priests and the faithful who feel permanently attached to the traditional rite.
In other words: parallel structures are to be created for the traditional Rite. The Church is organized according to jurisdictions, which are almost always territorial in nature. The world is divided into Novus Ordo jurisdictions, usually in the form of dioceses. Alongside these are the military ordinariates—also territorial, but organized in parallel—which encompass a specific category of persons. Another example is the personal ordinariates for Anglicans who have returned to unity with Rome. As a parallel structure to the Novus Ordo dioceses, they also possess their own territorial jurisdiction for a specific category of persons. A further example was Opus Dei. Pope John Paul II had granted "The Work" the status of a personal prelature. All members of the Work worldwide were subject to it. The territorial jurisdiction, pertaining only to a specific group of people, extended across the entire globe. Pope Francis, out of personal dislike, revoked this status from Opus Dei after decades, but the precedent remains noted in church history.
The personal parishes in the traditional rite, introduced by Pope Benedict XVI with the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, follow the same model at the parish level. For the Diocese of Rome, he himself established a personal parish of the traditional rite, which has since been entrusted to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP). This exists parallel to the Novus Ordo parishes of the city but corresponds territorially to the entire diocese.
On November 17, 2025, Katholisches.info used the example of the Apostolic Personal Administration of St. John Mary Vianney in the Brazilian diocese of Campos to show that the establishment of separate jurisdictions for the traditional rite could be the solution to the permanent conflicts. Depending on the number of Catholics living there, each country or group of countries could be combined into a personal ordinariate headed by a bishop; in larger countries, several jurisdictions could be established in the future if necessary. And to those who think such a solution of parallel jurisdictions would lock Tradition into a kind of "Indian reservation," it should be remembered that Tradition has been in a reservation since 1988, with the exception of the Summorum Pontificum years under Benedict XVI (2007 to 2013).
A separate jurisdiction brings Tradition its own bishops and ends the state of merely being tolerated as second-class Catholics. In the longer term, a complete parallel hierarchy of the Church could emerge from this. Tradition would no longer be a petitioner, represented in all relevant church bodies without a voice or, at best, with borrowed votes. The future will then decide how the two parallel structures—that of the Novus Ordo and that of the Vetus Ordo—develop, and which of them will give the Church venturi saeculi (of the coming age) its face.
This idea was not just recently taken up by Father de Blignières, now 76 years old and one of the most prominent figures of French traditionalism. He made the same proposal as early as October 2024. Now the idea has been submitted in a letter to the cardinals of the Church with the aim of familiarizing them with it and having it raised and discussed at the extraordinary consistory in Rome beginning today at 3:30 PM.
After the valid but illicit episcopal consecrations by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1988, Father de Blignières was among those priests who consciously did not let the bridges with Rome be broken. He was involved in the talks that led to the creation of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei under Pope John Paul II, with the aim of keeping traditionalist communities in full ecclesiastical unity or leading them back to it. Over more than three decades, he led his fraternity as Prior for two terms.
The idea of a separate jurisdiction for the Immemorial Rite is not new. Particularly in France, it has been discussed repeatedly over the past ten years. However, with the publication of Traditionis custodes and the associated restrictions on the Tridentine liturgy, these reflections largely came to a standstill. De Blignières' letter now reconnects with this debate—under changed ecclesiastical circumstances.
The proposal is supported by, among others, Father Matthieu Raffray, the Superior of the European District of the Institute of the Good Shepherd and former lecturer in philosophy at the Angelicum University in Rome. Raffray, who is familiar with the contents of the letter, points to the practical opportunities of such a solution. He argues it could create clear areas of responsibility, organize priestly formation, and simultaneously reorganize the relationship between traditionalist communities and the dioceses.
Raffray emphasizes that the letter is neither addressed to Pope Leo XIV himself nor intended to be understood as a demand. Rather, it is a "working hypothesis" submitted to the cardinals for consideration before the consistory on January 7 and 8. Such an idea must necessarily be further developed and, in particular, deepened in terms of canon law.
At the same time, Raffray admits that the proposal will not necessarily meet with unanimous approval. Within traditionalist circles, there are different assessments, and not everyone would see a separate jurisdiction as the right path. However, he believes the value of the letter lies precisely in this: it does not seek to force a uniform solution but rather to trigger a factual and serious discussion.
From the perspective of its supporters, the strength of the move lies in its constructive approach. Instead of confrontation or withdrawal, it relies on a form of institutional integration intended to serve both liturgical tradition and ecclesiastical unity. Whether this idea is taken up and pursued further in the College of Cardinals will likely become clear in the coming weeks.
With his move, Father de Blignières has shown that there are very concrete ideas for a solution and that these come from the ranks of Tradition. A serious, concrete proposal is on the table.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: VaticanMedia (Screenshot)
2 comments:
Whilst acknowleging. the isea behind this suggestion is it not likely to create division within the Church? We could be looking at an Anglican model of High Church & Low Church which (IMHO) would do nothing other than create a fracture within Holy Mother Church. The best possible outcome would be that the NO Masses were forbidden & we returned to the One, Holy & Apostolic Church which I loved as a child - I am now almost 88 years of age.
This will not be allowed, for a simple reason.
The ICKSP, FSSP are solidly ordaining many men (six to ten) each year.
If the SSPX eventually becomes included, it could be twenty.
The N.O. maybe two or three. Many dioceses have no new ordinands.
The Bishops WANT these newly ordained bodies. They want them totally and firmly under their control.
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