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For nothing more glorious, nothing nobler, nothing surely more honorable can be imagined than to belong to the One, Holy Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church - Pope Pius XII, Encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi, no. 91
This is a combination of inept organisation and the typical slow Italian bureaucracy not imparting information in a timely fashion.
On the confusion about what the Rome Pilgrimage was and was not expecting, I can make a preliminary clarification (I intend to write at greater length before long): 1/5 @latinmassuk @LMSChairman @OnePeterFive @CatholicHerald @RealAdVaticanum @dianemontagna
The organisation of the pilgrimage last year was a shambles, doesn’t look much better this year. Perhaps it needs to happen biennially, and be better organised. All that happened today has unfortunately engendered bad blood towards mostly well-meaning Trads. The non-well-meaning Trads have used this sorry shambles to engineer animosity against the Holy Father.
Some sort of explanation for all this seems necessary.
Some theories are circulating online about the Latin Mass pilgrimage, spread by people unconnected with it.
Some clarity below —
Organisers asked for permission for the Vatican Mass, via a letter delivered directly to Pope Leo by Bishop Schneider in December. The pilgrimage is in its 15th year, and is always held on the same date.
Organisers received no answer about the Mass until August, when the Secretariat of State replied to say they could not have Mass in the Vatican. Pilgrimage organisers then announced publicly that no Mass would take place in the Vatican.
Instead, pilgrims would process into the Vatican at 1pm on the Saturday, and then go to St Mary Major for a 3pm Mass. Permission for the procession into the Vatican was granted in April 2026.
Weeks after this, in September, St Peter’s announced an event taking place at 3:30pm at the Altar of the Chair (used by the pilgrimage last year for Mass).
Then this week – just yesterday I am told – organisers received another letter from the Secretariat of State informing them they could not even process into the Vatican as planned, and as permitted since April. Basilica events are not the prerogative of the Secretariat but of the Archpriest & the Fabric of St Peter’s: hence why the Secretariat of State’s involvement is so strange.
On Saturday, pilgrims walked through the streets up to the obelisk in St. Peter’s Square – accompanied by Italian state police – where they were stopped by the Vatican as this was the limit of the Italian police’s jurisdiction.
Then they were informed that their usage of St Mary Major’s had changed: they could only be inside for an hour.
Thus meaning that the planned and authorised pontifical solemn Mass would have to be a low Mass.
Also St Mary Major’s informed pilgrimage that no official photos could be taken
It seems that the group was offered alternative dates by the Vatican, however they were inflexible as they wanted the pilgrimage to take place on the Feast of Christ the King in the old Calendar. Does seem a strange way of going about things; organising a pilgrimage without first establishing if the Churches were available to accommodate such a large number of people from all over the world.
The Vatican has recognised the Heroic Virtues of Fra Daniele Natale, bringing the Capuchin friar from San Giovanni Rotondo, and spiritual son of the great Saint Padre Pio, one step closer to sainthood.
An interesting part of his biography was the death experience he had in 1952 during surgery for cancer of the spleen. Immediately following the operation he went into a coma and died three days later. Three hours after his death certificate was issued, and while relatives and friends were praying at the friar's body, it came back to life, moved the sheet that covered it and began to speak, to the shock of all those present.
Fra Daniele later recounted that he had been in Purgatory and had obtained from God, through the intercession of Our Lady and Padre Pio, the grace to return to Earth to finish his task. He resumed his life as a Capuchin friar and died a natural death 42 years later, on July 6, 1994, at the age of 75.
Pope Leo XIV leading Charismatic Catholics from the Jesus Youth organisation founded in the 1970’s in praying the Our Father in English this morning.
Pope Leo XIV to Charismatic Catholics mostly from Kerala in southern India:
“Although many of you live in areas where Christians are a minority, do not be afraid to give witness to your friendship with Jesus. The hearts of young people are longing to discover Christ’s love. In a particular way, I encourage you to work with families to support the vocation to married life. Young people need to know that their lives are great and beautiful because they are part of God’s greater plan. In addition to the priesthood and consecrated life, it is good to promote marriage as a call from God, a vocation to holiness to be welcomed with joy, in the certainty that God sustains with his grace all those whom he calls. This is precisely what you have experienced in Jesus Youth over these years: young Christians get married, they become parents and discover their vocation to be missionary families, working together with ordained ministers to spread the Gospel.
Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you to continue on your journey by faithfully living the life of prayer and service to the poor that characterizes Jesus Youth. Seek to preserve your unity, especially amid the great diversity of social backgrounds, cultures and languages that are hallmarks of your movement. In this regard, I also ask priests and bishops to adopt a fatherly and far-sighted perspective, overcoming any difficulties that might arise from ritual differences, so as to seek above all the highest spiritual good of young people. I hope that the Jesus Youth movement will always be marked by its youthful freshness and enthusiasm for the faith, and in this way enable many more to encounter the Lord and to grow in the spiritual life.”
Pope Leo XIV receiving a warm welcome this morning from Charismatic Catholics mostly from Kerala in southern India, of Jesus Youth movement founded in the 1970’s.
Audience of Pope Leo XIV with participants in the Charismatic Renewal's Jesus Youth International Conference 2026, from the Paul VI Audience Hall, Vatican. Live Now online at youtu.be/03pYP2Nmreo
Catholic Sat retweeted
After three years leading EWTN News, Montse Alvarado has been handpicked by Pope Leo XIV to lead one of the Vatican’s most influential departments, becoming the first laywoman and youngest person ever appointed to the position.
I sat down with Montse to discuss her time at EWTN and her historic new role as Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication. @MontseEWTN @EWTNews
Catholic Sat retweeted
Christian Marquant, president of the traditional Catholic Paix Liturgique Association, has revealed that he has asked at least 10 times for a meeting with Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship.
"When staff in Roche’s dicastery asked why he wanted a meeting, Marquant replied that he wished to greet him, since he had regularly visited his predecessor to receive instructions, and even simply to have a coffee together.
Nothing. Not even an honest exchange." —
@messainlatino
Link below 👇
Catholic Sat retweeted
JUST IN: Vatican Bars Annual TLM Pilgrimage from Entering St. Peter’s Basilica — dianemontagna.substack.com/p…
According to organizers of the annual ‘Summorum Pontificum’ pilgrimage , the decision was communicated in a recent letter from the Vatican Secretariat of State
More here: dianemontagna.substack.com/p…
Seven shot dead by gunmen at an Eastern Orthodox funeral in Jordan bbc.com/news/articles/ck87zl…
Catholic Sat retweeted
Papa Bento XVI: “Um católico será considerado culpado por cooperar com o mal e não poderá receber a Comunhão se votar em um candidato político que é a favor da eutanásia e/ou do aborto.”
Catholic Sat retweeted
NEW from Buckingham Palace @RoyalFamily
Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex accepts honorary title at St George’s Chapel, Windsor
With the gracious approval of His Majesty The King, The Dean and Canons of Windsor are delighted to announce that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has become Papal Confrater of the College of St George at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
Catholic Sat retweeted
Gosh, I’d love to attend this debate. But I’m pretty sure I have a MAGA rally to attend that night…
If you have any doubt that the German Catholic academy has fallen into clownish irrelevance, look no further than this inane and ginned-up “controversy.”
Last summer, the vaunted “protest” consisted of 25 desultory septuaginarians holding signs and a statement from the theological faculty of the University of Munster, which was at an undergraduate level of sophistication and which betrayed not the slightest indication of any familiarity with my work.
And yes, that sound you hear in the background is Josef Pieper turning in his grave.
Pope Leo XIV will not make the trip to Assisi to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace convened by Saint John Paul II. Doctors advised against the trip by helicopter in order to aid the Pope’s recovery following surgery for lung cancer:
“The Holy Father underwent a follow-up chest X-ray as scheduled.
The examination confirmed that his postoperative recovery is progressing very well. However, given the short time that has elapsed since the surgery, his doctors advised against the planned helicopter journey on October 27 as a precaution.”
