On September 4, Gloria.tv published a German video interview with Bishop Athanasius Schneider (below) —the main points are shortened and slightly summarized.
The freedom of the classical Roman Rite is a matter of justice. The Church cannot commit such a major fracture by prohibiting a form of Mass that it itself valued and recommended for over a thousand years.
“I would like to talk to Leo XIV about the classical Mass.”
The Roman Rite is not the ‘Tridentine Mass’. The missals before and after the Council of Trent (1545–1562) are the same. Minor changes were to saints’ feasts or readings.
For example, Pope Innocent III (1161–1216) wrote a famous commentary on the order of Mass, in which he discusses exactly the same Mass.
If the liturgy is restricted to the extent ordered by Pope Francis, it inevitably appears suspect, as though there were something intrinsically wrong with it. It is therefore important that cardinals and bishops are able to communicate this concern to Pope Leo XIV. I would also like to do so.
The wrong high clergy rule the Vatican
Pope Leo XIV made a positive impression right from the start, radiating a certain spirituality. He wore the traditional papal vestments, gave the blessing in Latin, and, above all, did not talk about himself or draw attention to himself.
Unfortunately, there are still high-ranking clergymen in office in the Vatican who wield a great deal of influence. The Pope must therefore ensure that he surrounds himself with good collaborators.
Personnel decisions are of paramount importance. They determine everything. The Pope should proceed with caution and scrupulousness in this regard. This applies to the appointment of bishops and, of course, cardinals, who will then elect his successor.
Paul VI’s liturgical reform implemented Luther’s vision
The structure of the New Mass allows for the priest to make choices or speak freely in several places. This lack of clear structure opens up the possibility of many abuses.
The new Mass rite should be amended so that, from the moment of the offering onwards, it is celebrated facing the Lord, with the priest and the congregation facing the same way. This is a fundamental element of prayer in general.
Secondly, the Roman Canon should be the only Eucharistic Prayer in the Roman Mass. The word ‘canon’ means ‘rule’, or how one should pray.
Thirdly, communion should once again be received kneeling and in the mouth, as has been the custom for centuries. This is the most appropriate way to receive the Lord.
The offertory prayers should be replaced by the traditional ones. The new prayers do not express the meaning of the sacrifice, but rather that of a meal. They are written in the spirit of the Jewish Sabbath meal and partly derive from the Talmud. These cannot be used any longer.
These new prayers reflect the beliefs of Martin Luther (1483–1546). He proposed changes to the Mass. In his crude manner, he demanded that anything that reeks of sacrifice be removed, including the sacrificial prayers and the canon. Paul VI’s liturgical reform partially implemented Luther’s vision.
Finally, part of the liturgy should remain in Latin — at least the Roman Canon.
German bishops’ collaborating with an anti-human ideology
Unlike in other countries, the German episcopate — that is, the chairman and committees of the Bishops’ Conference — deliberately promotes a course of action that contradicts the Catholic faith. The Church’s faith is being adapted to fashionable trends and the immorality of the world.
Under the pretext of inclusion or science, the German hierarchy is collaborating with an anti-human ideology promoted by political elites worldwide. The Bishops’ Conference has thus officially become complicit in an extreme ideological regime.
In other countries, individual bishops bless gender ideology and homosexuality. However, it is not the official structures of the bishops’ conferences that promote totalitarianism.
The destruction of the Catholic faith and the natural moral law within the Church is primarily driven in so-called Western countries. In Africa, however, common sense prevails against gender ideology.
In Germany, forces outside the Church are using the Bishops’ Conference as a tool to rob the Church of its identity and transform it into just another NGO. This is being done in the service of a neo-communist, neo-Marxist world ideology.