Bishop of Pittsburgh Limits Extraordinary Form Masses: A Call to Unity in the Liturgy

Bishop of Pittsburgh Limits Extraordinary Form Masses: A Call to Unity in the Liturgy

In a letter dated August 7, 2026, Bishop Mark A. Eckman of the Diocese of Pittsburgh announced that he would not seek renewal of permission for celebrations of the Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal at Saint Titus Church of Mary, Queen of Saints Parish in Aliquippa. The final such Mass there will take place on Friday, September 4, 2026.

The letter, read from the pulpit after the First Friday Extraordinary From Latin Mass, explains the background. Pope Francis’s 2021 Apostolic Letter Traditionis Custodes governs use of the 1962 Missal and requires Holy See permission for it in parish churches. Bishop Eckman’s predecessor, Bishop David A. Zubik, had obtained permission in 2022 for limited celebrations at St. Titus (third Sundays of the month, excluding Easter, Christmas, and Pentecost, plus First Fridays). That permission was temporary—initially for two years—and later extended for another two years through 2026.

Bishop Eckman notes that in granting the permissions, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments reminded the diocese that the current Roman Missal, promulgated by Popes St. Paul VI and St. John Paul II, is the unique expression of the lex orandi (law of prayer) of the Roman Rite. The faithful are therefore to grow in their appreciation of it. Permission for the older ritual in a parish church “was only ever meant to be temporary.” The expectation of the Holy See has been that the need for such permission would eventually end and that the faithful would be brought toward the celebration of the post-conciliar ritual.

After consultation with experts and time spent in prayer and discernment, Bishop Eckman decided not to request another renewal. He invites those who still desire the 1962 form to attend Most Precious Blood of Jesus Parish, where the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest offers it daily in full conformity with Church norms. He acknowledges the decision may be difficult for some who have found spiritual nourishment in the celebrations at St. Titus, expresses gratitude for their love of the Eucharist and devotion to the Church, and assures them of his prayers as all continue to walk together in communion, growing in faith, charity, and unity.

We must respect the bishop’s decisions. He is the pastor, the shepherd of the diocese. The Ordinary Form of the Mass is the sole unique expression of the Roman Liturgy. In other words, Catholics must stay with the times and follow through with Vatican II. We must all be on one page. The liturgy is not our personal buffet where we pick and choose what pleases us. It is the worship of God, and the Church decides this, not us. The Extraordinary Form is not being banned or suppressed, just limited in a way that will bring all Catholics to be on the same page regarding the Liturgy.