Did the Vatican “Kick Out” Extraordinary Form Devotees? Examining the Claims Around the 2026 Pilgrimage and Liturgical Restrictions

Did the Vatican “Kick Out” Extraordinary Form Devotees? Examining the Claims Around the 2026 Pilgrimage and Liturgical Restrictions

Recent reports and online claims that the Vatican “kicked out” Catholics devoted to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite refer primarily to events surrounding the annual Ad Petri Sedem (also called the Summorum Pontificum) pilgrimage in October 2026. These claims reflect a real restriction on a specific group event but overstate the outcome. The Vatican did not expel such Catholics from the Church or from Vatican City as a whole. Authorities denied an organized procession and a Mass according to the 1962 Missal in St. Peter’s Basilica—after permitting a Mass there the year before. This occurs against the background of the restrictions introduced in Traditionis Custodes (2021), which remain in force under Pope Leo XIV with case-by-case permissions continuing.

 Terminology and the Extraordinary Form

The Extraordinary Form designates the Roman Rite Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal (the final pre-conciliar edition). Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 Summorum Pontificum described it as the “Extraordinary Form” of the one Roman Rite and expanded access to it. Advocates of this form often erroneously call it the Traditional Latin Mass (or TLM) and presume it represents the authentic, uninterrupted traditional expression of the Roman liturgy—contrasted with the post-conciliar reform. The Ordinary Form is the Mass of Paul VI (promulgated after Vatican II). Some critics erroneously call this the “Novus Ordo” (New Order), a term popularized in polemical contexts; the Church presents it as the normative expression of the Roman Rite after the Council’s liturgical directives.

Traditionis Custodes declared the liturgical books promulgated by Saints Paul VI and John Paul II the “unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite.” It restored diocesan bishops’ exclusive competence to authorize use of the 1962 Missal, generally preferred non-parish locations, prohibited new personal parishes dedicated to it, and required that groups not reject the legitimacy of the reform or Vatican II. The accompanying letter framed the measure as protecting unity.

 The October 2026 Pilgrimage Restriction

The Ad Petri Sedem pilgrimage, organized by the Coetus Internationalis Summorum Pontificum and associated groups such as Paix Liturgique, has gathered priests, religious, and lay people attached to the 1962 Missal in Rome since 2012. Participants affirm communion with the pope (“cum Petro et sub Petro”) and distinguish themselves from the Society of St. Pius X. They presume the 1962 Missal embodies the traditional Roman liturgy they seek to preserve and promote.

In October 2025, Pope Leo XIV authorized Cardinal Raymond Burke to celebrate a Pontifical Mass according to the 1962 Missal at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s for the pilgrims.

For 2026, the Secretariat of State refused permission for such a Mass in the basilica. Organizers then requested (letter of 8 September) to enter in procession, pray for the pope at the Confession, and adore the Blessed Sacrament. A 30 September reply from Archbishop Paolo Rudelli (Substitute for General Affairs) stated that a favorable response was not possible. On 24 October, the procession was halted at the obelisk in St. Peter’s Square (the jurisdictional boundary). The group did not enter as a body; the Mass took place elsewhere. Organizers expressed dismay, noting prior years had allowed entry for prayer even without a Mass and that other groups had processed into the basilica.

This was a denial of an organized liturgical and processional event at a principal papal basilica, not a general ban on individual Catholics who attend the Extraordinary Form (where authorized) visiting St. Peter’s, nor an excommunication or expulsion from the Church.

 Policy Continuity and Distinction from the SSPX

Pope Leo XIV has not abrogated Traditionis Custodes. Cardinal Arthur Roche has stated that the pope will not reverse it or restore the broader permissions of Summorum Pontificum. Authorizations for the 1962 Missal in parish churches continue on a case-by-case basis at roughly similar volumes to previous years (many as two-year renewals). Some bishops have tightened local practice; others have sought or maintained permissions. Leo has indicated openness to dialogue and, in certain messages, called for generous inclusion of those attached to the older form while stressing fidelity to the post-conciliar rites.

Separately, in July 2026 the SSPX consecrated bishops without a papal mandate. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith declared the act schismatic and excommunicated the bishops, SSPX priests, and those who formally adhere to the society. The SSPX exclusively uses the 1962 Missal and rejects substantial elements of Vatican II and the post-conciliar reforms; it is not in full communion. The Ad Petri Sedem organizers explicitly rejected any identification with the SSPX and reaffirmed their communion with the Roman Pontiff.

 What the Restriction Actually Means

The Vatican restricted a high-profile organized event by Catholics devoted to the Extraordinary Form—the form they presume is the traditional Roman liturgy—from using St. Peter’s for their 2026 pilgrimage Mass and procession, after permitting a Mass there in 2025. This is consistent with the post-Traditionis Custodes approach that treats the 1962 Missal as a limited concession rather than a freely parallel rite and seeks to avoid elevating it at the symbolic center of the Church. Catholics who attend the Extraordinary Form where permitted and remain in full communion have not been expelled. The form continues under authorization in various places.

The episode illustrates persistent disagreement over the liturgical reform: one side sees the 1962 Missal as the authentic traditional expression that should be more widely available; the other sees the post-conciliar Ordinary Form (erroneously called “Novus Ordo” by some critics) as the normative expression of the Roman Rite after Vatican II and views unrestricted parallel use of the older books as a threat to unity. Official sources offered only the brief Secretariat of State refusal; organizers reported that the previous year’s Mass had been described as “instrumentalized.”

 References

- Diane Montagna, “Vatican Bars Annual TLM Pilgrimage from Entering St. Peter’s Basilica” and “Letter Confirms Vatican Barred Annual TLM Pilgrimage from Entering St. Peter’s Basilica,” Substack (October 2026). Reports the Secretariat of State letter and the ban on the procession.

- Franca Giansoldati, “Traditionalist Pilgrims Face Vatican Ban,” Il Messaggero (23 October 2026). Contemporary Italian reporting on the organizers’ reaction and the ban.

- LifeSiteNews, “WATCH: Latin Mass pilgrimage physically prevented from visiting St. Peter’s Basilica” (24 October 2026). On-the-ground account of the procession being stopped at the obelisk.

- Catholic Culture / Catholic World News, reporting on the bar from St. Peter’s (October 2026).

- The New York Times, “Pope Leo’s Permission for Latin Mass in St. Peter’s Gives Traditionalists Hope” (25 October 2025). Context for the 2025 Mass celebrated by Cardinal Burke.

- Official text of Traditionis Custodes and the accompanying letter of Pope Francis to the bishops (16 July 2021), Vatican website / EWTN News. Primary legislative document.

- National Catholic Reporter, “Vatican liturgy chief says Pope Leo will not overturn Latin Mass restrictions” (July 2026), citing Cardinal Arthur Roche.

- EWTN / Catholic News Agency reporting on the volume of 1962 Missal permissions in 2025 remaining steady across the papal transition.

- Reuters, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and BBC coverage of the July 2026 SSPX consecrations and subsequent Vatican declaration of schism and excommunications.

These sources document the specific 2026 restriction, the continuing framework of Traditionis Custodes, and the separate SSPX developments. The Extraordinary Form has not been abolished, and its devotees who remain in communion with the pope remain members of the Catholic Church. Organized public use of what they presume to be the traditional liturgy, especially in major basilicas, continues to be subject to the restrictions established in 2021.