Pope Francis confirms the liturgical identity of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter

Dear Friends,

His Holiness Pope Francis has confirmed the liturgical identity of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (see below). Deo gratias for such a response from heaven to your prayers!
We note that:

1. The meeting of the FSSP superiors with the Holy Father took place during our Novena of Preparation of Worldwide Solemn Consecration of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
2. Further, the Decree confirming our liturgical identity is dated 11th February, the Feast of the Apparitions of Our Lady in Lourdes, and the day of the Worldwide Solemn Consecration of the FSSP. Therefore, after God almighty our gratitude goes to the Immaculate Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
3. The news was released on 21st February when First Vespers of the Feast of the Chair of Peter occur, it being a First Class Feast in our Fraternity. Thus we also must express our gratitude to our Patron St Peter the Apostle, and must pray further for his successor Pope Francis.

In thanksgiving therefore, we invite you to attend Holy Mass tomorrow, especially if you live near an FSSP Mass centre. At St Mary’s Warrington Holy Mass will be sung tomorrow on Tuesday 22nd February at 12:10pm, followed by a sung Te Deum. We invite all who live at a distance to pray with us via LiveMass.net.
Reminder for members of the Confraternity of Saint Peter: plenary indulgence tomorrow at the usual conditions.
Although we all must pray further for any clergy and laity to benefit from the riches of the Roman traditions of the Church, the communiqué below must strengthen the hopes of all loyal Catholics.

Official communiqué of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter

Published 21 February 2022

Fribourg, February 21, 2022

On Friday, February 4, 2022, two members of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Fr. Benoît Paul-Joseph, Superior of the District of France, and Fr. Vincent Ribeton, Rector of St. Peter’s Seminary in Wigratzbad, were received in private audience by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, for nearly an hour.

During the very cordial meeting, they recalled the origins of the Fraternity in 1988, the Pope expressed that he was very impressed by the approach taken by its founders, their desire to remain faithful to the Roman Pontiff and their trust in the Church. He said that this gesture should be “preserved, protected and encouraged”.

In the course of the audience, the Pope made it clear that institutes such as the Fraternity of St. Peter are not affected by the general provisions of the Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes, since the use of the ancient liturgical books was at the origin of their existence and is provided for in their constitutions.

The Holy Father subsequently sent a decree signed by him and dated February 11, the day the Fraternity was solemnly consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, confirming for the members of the Fraternity the right to use the liturgical books in force in 1962, namely: the Missal, the Ritual, the Pontifical and the Roman Breviary.

Grateful to the Holy Father, the members of the Fraternity of St. Peter are in thanksgiving for this confirmation of their mission. They invite all the faithful who feel close to them as a spiritual family to attend or join them in prayer at the Mass tomorrow, on the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, and to pray for the Supreme Pontiff.

Source : www.fssp.org

Photo: Fr. Paul-Joseph (left) and Fr. Vincent Ribeton (right) with Pope Francis – © Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter

Decree of Pope Francis confirming the use of the 1962 liturgical books

The Holy Father Francis, grants to each and every member of the Society of Apostolic Life “Fraternity of Saint Peter”, founded on July 18, 1988 and declared of “Pontifical Right” by the Holy See, the faculty to celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass, and to carry out the sacraments and other sacred rites, as well as to fulfill the Divine Office, according to the typical editions of the liturgical books, namely the Missal, the Ritual, the Pontifical and the Roman Breviary, in force in the year 1962.

They may use this faculty in their own churches or oratories; otherwise it may only be used with the consent of the Ordinary of the place, except for the celebration of private Masses.
Without prejudice to what has been said above, the Holy Father suggests that, as far as possible, the provisions of the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes be taken into account as well.
Given in Rome, near St. Peter’s, on February 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, in the year 2022, the ninth year of my Pontificate.

Francis

by Fr AM