Pope Francis met with leaders from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), a group dedicated to the ancient Latin Mass, on February 29, 2024.
The FSSP, a society of apostolic life of pontifical right by the Holy See which adheres strictly to the 1962 Missal, sought the audience to express gratitude and discuss challenges following the papal decree Traditionis custodes.
“The Pope was very understanding,” said Father Andrez Komorowski, the superior general of the FSSP.
During the audience, Pope Francis reaffirmed the FSSP’s right to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass, emphasizing the importance of their role in fostering ecclesial communion. “He invited the Fraternity of St. Peter to continue to build up ecclesial communion ever more fully through its own proper charism,” Komorowski said.
Father Armand de Malleray, superior of the FSSP’s England apostolate, remarked to Catholic Herald the meeting was encouraging to the FSSP and to all “those who seek to honour God and serve souls through the Roman traditions.”
This meeting marks the second time the FSSP leadership has met with Pope Francis.
The encounter reaffirms the FSSP’s unique position within the Catholic Church and its continued mission to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass, marking the path forward for dialogue and unity.
Photo credit: Academia Christiana via Flickr via Wikimedia Commons
