Catholic World News News Feature
Latin Mass barred in Italian diocese November 29, 2007
The temporary administrator of Italy's Savona-Noli diocese has temporarily banned the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass, until questions about the papal motu proprio on that topic are "sufficiently clarified."
Msgr. Andrea Giusto, who is serving as apostolic administrator in Savona-Noli until a new bishop is appointed, has issued instructions "to ensure that in no church in the diocesan territory Masses according to the pre-Conciliar rite are celebrated," the Rorate Caeli blog reports, citing Italian media stories.
The diocesan administrator argued that Summorum Pontificum allows the use of the extraordinary form only when priests can attest that a stable group of parishioners has received "solid liturgical formation and a knowledge of the Latin language." Until a new bishop sets forth rules to judge when those conditions have been met, Msgr. Giusto concluded, the extraordinary form cannot be used.
The Savona-Noli diocese has been vacant since July, when Bishop Domenico Calcagno was brought to the Vatican to serve as secretary to the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, with the title of archbishop.
