The Holy Father, in the Audience granted on 20 February to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, has confirmed the following regarding the implementation of his Motu Proprio Traditionis custodes of 16 July 2021.

These dispensations are reserved in a special way to the Apostolic See (cf. C.I.C. can. 87 §1):

  - the use of a parish church or the erection of a personal parish for the celebration of the Eucharist using the Missale Romanum of 1962 (cf. Traditionis custodes art. 3 §2);

  - the granting of permission to priests ordained after the publication of Motu proprio Traditionis custodes to celebrate with the Missale Romanum of 1962 (cf. Traditionis custodes art. 4).

As established by Art. 7 of Motu proprio Traditionis custodes, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments exercises the authority of the Holy See in the above-mentioned cases, supervising the observance of the provisions.

Should a diocesan bishop have granted dispensations in the two cases mentioned above, he is obliged to inform the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, which will assess the individual cases.

Furthermore, the Holy Father confirms - having already expressed his assent in the audience of 18 November 2021 - what was established in the Responsa ad dubia with the annexed Explanatory Notes of 4 December 2021.

The Holy Father has also ordered that this Rescript be published in L'Osservatore Romano and, subsequently, in the official commentary of the Acta Apostolicae Sedis.

From the Vatican, 20 February 2023

Arthur Card. Roche

Prefect