The Future of the Latin Mass in D.C.

For centuries, Catholics around the world gathered in their local parishes to worship God in Latin, the official language of the Church and its liturgy. Today, however, guidance from Pope Francis threatens the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), and multiple priests and parishioners in the Archdiocese of Washington (which encompasses D.C. and several Maryland counties) fear that in the coming weeks, Cardinal Wilton Gregory will permanently remove the Old Mass from parochial settings. Setting debates about the virtues and vices of the TLM aside, Gregory's decision will have serious, real-world consequences for parochial life in D.C.: from uprooting longstanding communities committed to the extraordinary form of the Mass to relegating the TLM to a centralized location that lacks the care of a designated pastor.