What Does the Future Hold for the Latin Mass in England and Wales.

Nearly two weeks after the promulgation of Traditionis  Custodes, it is perhaps a suitable time to look at the consequences here in England and Wales.  So far as I can discover, the only bishop to have made a public statement about the implementation of the motu proprio is Cardinal Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster (reported below).  

The reactions of all other bishops have to be found from private conversations or from second hand sources. With one exception, the Bishop of Clifton, it seems that their response is similar to that of Cardinal Nichols.  That is carry on as you have been doing, at least for the time being.

In the case of the Bishop of Clifton, the only regular every Sunday Mass Latin Mass in the diocese, -that offered by the Benedictine community at Glastonbury - has been banned. The future of Latin Masses at other locations in the diocese is unclear.  Bishop Lang has declined to make any declaration concerning these.  This silence could be interpreted as indecision, and indicate some misgivings about his earlier decision concerning Glastonbury.

So, what does the future hold?  It seems that the bishops of England and Wales are in no hurry to do anything other than maintain a holding position.  They would, no doubt, argue that, with August approaching, it is holiday time, and no time to rush into decisions - far better to let the emotion die down and return to the matter when any decisions might be received more calmly.  It is also probable that most bishops favour a collective statement rather than individual ones.  This could come with the next meeting of the bishops conference in the autumn.

It would seem to me that with every week that passes, the bishops will find it more and more difficult to implement Traditionis Custodes with rigour.  Any ban or restrictive measure imposed in the autumn will be interpreted as the action of the bishops rather that that of the pope, and few of the bishops would want to bring down opprobrium on themselves.  It is likely that the bishops will want to apply as light as touch as they feel that they can get away with.

Furthermore, the statement by Cardinal Nichols includes this very clear passage:

My intention is to grant faculties for these requests, as long as it is clear that the conditions of the Motu Proprio are fulfilled and the intentions of the Holy Father fully accepted.'

I suspect that most if not all the bishops will fall in behind this approach.