Cardinal Zuppi leads Summorum Pontificum Vespers in Rome, embraces Cardinal Burke in rare gesture of unity amid traditional liturgy tensions.
Newsroom (28/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) Cardinal Matteo Zuppi presided over pontifical Vespers on Friday evening, October 24, at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Damaso, attracting hundreds of pilgrims who spilled out beyond the basilica’s doors amid the launch of the Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage.
The event marked the resumption of the pilgrimage’s core rites after a suspension prompted by Pope Francis’ 2021 apostolic letter Traditionis Custodes, which imposed strict limits on the traditional Latin Mass. Cardinal Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna and a figure often aligned with the Church’s progressive wing yet sympathetic to the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite, served as celebrant.
Clergy and faithful processed into the basilica, including a notable contingent of Roman diocesan priests alongside members of traditional societies such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) and the Institute of the Good Shepherd. Dom Alcuin Lenzi of the Institute of the Good Shepherd directed the ceremonies, with assistance from other clerics.
At the Vespers’ conclusion, Cardinal Zuppi shared a warm embrace with Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, a prominent advocate for traditional doctrine and liturgy. The two exchanged brief words before separating, a moment met with applause from the assembly. Observers highlighted the encounter’s significance, given the cardinals’ contrasting reputations: Zuppi as a bridge-builder in progressive circles, and Burke as a steadfast defender of pre-Vatican II practices.
“This simple act of fraternity underscores unity in prayer despite differing views,” one commentator noted, adding that it offered a counterpoint to tensions in the post-Traditionis Custodes landscape.
Also in attendance were Cardinal Burke and Monsignor Gilles Wach, superior general of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP).
Earlier that day, the pilgrimage’s 10th “Pax Liturgica” conference featured a talk at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum, near St. Peter’s Square. Cardinal Robert Sarah addressed the gathering.
Launched in 2012 to promote the 2007 motu proprio Summorum Pontificum—which expanded access to the traditional Mass—the pilgrimage had scaled back its full schedule following Traditionis Custodes.
Amid ongoing liturgical debates, participants expressed cautious hope that Zuppi’s involvement and the cardinals’ interaction signal potential paths toward reconciliation in Catholic worship.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Catholic Herald
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