Philippe Darantière calls on French bishops to better welcome traditional Catholics, citing pastoral challenges and Pope Leo XIV’s appeal.
Newsroom (23/07/2026 Gaudium Press) Five years after the publication of Traditionis Custodes, tensions surrounding the place of the traditional Latin Mass in France remain unresolved, according to Philippe Darantière, president of Notre-Dame de Chrétienté. Speaking to Tribune Chrétienne, Darantière issued a direct appeal to France’s bishops, urging them to adopt what he describes as a more generous and pastoral approach toward Catholics attached to the Vetus Ordo, or traditional Roman Rite.
His remarks come shortly after the Lex Orandi Union, a coalition of associations representing faithful attached to the traditional liturgy, addressed a message to the French episcopate. They also follow Pope Leo XIV’s March 18 appeal encouraging bishops to find “concrete solutions” for welcoming these communities within diocesan life.
For Darantière, the central issue is not one of liturgical preference alone, but of ecclesial integration and pastoral care.
Uneven Treatment Across French Dioceses
Notre-Dame de Chrétienté joined the Lex Orandi Union in 2021, the same year Traditionis Custodes was issued. Since then, Darantière argues that conditions for traditional Catholic communities have generally not improved.
He points to several dioceses where priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter were removed, including Grenoble, Quimper, and Valence. According to him, such decisions often resulted in the disappearance of weekday celebrations of the traditional Mass and the discontinuation of spiritual activities that had developed around those communities, including adult catechesis, conferences, and scouting chaplaincies.
Families, he says, have often been redirected to standard parish structures for catechetical formation despite what he describes as a broader crisis in transmitting the faith to younger generations.
The challenges are not limited to parish life. Darantière also highlights restrictions on traditional liturgical celebrations during pilgrimages with longstanding regional and spiritual roots. He cites examples in Normandy and Lyon, while noting that other pilgrimage initiatives have struggled to maintain recognition of their liturgical identity following changes in diocesan leadership.
In his assessment, only a handful of dioceses, including Bordeaux and Versailles, offer what he considers full integration of traditional Catholic communities.
Questions Over the Response to Rome
A key concern raised by Darantière is what he perceives as a lack of response to Pope Leo XIV’s request that French bishops seek practical ways to accommodate faithful attached to the traditional rite.
He notes that following the French bishops’ plenary assembly in Lourdes, public comments appeared to suggest that the existing application of Traditionis Custodes in France would remain unchanged despite the Pope’s intervention.
At the same time, Darantière acknowledges initiatives aimed at fostering dialogue. He specifically welcomed efforts by Bishop de Cagny of Évreux, who oversees liturgical matters within the French Bishops’ Conference, to encourage reflection on themes such as Tradition, the sacred, and Christian identity.
According to Darantière, one of the most pressing problems is a lack of mutual understanding between traditional Catholic communities and the episcopate. He argues that rebuilding trust will require both sides to acknowledge existing misunderstandings and engage in meaningful discussion.
Pastoral Concerns Beyond Sunday Mass
Among the most sensitive issues raised in the interview are the practical difficulties some families face when seeking sacramental celebrations according to the traditional liturgy.
Darantière says many Catholics regularly travel long distances to attend Mass, arrange baptisms, or celebrate weddings in the rite that nourishes their spiritual life. During the summer months, when families are away from their home parishes, these difficulties can become even more apparent.
He also refers to what he describes as especially painful situations involving refusals to celebrate funerals according to the Vetus Ordo, even when requested by families or explicitly desired by the deceased. Such cases, he argues, contribute to a sense of exclusion among traditional Catholics.
For supporters of the traditional liturgy, these experiences raise broader questions about equality of treatment within the Church and the practical implementation of pastoral care.
Calls for Institutional Solutions
Darantière believes that resolving the issue may ultimately require direct intervention from Rome. He points to several proposals advanced by prominent Church figures.
Among them are calls to re-establish the Ecclesia Dei commission, requests for a review of Traditionis Custodes, and suggestions for a dedicated ecclesiastical structure serving Catholics attached to the traditional liturgy.
While emphasizing that possible solutions already exist, he expresses hope that Pope Leo XIV will make a favorable decision that clarifies the status and future of these communities.
In the meantime, he maintains that diocesan bishops possess significant authority to improve the situation locally and demonstrate what he calls authentic pastoral concern.
Looking Toward Unity
Despite his criticisms, Darantière’s message is not solely one of confrontation. He points to the Church’s preparations for Pope Leo XIV’s planned visit to France in September as an opportunity to strengthen unity among Catholics.
Notre-Dame de Chrétienté and many of its members are reportedly involved in organizing aspects of the visit, a development he sees as encouraging. He also notes positive relationships with lay organizers, many of whom have participated in the Chartres pilgrimage associated with the movement.
For Darantière, unity among ordinary faithful may eventually pave the way for greater institutional unity within the Church.
“Come and See”
The interview concludes with what has become Darantière’s central invitation to France’s bishops: “Come and see.”
As president of Notre-Dame de Chrétienté, he points to the annual Chartres pilgrimage as evidence of the vitality of communities attached to the traditional liturgy. He has invited a bishop to preside over the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament during the Pentecost Sunday 2027 pilgrimage, describing it as an opportunity for the episcopate to witness firsthand the enthusiasm, youth participation, family life, and vocations emerging from these circles.
Darantière argues that much of the mistrust directed toward traditional Catholics stems from what he considers a mistaken identification of the Second Vatican Council with the liturgical reforms that followed it. He maintains that Catholics attached to the Vetus Ordo accept the Council through the lens of Church Tradition and rejects accusations that they are inherently opposed to Vatican II.
Echoing Pope Leo XIV’s March 18 message, Darantière ultimately calls for a “new perspective” rooted in mutual understanding, charity, and unity of faith. Whether that appeal will lead to practical changes in France’s dioceses remains an open question, but the debate over the place of the traditional liturgy in the Church appears far from settled.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Tribune Chretienne
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