Documents Related to Celebration of the Missal of 1962

Documents Related to Celebration of the Missal of 1962

The Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI restored the right of Roman priests to celebrate Mass according to the Missal in force prior to the Second Vatican Council.

Summorum Pontificum and Related Documents

The following documents were largely replaced by Summorum Pontificum, but show papal solicitude for Catholics who desired the Traditional Latin Mass in the two decades prior to Summorum Pontificum.

Quattour abhinc annos, Congregation for Divine Worship, 3 October 1984. Norms for granting the Indult (permission) to celebrate Mass according to the Missal of 1962. 

Apostolic Letter Ecclesia Dei, Pope John Paul II, 2 July 1988. By this Apostolic Letter the Holy Father encouraged bishops to a "wide and generous application" of the norms.

Letter of Cardinal Meyer, 1990. The Prefect of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei explains how the norms are to be understood, in light of developments since Ecclesia Dei was issued.