The Vatican Dicastery for Divine Worship has authorised the celebration of the pre-conciliar liturgy in parish churches in 56 parish churches in ten countries in 2022.
With 34 parish churches, the most dispensations were granted for a total of 20 US dioceses, according to the Official Gazette of the Dicastery for Divine Worship ("Notitiae") for the year 2022, published on Friday.
In Germany, dispensations were granted for five parish churches, all of which are located in the diocese of Regensburg.
Figures for the years from 2023 onwards are not yet available, so it can be assumed that further dispensations have been granted since then.
In the summer of 2021, Pope Francis issued the motu proprio "Traditionis custodes", which celebration of the liturgy according to the missals of 1962 was severely restricted.
Among other things, such masses should no longer be celebrated in parish churches.
In December 2021, the liturgical dicastery announcedthat a deviation from this rule may not be made by diocesan bishops on their own initiative, but requires authorisation from the Vatican authority. This is only granted in cases "where it is clear that it is impossible to use another church, an oratory or a chapel".
The assessment of this impossibility must be carried out with the utmost care.
In February 2023 the Pope confirmed the sole power of dispensation of the Liturgical Dicastery with a decree.
Dispensations mainly in North America
According to the dicastery's list, in addition to the dispensations for 34 US parish churches in 20 dioceses, dispensations were granted in Poland (3 dioceses, 3 parish churches), Great Britain (4 dioceses, 5 parish churches), Canada (3 dioceses, 4 parish churches), Poland (3 dioceses, 3 parish churches), Germany (1 diocese, 5 parish churches) as well as Lithuania, Italy, Hungary and Austria (1 diocese with 1 parish church each).
The five parish churches in the diocese of Regensburg are St Joseph in Dachelhofen, St Michael in Donaustauf, St Georg in Gerzen, St Pankratius in Grafentraubach and St Johannes in Altmühlmünster.
In February 2022, Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer issued a general implementing decree on "Traditionis custodes" which stipulated, among other things, that requests for the celebration of the pre-conciliar liturgy in parish churches can be submitted to the bishop or vicar general, which will then be presented to Rome for approval by the bishop if necessary.
Prior to the reservation of the power of dispensation by the dicastery, the Archbishop of Freiburg Stephan Burger had issued an implementing decreewhich was based on the assumption that he was entitled to the power of dispensation.
At that time, Burger granted dispensations for the parish church of St Joseph in Freiburg and the pilgrimage church of Walldürn.