"I am in no way questioning its validity; there is a continuity, but it is strained. You cannot take something that is so rich in beauty and remove the beautiful elements without there being negative effects," said the cardinal in a podcast on the "EWTN" channel at the weekend.
He criticised the fact that the rite had been "radically reduced" after the Council. The problem is not the teaching of the Council itself, but, according to Burke, "the way in which this teaching has been misused".
In traditionalist circles, the US-American is regarded as a prominent "advocate" of the traditional Latin Mass, the so-called "Old Mass" - despite his recent statements in which he also attached great importance to the post-conciliar form of the Mass. Among his supporters, this contribution met with sharp criticism.
Hope for a change of course
With the motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum", which came into force in 2007 "Summorum Pontificum" Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013) made it much easier to celebrate the liturgy according to the 1962 missals.
This liberalisation was extended in 2021 by the motu proprio "Traditionis custodes" by Pope Francis (2013-2025) largely cancelled this liberalisation.
At a conference in mid-June, Burke warned of a "persecution from the centre of the Church" against supporters of the "Old Mass".
As early as 2023, he had already spoken of a "persecution" of traditionalist believers spoken.
Burke was considered one of Pope Francis' harshest critics.
After the Synod on the Family, he was one of the cardinals who, with formal enquiries (dubia) about the Pope's stance on communion for remarried divorcees.
He also addressed the World Synod Dubia to Francis.
He had already lobbied Pope Leo XIV for a change of course with regard to the pre-conciliar liturgy.