Knoxville bishop continues his war on traditional Catholics

When the Bishop of Knoxville, Tennessee, banned the praying of the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel at the end of Masses in his diocese late last week, he counted another score in his growing campaign to extinguish the faith and practices of devout and Traditional Latin Mass-going Catholics. 

Bishop Mark Beckman is at war with Traditional Latin Mass Catholics, the SSPX, and has now taken on St. Michael the Archangel. 

Beckman banned the TLM

Last year, Beckman limited the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) to just one chapel at a retreat center once a month after previously announcing the suppression of all parish TLMs in the diocese.

Beckman declared at the time that the changes to the Roman liturgy after the Second Vatican Council, as well as Pope Francis’ 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, which placed sweeping restrictions on the celebration of the TLM, were guided by the Holy Spirit.

Beckman revoked faculties of priest who associated with the SSPX

Earlier this month, Beckman revoked all the faculties of a diocesan priest who has associated himself with the SSPX. 

A strongly worded statement issued by the diocese said that Beckman had withdrawn all faculties, permissions, and authorizations previously granted to Father David Mary Engo for ministry within the diocese. “He is not authorized to exercise public priestly ministry anywhere within the Diocese of Knoxville.”

The statement went on to condemn the presence of the SSPX within his diocese, and in no uncertain terms discouraged Catholics from participation in any of the activities of the SSPX:

Furthermore, the Bishop of Knoxville has not authorized, condoned, or approved the establishment within the Diocese of any priory, mission, chapel, foundation, or other apostolate intended to advance the purposes or ministry of the Society of Saint Pius X.

The faithful are therefore strongly urged not to attend Masses, sacramental celebrations, retreats, conferences, or other religious activities organized or conducted by Fr. David Mary or in connection with this unauthorized ministry, and not to provide material or organizational support for his ministry or the establishment or maintenance of an SSPX apostolate within the Diocese.

Beckman banned Prayer to St. Michael at the end of Masses

In a statement to members of the Knoxville Diocese published on Friday, Beckman lamented that as he has traveled throughout his diocese, he “noticed that in some of our parishes additional prayers, including the Prayer to St. Michael, the ‘Prayer of St. Francis,’ a Prayer to the Holy Spirit, and others have been added regularly to the liturgy – recited together, sometimes before the entrance hymn, or immediately after the dismissal.”

“Having reflected on the importance of celebrating the liturgy in accordance with the mind of the Church, I do not think it appropriate to add additional prayers associated with the celebration of the Mass itself,” wrote Beckman.

“Therefore, I have asked our priests to catechize the people of God as we move away from additional prayers recited together immediately before, during, and immediately after Mass,” said Beckman.

Beckman instead encouraged pastors to find alternative ways to incorporate the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel “into the devotional lives of our families and communities beyond the celebration of the liturgy.”