French bishops say Vatican could consider ‘banning certain celebrations’ of Latin Mass at Chartres pilgrimage

CV NEWS FEED // The newspaper of France’s bishops reports that the Vatican could consider “banning certain celebrations” of the Latin Mass at the annual 2025 Chartres pilgrimage, a pilgrimage for those dedicated to the Tridentine Mass.

“According to consistent information in Paris and Rome, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments believes that this annual gathering raises questions of compliance with the rules in force on the Mass in the ancient rite,” La Croix reports. “And would indeed consider banning certain celebrations.

“The 2025 edition of the pilgrimage organized by the Notre-Dame de Chrétienté association, which should again see thousands of pilgrims converge on Chartres Cathedral from June 7 to 9, 2025, is in the sights of this dicastery, headed by British Cardinal Arthur Roche. Author of the texts restricting the use of pre-conciliar missals, he believes that the organizers of the event are not respecting the norms.”

Last year, the Chartres pilgrimage garnered record numbers of attendees, between 18,000-20,000 pilgrims, according to the Catholic Herald UK. The pilgrimage also has a notably young demographic, as the average age of the pilgrims is 23.

The 60-mile pilgrimage takes place on Pentecost, and last year it attracted high-profile conservatives like news commentator Candace Owens. French politician Marion Maréchal was present, according to the European Conservative, as well as the Duke of Anjou, Louis de Bourbon.

“But the question remains: when the spirit of the age is so set against everything this pilgrimage stands for, why is it so popular?” the Catholic Herald author Paul Sapper wrote. “As a 26-year-old Catholic man, I attended the pilgrimage precisely for this reason — it offers everything the world is lacking and badly needs.”

He wrote that in an age that offers young people despair, the pilgrimage offers young people joy. 

“It does this by presenting the authentic tradition of the Catholic Church – and the Traditional Latin Mass is a crucial part of that,” he said.

One British pilgrim, a 22-year-old named Grace Miller who attended with her fiance, told Sapper why the annual event is important. 

“I think the Chartres pilgrimage attracts such great numbers of young people because it exemplifies the world they long for,” she said. “Not necessarily a retreat to the past but a living community of joy and sacrifice and truth and charity.”