The Limits of Papal Authority over the Liturgy by Fr Chad Ripperger

The Limits of Papal Authority over the Liturgy by Fr Chad Ripperger, first published in 2023, is a contribution (and response) to the recently renewed discussion of papal authority in regards to the liturgy—that is, whether the pope can change or suppress the rite.

Ripperger points out the two extreme views: 1. the pope can do whatever he wants (short of changing the words of Consecration) or 2. the pope cannot change anything.

Neither is correct and this book aims to “begin the process of identifying the principles and teachings of the Church, so as to reach conclusions through sound reasoning”.

The text is over 200 pages and organized in 9 chapters, not including the introduction, conclusion and bibliography. Chapter 10 regarding the suppression of the Traditional Latin Mass was written in 2024 for the second edition. One should receive these seven pages as a separate booklet if one orders the book through Sensus Traditionis Press. (This reviewer is not associated with Fr Ripperger or said press; one should be prepared to make enquiries.)

It is practically impossible to properly summarize the book as any summary will lack precision. And the point of the work is to be precise, or at least more precise than the rubbish one comes across all over the internet.

Although the text can get technical, it is not difficult to read. The author is Thomistic in his approach, so it is structured and commonsensical, and he is typically capable of laying out the definitions and unpacking the logic.

It is properly referenced and these are provided as footnotes. Also included in the footnotes are the original Latin that corresponds to the provided quotations.

The layout design could use a little more work, such as better paragraph spacing and a few stylistic corrections, but it is clean enough to read and does not ruin the book.

The text is intentionally short and although it is outside the scope, the author could briefly discuss, as examples, a few liturgical elements and part of their history—something like X is found in such a form in the fifth century and such a form in the third century, and a saint wrote about it in the second century with the corresponding quotation. Even though the text aims to discuss principles and a few examples are mentioned in passing, a few discussed examples of tradition would help and this is my only complaint.

A few highly generalized points are provided below.

The author devotes the first chapter to the nature of authority, as well as the difference between Divine Positive Law and Natural Law. Human authority, including that of the pope’s, is bound by them.

This also applies to the liturgy. Even though the liturgy and prayers do not determine doctrine, the liturgy is determined by and contains doctrine. Psychologically, it is the liturgy that is used for the formation of the faithful. Therefore, it is no surprise that heretics strive to change the liturgy to conform it to their heresies. Given the obvious importance and function of liturgy, the pope has jurisdiction over it.

The author covers some principles, such as longevity. Elements directly dictated by Our Lord and passed down by the Apostles obviously cannot be changed. Therefore, the substance of the Sacraments, including the form and matter, cannot be changed.

For example, regarding the Mass, it is not only the words of Consecration or the use of bread and wine that cannot be altered but that the Mass must include the three essential parts of sacrifice (offertory, consecration/slaying of the victim, consummation). In these cases, the authority of the pope is of preservation only and not determination.

Elements traceable to the Apostles but not explicitly stated by Christ are generally considered untouchable as they are considered inspired. The pope could augment them but not remove or change them.

Even elements that may not be traceable to Christ or the Apostles but has remained for a long time, if previous authority has been reluctant to change or remove them, then that is an indication that God wants those elements to remain. Any change requires justification and evidence proportional to how long the element has existed.

The modernist uses the unknown or doubt (skepticism) of the origins of tradition as permission for change. However, the principle should be the opposite: in cases of doubt, the default is to leave things as they are. Historically, it is typically tradition that is ultimately vindicated.

The author cites the example of the modernist criticism of Our Lady’s perpetual virginity, that vows of virginity and chastity were a “post-Apostolic invention”. However, according to the discoveries at Qumran, members of the Essenes were making such vows at around the time of Christ.

Since one, especially authority, should be prudent, an entire chapter is devoted to the topic. According to St Thomas Aquinas, prudence is defined as “the application of right reason to action”. The author discusses, amongst other things, the integral parts of prudence such as memory, docility, caution and how each applies to the liturgy.

In practical terms, whilst the pope has authority to make changes, it would be imprudent to make changes without due consideration and/or make too many changes too quickly. Psychologically, laws lose their binding force if they change too quickly and/or too often.

In terms of the liturgy, it is tradition that makes it and the Church “timeless”. The liturgy is supposed to appeal to all generations and in that sense able to lift the faithful (and the world) from the times it is in. It is that which helps the Church “keep up with the times”. By changing the liturgy to suit a particular time, it sends the Church into a “time warp” and actually locks it into that era.

The author, interestingly, mentions the papal oath thought to be used from the 7th to 11th centuries which includes the clause “[t]o keep the discipline and the rite, as we find it canonically handed down by my holy prodecessors…”

The pope does have authority to suppress a rite but on the same principles discussed. As an example, Pope Pius V suppressed rites less than 200 years old whilst the “Tridentine Mass” is actually nothing new as he merely fixed what had been in use for centuries; it was basically the codification of the rite of Pope St Gregory I the Great which was the codification of a rite with Apostolic lineage. In short, it is outside of the pope’s authority to suppress the Traditional Latin Mass.

In other words, suppression should be in the spirit of preserving sound doctrine and tradition, and provided it be prudent to do so.

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