Traditionis Custodes strikes again: Kentucky bishop bans Traditional Latin Mass

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Traditionis Custodes strikes again: Kentucky bishop bans Traditional Latin Mass
The Bishop of Owensboro, Kentucky, William F. Medley, directed Father David Kennedy to cease celebrating Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal.



Catholic priest celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass
Thoom/Shutterstock

Jun 22, 2026
OWENSBORO, Kentucky (LifeSiteNews) — The Bishop of Owensboro has ordered a priest to stop celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass, citing instructions previously received from the Holy See.

On May 18, the Bishop of Owensboro, Kentucky, William F. Medley, directed Father David Kennedy, priest of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Earlington, Kentucky, to cease celebrating Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal after June 30, 2026, stating that he cannot satisfy conditions established by the Holy See for the continuation of that permission.

“I have reviewed my correspondence with the Holy See from 2023,” the letter reads. “[That correspondence] indicated: ‘If after this period of time, you wish to renew this permission you will need to send us a further relatio along with your request.”

“This relatio should contain details of the number of participants at these Masses, and it should recount the steps which have been taken to lead the faithful who are attached to the antecedent liturgy towards the celebration of the liturgy according to the liturgical books reformed by decree of the Second Vatican Council and which form the unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite.’”

“As I am unable to demonstrate that this condition has been met, I have no standing to request an extension of the Holy See’s instruction, and I am directing you to not celebrate the Mass according to the Roman Missal of 1962 after June 30, 2026,” Bishop Medley wrote.

“I know that in some dioceses the faithful who have shown a preference for the Mass celebrated in Latin have accepted the Novus Ordo Mass celebrated in the Latin language,” he continued.

For this reason, Medley also indicated that Fr. Kennedy would be permitted to continue celebrating Mass in the Latin language, but only to according to the new Missal of St. Paul VI. In the same letter, he stated that he would grant the priest “singular permission to offer this Mass ad orientem.”

“As we discussed, I have permitted nearly a year to pass beyond reception of this consent from the Holy See,” he wrote. “I did this in recognition of the death of Pope Francis. I allowed the continuation of the traditional Latin Mass after the election of Pope Leo XIV to see if he would reconsider the matter of the Mass offered in parish churches.”

Bishop Medley added that he ultimately decided to act after what he described as a decision reached during the January Consistory of the College of Cardinals.

“After more than a year, and the January Consistory of the College of Cardinals in which they specifically chose not to review Traditionis custodes, I feel obligated as bishop to act in accord with the direction of the Holy See,” he wrote.

The bishop also addressed potential objections from members of the faithful affected by the decision. He instructed Fr. Kennedy that concerns could be referred directly to him and emphasized that his actions were being taken in obedience to Rome.

“For the faithful who may object to this directive you may certainly refer them to me, but please make clear that I am acting in accord with my promise to the Pope, the Bishop of Rome,” the letter states.

The letter concludes by thanking Fr. Kennedy for his ministry to Catholics who adhere to the traditional liturgy, whom Midley calls a “small and unique community.”

The motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, issued by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007, recognized the 1962 Roman Missal as the “extraordinary form” of the Roman Rite and granted every priest the freedom to celebrate it without needing special permission from his bishop. The document framed the traditional liturgy not as a relic of the past but as a living expression of the Church’s worship, capable of enriching the entire Catholic world.

The motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, promulgated by Pope Francis in 2021, reversed this approach. It declared the reformed liturgy of Paul VI to be the “unique expression” of the Roman Rite and placed the celebration of the older form under strict episcopal control, requiring explicit authorization and often restricting its use to non‑parish settings. In practice, the two documents represent opposite ecclesiological visions: one of liturgical pluralism within unity, and one of liturgical uniformity as a condition for ecclesial communion.

The extraordinary consistory held on January 7–8 had included, among the four topics to be addressed, the question of the liturgy. However, during the cardinals’ meeting with the Pope, the topic was not taken up. Instead, Cardinal Arthur Roche — Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the mastermind behind Traditionis Custodes — circulated among the senior prelates a report on the implementation of Francis’ motu proprio.

The distinction between the Traditional Roman Mass and the post‑conciliar Novus Ordo is far deeper than the use of Latin versus the vernacular. The two forms embody different theological emphases, ritual structures, and liturgical doctrines.

The older rite highlights sacrifice, transcendence, and ritual fixity, expressed through a stable offertory, a single Roman Canon, a predominantly silent and priest‑centered action, and a dense symbolic language. The Novus Ordo, by contrast, reflects a pastoral and didactic orientation: multiple Eucharistic prayers to chose from, expanded lay participation, audible prayers, and a flexibility that allows for significant variation in tone and style. To reduce the contrast to Latin versus the local language is therefore to mislead.

The community of Catholics attached to the traditional liturgy is neither an eccentric minority nor a sociological anomaly. Over the past two decades, it has grown steadily across continents, attracting young families, converts, and vocations at rates disproportionate to its size. Its demographic profile—high Mass attendance, strong catechetical commitment, and above‑average fertility—makes it one of the most dynamic segments of Western Catholicism.