LONDON (LifeSiteNews) — In a demonstration echoing the 1971 Agatha Christie letter, a number of leading members of British society have signed an open letter in The Times petitioning the Holy See not to restrict the traditional Mass.
Published late July 2, an open letter appeared in The Times, signed by a cross-section of leading members of British society – including Catholics, Protestants, non-Christians, and atheists – praising the “magnificent spiritual and cultural heritage” of the traditional Mass. (A copy can be read here)
Referencing the recent rumors about potential new restrictions, or bans, on the traditional Mass coming from the Vatican, the signatories stated that such news “is a painful and confusing prospect, especially for the growing number of young Catholics whose faith has been nurtured by it.”
“The traditional liturgy is a ‘cathedral’ of text and gesture, developing as those venerable buildings did over many centuries,” they wrote. “Not everyone appreciates its value and that is fine; but to destroy it seems an unnecessary and insensitive act in a world where history can all too easily slip away forgotten. The old rite’s ability to encourage silence and contemplation is a treasure not easily replicated, and, when gone, impossible to reconstruct.”
The open letter is notable for its signatories, who are as prominent as they are varied. Certain notable Catholics in public life are unsurprisingly listed, such as Lord Alton of Liverpool, soprano Sophie Bevan, pianist Sir Stephen Hough, musician and organizer of the endeavor Sir James MacMillan, and prominent journalists Fraser Nelson and Charles Moore.
But the letter is also signed by famous individuals who do not necessarily all count themselves as Catholic, including:
- Sir Nicholas Coleridge CBE, former chairman of the prestigious Victoria and Albert Musuem and incoming provost of the similarly prestigious Eton College.
- Michael Gove, former cabinet minister and current member of His Majesty’s Most Honorable Privy Council.
- Steven Isserlis CBE, world famous cellist.
- Bianca Jagger, ex-wife of Rolling Stones band member Mick Jagger.
- Lord Lloyd-Webber and Julian Lloyd Webber: brothers, who are respectively a leading composer and musical theatre leader, and world-renowned cellist.
- Dame Felicity Lott DBE, soprano.
- Tom Holland, prominent historian.
- Princess Michael of Kent.
- Rory Stewart, former politician and diplomat, former private tutor to the current Prince of Wales and current member of His Majesty’s Most Honorable Privy Council.
- Lord Stirrup KG, highly decorated Marshall of the Royal Air Force and former Chief of the Defence Staff.
- Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, internationally famous opera singer.
The letter harks back to the famous 1971 Agatha Christie letter, published by The Times, in which Catholics and non-Catholics (including Agatha Christie and leading members of British society) appealed to Pope Paul VI in support of the traditional Mass. As Sir James MacMillan noted – in an accompanying op-ed in The Times – the 1971 letter “became known as the ‘Agatha Christie letter’ because, apparently, Pope Paul VI was so startled to see the name of the ‘queen of crime’ that he allowed the old Mass to survive.”
“If it’s good enough for Agatha Christie…,” wrote Tom Holland on X, sharing news of the letter he co-signed.
Signatories of the current open letter highlighted the link they have with the 1971 original:
This appeal, like its predecessor, is ‘entirely ecumenical and non-political.’ The signatories include Catholics and non-Catholics, believers and non-believers. We implore the Holy See to reconsider any further restriction of access to this magnificent spiritual and cultural heritage.
While not yet confirmed officially by the Vatican, often conflicting rumors have been growing in recent weeks about imminent restrictions on the traditional Mass. Pope Francis’ 2021 Traditionis Custodes already ushered in sweeping restrictions on the liturgy, and Cardinal Arthur Roche – prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship – has gone on record expressing his firm opposition to the ancient rite of the Mass.
MacMillan wrote how Traditionis Custodes already came as “a shattering blow to Generation Z Catholics who have found their spiritual home in the old liturgy.”
Such Catholics “are bewildered by the new hostility they face – but now it appears that worse is to come. Sources report that the Vatican is planning an almost total ban on the ‘Mass of the Ages,’ as it’s known,” he added.
Continuing, MacMillan issued an excoriating critique of opponents of the traditional liturgy, commenting that “the fact that there are Vatican functionaries indulging in this petty, philistine authoritarianism against their own co-religionists is shocking for a non-Catholic audience.”
He described the open letter as an action “in defence of religious freedom.”
“It represents a broad political spectrum and artists born 60 years apart,” he wrote. “In the spirit of our common humanity, we appeal to the Holy See to restore to Catholics the precious freedom to participate in the glorious liturgy of their ancestors.”
The Latin Mass Society of the U.K., of which MacMillan and Charles Moore are patrons, welcomed the open letter, noting that the “strong support for the Traditional Mass by non-Catholic cultural figures derives from its place in world culture.”