"The Pilgrimage to CHartres will Take Place Even if the Vatican Cracks Down"

 

 


 

The annual French pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres (18,000 Catholics participated at Pentecost 2024) will not change despite threats from the Vatican, Jean de Tauriers, president of the pilgrimage, told LifeSiteNews.com (December 9).

"We have a charter that we are deeply attached to and a history that we love. We will be faithful to it."

Jean de Tauriers has heard that Bishop Philippe Christory, 66, of Chartres, is very unhappy about the threatened Vatican action, which comes as a surprise to De Tauriers: "I personally heard him say that he'd like the closing Mass of our pilgrimage to be celebrated in the ordinary form."

Both Bishop Christory and the Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, 73, of Paris, are opposed to the Roman Rite: "This has been going on for 43 years. So this is nothing new," said De Tauriers.

"What they want is for us to have private Masses or the closing Mass in the rite of Paul VI."

And, "They don't accept our exclusive attachment to the traditional Mass. It's as simple as that."

The organizers remains serene and calm: "We are ready to face the closure of any cathedral or church."

They have often spoken to the many young pilgrims about the early years when the pilgrimage was outside and the cathedral doors were closed: "They’ll experience it for themselves. Period."

For 2025, it has not yet been decided who will celebrate the closing Mass, but Bishop Christory wants to give the homily. It will be the millennium of the crypt of Chartres Cathedral: "If the Cathedral is closed to us – I exclude this hypothesis, but let's assume it - if his Cathedral is closed, Bishop Christory could authorize himself to give the homily outside the cathedral, which he will have closed himself."

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