More than 19,000 mostly young Catholics walked June 7-9 from Paris to Chartres, France. The pilgrimage, sometimes called the Pèlerinage de Chrétienté, is sponsored by the Notre-Dame de Chrétienté. Most of the participants regularly attend the Traditional Latin Mass, and the number of attendees has been increasing by about 1,000 each year. This year’s pilgrimage saw the largest attendance in the event’s four-decade history.
The Vatican monitors the pilgrimage due to the use of the Traditional Latin Mass, following Pope Francis’ motu proprio “Traditionis Custodes,” which aimed to restrict its use. Participants in the pilgrimage are drawn by the wide use of the Traditional Mass, which is a form of the Roman Rite used before the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
In the past, the pilgrimage has come under scrutiny from the Vatican, specifically the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which were concerned about the pilgrimage’s adherence to the regulations set out in “Traditionis Custodes.” The Archdiocese of Paris had originally intended to host the opening Mass of the pilgrimage at Notre Dame Cathedral. However, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich declined, citing logistical reasons and a preference for the Novus Ordo Mass of the Second Vatican Council.
The pilgrimage organizers expressed dissatisfaction with this decision, particularly as the pilgrimage traditionally begins at Notre Dame Cathedral. Last month, Bishop Philippe Christory of Chartres asked organizers to allow priests to say Mass in the Novus Ordo, which is the rite used in his diocese. “All priests have to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance according to the ritual reformed by the council. It is not up to the Notre-Dame de Chrétienté Association to limit the form of the rite within by territory of a diocese,” he said.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider, ORC, of Kazakhstan – a bishop known for championing the pre-Vatican II liturgy, known as the Tridentine Mass – celebrated the High Mass on Pentecost Sunday, June 8. More than 300 Latin Masses were celebrated along the pilgrimage route.
Of course, all those interested in using or banning the Traditional Latin Mass are turning their eyes to Rome, hoping that Pope Leo XIV will decide one way or the other as to permission to celebrate the Traditional Mass.
The average age of the pilgrims is 20, according to the leaders of the walk. “The enthusiasm sparked by all the pilgrimage opportunities in France, especially those for young people, is a joy for the Church and a sign of its vitality,” said a spokesperson for the Bishops Conference of France.
Leaders of Notre-Dame de Chrétienté said that the pilgrimage helps those drawn to the traditional Church “grow in faith and hope, by bringing them back to basic fundamentals: prayer, the Eucharist, and penance – and to encourage them to live out Christianity in their daily lives.”
At the closing Mass at the majestic Chartres Cathedral – a mastermind of Gothic architecture and a symbol of enduring faith in France – Notre-Dame de Chrétienté consecrated itself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, commemorating 350 years since Christ appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in Paray-le-Monial. The pilgrims passed through the Holy Doors of the cathedral and venerated the Sancta Camisia, believed to be the veil worn by the Virgin Mary at the time of Christ’s Birth.
Father Joseph D. Wallace is diocesan director of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs and pastor of Christ the Redeemer Parish, Atco.
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