ROME (LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez will receive an award Saturday for his “outstanding contribution to the movement for the Traditional Mass.”
In an October 26 ceremony in Mexico, Cardinal Sandoval will receive the “de Savanthem Medal” from the International Federation Una Voce (FIUV) to mark his public defense of the Church’s ancient liturgy.
FIUV, the international body representing Catholics devoted to the traditional rite of Mass, wrote October 22 that:
We are delighted to announce that on Saturday we will be presenting His Eminence Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez, sometime Archbishop of Guadalajara in Mexico, with the De Saventhem Medal, to recognise his outstanding contribution to the movement for the Traditional Mass.
The award, also given to Sir James MacMillan in September, comes in light of the two men’s public defense of the traditional Mass this summer, when rumors abounded about possible draconian new restrictions set to be issued by the Vatican on the old Mass.
Named after FIUV’s founder, the medal is bestowed “only on rare occasions to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the cause of the Traditional Mass.”
Sandoval, FIUV wrote, “has shown remarkable dedication in supporting the faithful who, in harmony with the Church’s tradition, remain devoted to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.”
The group praised the Mexican cardinal, saying “his ongoing commitment has been instrumental in ensuring that these faithful have continued access to the Traditional Mass within the framework of the Church’s hierarchy, always in full communion with Pope Francis.”
Sandoval followed on the heels of a petition organized by MacMillan, calling for the traditional Mass to be preserved from any further restrictions.
Issuing his own letter to Pope Francis a few days later, Sandoval strongly defended the old Mass, writing that “it cannot be bad what the Church celebrated for four centuries, the Mass of St. Pius V in Latin, with a rich and pious liturgy that invites us to enter into the Mystery of God.”
READ: Mexico’s Cardinal Sandoval defends Latin Mass in new letter to Pope Francis
“Several Catholic and non-Catholic individuals and groups have expressed the desire that it not be suppressed but that it be preserved,” he commented, noting how the petitioners argued so “because of the richness of its liturgy and in Latin, which together with Greek, is the matrix of culture, not only in the West, but also in other parts of the world.”
Closing the brief letter, Sandoval – made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1994 – urged Francis not to restrict the ancient Mass.
“Pope Francis, do not allow this to happen,” he said in reference to further restrictions. “You are also the custodian of the historical, cultural, and liturgical richness of the Church of Christ.”
A number of leading campaigners, intellectuals, politicians, and professionals joined their names to Sandoval’s in an official “Letter of Adherence.” “We attest that among the signatories there are those of us who attend the Mass celebrated with the Missal of Saint Pius V and those who attend the Mass of Saint Paul VI; we are united by the recognition of the value of this liturgical and cultural heritage and the desire for concord and unity in the Church,” they wrote.
“The ancient liturgy, on the peripheries of the Church, is not so low status and friendless as some of our opponents would prefer,” FIUV noted in its press release today. “Men and women from all kinds of backgrounds, interested in culture and spirituality, recognise that its disappearance would be a disaster.”
The rumors predicting Latin Mass restrictions have died down since the summer, perhaps at least in part aided by the amount of reporting on the issue and the strong public support for the ancient Mass via a number of petitions.
Three of the key prelates believed to be supporting the push to restrict the Latin Mass confirmed to LifeSiteNews that they were not involved in the rumored action.
EXCLUSIVE: Cardinal Parolin denies involvement in plan to increase Latin Mass restrictions
Cardinal Arthur Roche, the prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, did not respond to similar questioning and in the meantime blocked LifeSiteNews on an internet platform. Roche is the superior of Archbishop Vittorio Viola, the secretary of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments who is the author of the rumored document.
The rumored document, however, appeared to have been stalled by the end of the summer with no imminent sign of it emerging.