UK archbishop grants initial permission for ancient Sarum Rite Mass

In a letter dated October 6, Archbishop Longley granted layman Peter Caffrey’s request for Mass to be celebrated according to the Sarum use, which dates back to the Middle Ages, within the Archdiocese of Birmingham, per an AdVaticanum report. While permission has been granted in principle, the priest who ultimately plans to celebrate the Sarum Mass(es) will still need to submit a formal request to the archdiocese before scheduling.

“Thank you for setting out your request so clearly and for including a copy of the reply responsa ad dubia from the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei,” the archbishop wrote in his letter. “I am happy to agree in principle to the celebration of Mass according to the Use of Sarum at a location or locations within the Archdiocese of Birmingham. This should enable you to make further detailed plans.”

“I hope that this is helpful to you and I assure you, in the meantime, of my prayers and every kind wish,” the letter concluded.

The Sarum Use of the Roman Rite, which is similar to the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), dates back to the late 11th century in Salisbury (Sarum is Latin for “Salisbury”) and became the predominant way to celebrate the Roman liturgy in Southern England, Ireland, and Scotland until the Protestant revolt. While Mass celebrated according to the Sarum Rite has largely fallen out of use, as cited in Caffrey’s initial letter, the now-defunct Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei clarified in 2013 that its use was never abrogated and could be celebrated with an ordinary’s permission.

If a Mass celebrated according to the Sarum Use receives final approval, it will be the first time a Catholic priest has celebrated it in Britain in about 25 years.

The archbishop’s decision follows an in-person conversation with Caffrey during the Annual Pilgrimage Mass at Harvington as well as a formal request he submitted on September 30.

While initial permission for celebrating the ancient Sarum Rite in Britain has been granted, the ancient Tridentine Mass (TLM) largely remains restricted worldwide after Pope Francis’ 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, including in parts of the UK.

In 2024, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, then-archbishop of Westminster, moved to prevent the celebration of the traditional Holy Week services in the archdiocese, citing Traditionis Custodes, leaving his flock without the traditional Triduum for the first time since the 1990s. The previous permission for the Triduum services has not yet been restored.