Josh Mansfield
In looking at her writings & talks, Sister Elena seems to fit the mold of a Leonine liturgical canditate, considering the Chicago-born Pope’s own liturgical aptness.
Father Jorge Millán of the Pope’s former Peruvian Diocese of Chiclayo, which the Holy Father will visit in November, told the Pillar’s Edgar Beltran in May 2025 that, as Bishop Prevost, “He was a very ‘say the black, do the red’ kind of priest. He always celebrated with the solemnity required by the liturgy, not more, not less. He was always properly vested,” with former Vicar General Fr. Bernardino Gil noting, “He’s a very smart, well-rounded man, and he always gave care to all aspects of the liturgy.”
Many have noted the Holy Father’s liturgical sensabilities as Pope, restoring the use of the mozetta & stole during his first apperance, bringing back his coat of arms embroidered on his fascia at Christmas last year, wearing the pontifical dalmatic for ordinations & canonizations, & frequently having to search for the crucifix to incense during Mass when it’s not centered.
The Pillar reported in August from sources inside the Vatican that, while the Pope respects the 76-year old Cardinal Arthur Roche, whose five year term as Divine Worship Prefect expired in May of this year, for his handling of German liturgical affairs, Leo plans to continue to grant broader permission for the Traditional Latin Mass. This was noted especially in messages to the French & British Episcopal Conferences by Cardinal Pietro Parolin & France Nuncio Archbishop Miguel Buendia respectively. “It’s not a liturgical issue, but an issue of communion. If you’re in communion with the Church, we should allow for reasonable accommodation for different charismas and styles, including those who are more traditional, and I think that’s the trend now,” the Pillar reported officials as saying.
While critics would be quick to point to the ever evolving story of the Ad Petri Sedam’s experiences this year as an example to the contrary, evidence suggests that, while it was made known in December after a private audience with Bishop Athanasius Schneider that the Pope was concerned about possible “instrumentalization” of last year’s Mass in St. Peter’s, the ultimate decision was made by the Secretariat of State, with communications being sent from the Substitute of the Secretariat, Archbishop Paolo Rudelli. If the decision came from Leo himself, it likely would have been communicated through the Prefecture of the Papal Household.
The other factors in this situation have to do with the nature of the long-expected departure of Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, O.F.M. Conv. as Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica after a tumultuous five years. Word of Gambetti’s eventual ouster had been penned since the summer of 2025, with steam picking up this past July when word began to emerge that he would be named Archbishop of Cheitti-Vasto. Incidentally, July was also when the orginizers of the annual TLM pilgrimage were told by Cardinal Gambetti that the decision was out of his hands & that they would now have to go through the Secretariat of State. During this time, no less than six rummored names of possible successors to Gambetti began to appear. These included Saint Mary Major Archpriest Cardinal Makrickas, Pro-Prefect for the New Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization Rino Fisichella, the current Papal Master of Ceremonies Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Bishop of Tortona & former Papal M.C. Guido Marini, & Bishop of Pavia Corrado Sanguineti. But, prior to all of those names being dropped, Edgar Beltran noted the first name on the list of consideration was the Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
That the switch in dealing directly with Cardinal Gambetti concerning the annual Pilgrimage to the Secretariat of State for the TLM organizations came right as the news of Cardinal Parolin, who reportedly lost the 2025 Conclave in large part due to the organizational efforts of the Erdo bloc, headed by American Cardinals Burke, Dolan, & DiNardo, possibly becoming Archpriest is not a point that should be discounted. Il Tempo reported in August that the Erdo bloc believed Parolin couldn’t be trusted & thus decided to move their votes to Cardinal Prevost en masse during Round 2 of voting.
The possibility of Parolin, through Archbishop Rudelli (who, while considered, “methodical, non-ideological, and profoundly intellectual”, is known to be close to Cardinal Parolin), denying the pilgrimage access for that reason should not be entirely discounted.
If anything, that scenerio takes the spotlight & pressure of the decision off of Pope Leo entirely.
Leo’s appointment of Gambetti’s sucessor, then, came as something of a shock when the news of the appointment of Divine Worship Secretary, Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, O.F.M., as Archpriest of St. Peter’s was made. While it was widely known that Viola, considered the most ardent enforcer of the 2021 Motu Proprio, would not be appointed Prefect for Divine Worship, many thought he would be sent to replace the 78 year old Cardinal Marcello Semeraro as Prefect for the Causes of Saints.
Ed Condon, in his analysis of the Viola moves, was quite pointed, saying, “the expectation around Rome regarding Viola was that he would either remain in post for the foreseeable future or, if he was someone Leo placed particular trust in, be promoted to lead a dicastery in due course. Neither has happened. Instead, by giving him the job at St. Peter’s, Leo seems to have moved Viola out of a position of genuine power and influence in the curia and into one with decidedly less reach, globally and around Rome.”
But Ed notes that while Leo’s puzzling pick may be an odd choice to “turn the page” on Gambetti, that Viola has the reputation of being very competent in administrative matters.
This could mean that the move to St. Peter’s might not have anything to do with Viola’s views on the Usus Antiquor, as Ed notes that the word in Rome was that Leo was prepared to move Makrickas to St. Peter’s & Viola to St. Mary Major.
However, the prevailing opinion is that the Lithuanian Archpriest of the Liberian Basilica turned down the transfer, after only being St. Mary Major Archpriest since July 2025 & serving two years prior as Codjutor cleaning up a major mess of the Basilica’s administration. To be asked to go clean up the mess of another Papal Basilica after only being in your post for one year is not something people would normally say yes to. This resulted in Viola getting St. Peter’s instead.
At the very least, the transfer formally moves Viola & his views on the TLM out of the Curia proper & out of more possible influence, even though he remains inside the Vatican Basilica itself.
The Franciscan Prelate’s opinion on the Tridentine Missal to one side, a final factor that has gone unmentioned by most, yet pointed out by both The Pillar & Andrea Gagliarduci, is that Viola himself celebrates the Mass with particular reverence, with Gagliarcuci outright describing his liturgies as “rigorous” & “impeccable” with The Catholic Traveler noting that Viola has often celebrated Mass ad orientem.
What the new Synod Secretariat appointment could signify
Appointing a well-known liturgist such as Sister Elena, with a particular focus on sacred music as Undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops may still be viewed, much like his other liturgical appointments, as an odd move on the part of the Holy Father.
Unless Leo has other plans up the slevee of his cassock.
Pope Leo has not taken any hard stance (or any stance) publicily about Traditionis Custodes, nor has Sister Elena. But, from what the Chicago Pontiff’s own actions have demonstrated, in addition to what is known about his insistance on correct liturgical attention in Peru, this latest move could signify a continued move towards tightening up abuses regarding the celebration of the Missal of Pope Paul VI.
That Sister Elena was not appointed to a position on the Dicastery for Divine Worship & the Discipline of the Sacraments (a Dicastery of which she is neither a member nor consultant), but instead the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, could indicate how Pope Leo intends to use the Synod in regards to bringing about unity among the bishops concerning the Sacred Liturgy moving forward. As Andrea Gagliarduci pointed out concerning the surprise of Viola’s Basilica appointment, it really demonstrates “that the problem isn’t simply interpreting the Pope with old categories. Rather, it’s believing those old categories still hold.”
This, then, becomes another move in how Pope Leo is beginning to shift his Curia into place, & in this case, pointing the Synod of Bishops in a new & very clear liturgical direction.
But in any case, it does not seem that Pope Leo wishes to follow Sister Nathalie Becquart & “sing a new Church into being”, but rather, with the appointment of Sister Elena Massimi, stear the barque of Peter towards “a true path of balence.”
More: https://x.com/walkinghymnal/status/2116358347708313716?s=46&t=IydJ-X8H6c0NM044nYKQ0w
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