Members and friends of the Saint Gregory Society should rejoice that His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Burke once again will celebrate a Solemn Pontifical Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on October 25 in a return to a prior custom, suspended since 2022, of an annual pilgrimage  to Rome of Catholics devoted to the Traditional Latin Mass.

Cardinal Burke will celebrate the Mass, at the Altar of the Chair St. Peter on the second day of the October 24–26 Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage. Now in its 14th year, this pilgrimage, will bring well over a thousand people “ad Petri Sedem” (“to the See of Peter”) to give “testimony of the attachment that binds so many faithful throughout the whole world to the traditional liturgy,”

A champion of the Traditional Latin Mass and one of the most prominent critics among the hierarchy during the pontificate of the late Pope Francis, under whom he fell conspicuously out of favor in recent years. In July, Cardinal Burke received a letter of congratulation from Pope Leo XIV on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his priestly ministry, and on August 22 he met with Pope in a private audience.

The Mass on Oct. 25 will be preceded by a half-mile procession from the Basilica of Sts. Celso and Giuliano to St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Officers of the Saint Gregory Society exhort our members and friends to “storm heaven” with prayers during the coming days before this pilgrimage that Our Lord will move Holy Father Leo to remove the restrictions on the celebration of the traditional liturgy.