Page "Roman Missal" Paragraph 33

In his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum of 7 July 2007, Pope Benedict XVI stated that the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal was never juridically abrogated and that it may be freely used by any priest of the Latin Rite when celebrating Mass without the people.

He also enacted that the priest in charge of a church may grant permission for its use in parishes for stable groups attached to this earlier form of the Roman Rite, provided that the priest using it is " qualified to do so and not juridically impeded " ( as for instance by suspension ).

Accordingly, many dioceses, though only a minority, schedule some regular Masses celebrated using the 1962 edition, which is also used habitually by priests of traditionalist fraternities such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and the Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney.

The 1962 edition is also used by some priests, such as members of the Society of St. Pius X, who are in what has been called " a situation of separation ".