CV NEWS FEED // Democratic Chicago Alderman Jeanette Taylor sent a letter to Cardinal Blase Cupich in which she advocated for the resumption of the traditional Latin Mass (TLM) at the Shrine of Christ the King, which the Cardinal helped halt last August.
Taylor has served as a member of the Chicago City Council since 2019, representing the 20th Ward on the city’s South Side, which includes the Woodlawn neighborhood that houses the Shrine. She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and was a supporter of the city’s far-left mayor Brandon Johnson in this year’s Chicago mayoral election.
Cardinal Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago since 2014, has been a prominent supporter of restricting and even eliminating the TLM. In a February op-ed for America Magazine, he stated that Catholics who prefer to attend the Mass as it was celebrated prior to the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s are doing so out of “resistance to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and the undermining of genuine fidelity to the See of Peter.”
On August 1, 2022, the Shrine suspended all public Masses. It had previously celebrated the Latin Mass exclusively. Nearly a year later, the Shrine has yet to resume Masses. While Cupich had months earlier issued new guidelines to greatly limit the practice of the Old Roman Rite, a diocese spokesperson claimed that the decision was of the Shrine’s own accord.
Cupich has repeatedly defended his anti-TLM stance by claiming that he is merely enforcing a papal decree. However, Cupich has not been afraid to buck the Vatican in the past, specifically on the topic of vaccine mandates.
The Shrine is operated by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, which describes itself as being “dedicated to promoting the benevolent reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ in all aspects of human life for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls by restoring Catholic life and culture in the world today.”
In her May 9 letter to Cupich, Alderman Taylor wrote:
Since the summer, I have been deeply concerned by your administration’s decision to suppress the Institute’s ability to operate at the Shrine. The institute and ever-growing congregation of Shrine faithful have been an integral part of the 20th ward since they first arrived at the prior Cardinal’s invitation in 2003.
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While many Shrine faithful may not live in Woodlawn, we know that the Shrine is their spiritual home, and we consider them a vital part of our community.
The politician also pointed out that the Shrine and its parishioners have brought a financial benefit to the community she represents.
“On behalf of my constituents, I am asking your administration to restore confidence in the Shrine’s restoration by allowing the Institute to operate according to the terms of your original agreement with them,” she concluded. “I am hopeful that the Shrine’s restoration may continue to flourish.”
