Cardinal Arthur Roche, the prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, said that the reaction of papal restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass is “almost becoming hysterical,” and that the question has become “politicized,” during a Crux interview.

Cardinal Roche insisted that “there isn’t too much of a restriction,” and said that his office has made efforts to accommodate traditionalist groups. But he added that “it’s the Church that makes the tradition; it’s not people in lobbies that create the tradition.”

The cardinal emphasized that “the Church has decreed at its highest level of legislation, which is a council, an ecumenical council, it has decreed that the liturgy should be reformed,” and called for unity in observing the Pope’s directives.