The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan has designated the Santuario de San Juan Evangelista in the city of Dagupan as the only approved venue for the celebration of Mass using the Roman Missal of 1962.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas released a circular on July 24 for the sake of “pastoral charity and in the spirit of ecclesial unity, in faithful and loving obedience” to the instructions of Pope Francis as expressed in his Apostolic Letter “Traditionis Custodes.”
The prelate also decreed that only Monsignor Orlando Sabangan and Monsignor Felipe Matias and Father Michell Joe Zerrudo of the Diocese of Cubao are the “authorized” persons to celebrate the Mass using the 1962 Roman Missal in the sanctuary.
Archbishop Villegas said Masses using the Roman Missal of 1962 may be celebrated twice a month subject to the availability of the priests.
“I am granting this permission after being assured and attaining my personal moral certitude that the members of the Latin Mass Society of Saint John the Evangelist are faithful and obedient to the spirit of the Second Vatican Council specially its unconditional belief in the validity and legitimacy of the liturgical reform,” said the prelate.
“Furthermore, this favor is being granted in order to protect the Catholic faithful of this archdiocese from the erroneous teachings being promoted by the adherents of the Society of Saint Pius X, an association without a canonical status in the Church and whose ministries we consider to be illegitimate,” he added.
