In recent days, during a Mass dedicated to children, a parish priest in Italy uttered remarks that left many faithful disconcerted:

Let me say first up: it’s not a sin if you have a Halloween party on October 31st. It’s not a sin, even if some idiots say so. What is Halloween? An early carnival, right? People go in costume. But Don Gianfranco must have noticed, too. In Rome the other day, there was another carnival. They didn’t have a parade of traditionalists of the Church. If you looked at them, you’d say, ‘Well, that’s carnival.’ They still have the old-fashioned hats, the mozzettas. Carnival, then! They have their beef with gays, Halloween, and then they do it themselves… even with the final mass. Just imagine! Thank goodness Halloween doesn’t have a final mass.

The priest’s words sparked a number of reactions, especially because they referred to the solemn Pontifical Mass in Latin according to the ancient form of the Roman rite — the Vetus Ordo — celebrated on October 25 in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome by Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, in the presence of approximately 4,000 people. This celebration represented the official re-affirmation of the ancient form of the Latin rite in the Basilica, after a hiatus of several years; it was in fact the first time since 2019 that the Vetus Ordo was celebrated there in full visibility, as part of the annual Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage (“Ad Petri Sedem“) dedicated to the faithful attached to the traditional rite. Permission for the celebration had been granted by Pope Leo XIV, a sign considered significant by many liturgical observers.

Cardinals and prominent figures present

Several cardinals and prominent ecclesiastical figures participated in the Pontifical Mass:

• Raymond L. Burke — celebrant of the Pontifical Mass
• Ernest Simoni — in the front row, and at the end of the Mass he spoke reciting the exorcism of Leo XIII
• Walter Brandmüller — in the front row, according to several reports

Other participants connected to the pilgrimage include:

• Matteo Maria Zuppi, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), who presided over the Pontifical Vespers opening the pilgrimage on October 24, and was seen greeting Burke during the events; some reports indicate he was also present at the Pontifical Mass, while others limit his presence to Vespers
• Monsignor Nicola Bux, theologian present at the liturgical events connected to the pilgrimage

Vetus Ordo: a rite of history, faith, and continuity

The Latin Mass, also called the “Vetus Ordo” or “ancient rite,” has a very particular liturgical, historical, and spiritual importance in the Catholic Church. This rite, which is over 1,400 years old, is celebrated according to the Roman Missal of Saint Pius V, promulgated in 1570 after the Council of Trent and updated until the latest edition by Saint John XXIII in 1962. Also called the “Tridentine Mass,” it represents the form of the Roman liturgy that has remained essentially unchanged for centuries.

After the Second Vatican Council, St. Paul VI promulgated the new Roman Missal in 1969—the so-called Novus Ordo Missae—which became the ordinary form of the celebration, the one we see today. However, the Vetus Ordo retains profound liturgical and theological value for several reasons.

Continuity with Tradition: The Latin Mass connects contemporary believers to nearly two millennia of Christian history, through gestures, words, and ritual structures that reflect a theology deeply rooted in Church doctrine.

Centrality of Sacrifice and Mystery: In the Vetus Ordo, the Eucharistic sacrifice is emphasized as a bloodless renewal of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. The priest facing the altar (versus Deum), the silence, and the ritual solemnity accentuate the sacrificial and adoring character of the celebration.

Universality of Latin: Latin, the sacred language of the Church, unites the faithful from all over the world, overcoming local cultural and linguistic differences.

Ritual Beauty and a Sense of the Sacred: The ancient rite is appreciated for its solemnity, silence, Gregorian chant, and gestural symbolism, fostering a sense of transcendence that makes the Mass a direct encounter with the divine. As Cardinal Sarah has emphasized, “the primacy of God” must be evident in the rites, and the ancient form “recalls the mystery” through sensible signs and solemnity, elements that also appeal to many young people.

Its Current Status in the Church

In recent years, use of the Vetus Ordo has been subject to  several regulations:

• 2007 – Summorum Pontificum (Pope Benedict XVI): recognizes the Tridentine Mass as an extraordinary form of the Roman rite, which priests can celebrate freely
• 2021 – Traditionis Custodes (Pope Francis): restricts the celebration of the Mass in Latin, reaffirming the centrality of the post-Conciliar Ordinary Form, but permits the Vetus Ordo in specific cases with the authorization of the diocesan bishop

Many believers find the Latin Mass a more intense and recollected spiritual experience, while others prefer the active participation of the Novus Ordo. The Church, however, invites us to consider both forms as complementary, not in opposition.

The Educational Problem of Halloween

The priest who downplays Halloween appears to be ignoring or underestimating the holiday’s grave implications, according to numerous experts and sources. As reported by Corriere della Sera, AIDAA (Italian Association for the Defense of Animals and the Environment) has documented the so-called “silent massacre of black cats,” victims of satanic masses and sacrifices connected to Halloween. An academic article on the forms of satanic rituals has been published by Oxford Academic.

Other articles document the cultural decline of the festival:

• Famiglia Cristiana denounces Halloween as a “diabolical holiday”: read here
• Opinion: criticizes the festival as a noir-tinged carnival: read here
• Christian Family: “Halloween, Behind the Pumpkin, the Trap of Evil”: read here
• TG Tourism: “Halloween in Italy: Between Alchemy, Myth, and the Occult”: read here

According to psychiatrist and psychotherapist Valter Cascioliand the International Association of Exorcists, Halloween is not a simple autumn carnival but a secularized re-presentation of the Celtic festival of Samhain, with propitiatory rites, black masses, and satanic practices, which can have serious psychological, moral and spiritual repercussions for young people. “On the night of October 31st,” the psychiatrist explains, “and on the preceding or immediately following nights, Satanists offer the devil, invoking him during specific rituals, the lives of people who, more or less consciously, participate in this celebration, with the aim of strengthening his evil power. Thus even those who do not practice occultism end up coming into contact, albeit involuntarily, with the world of darkness.

But there’s more. Behind this festive celebration lies the exaltation of Satan and evil spirits, who push people—sometimes completely unaware of the dire consequences—toward their own psychological and spiritual destruction, often leading them to serious forms of self-harm, which can tragically culminate in suicide. This is certainly irreconcilable with the Christian faith, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, warning us against “all practices of magic and sorcery by which one seeks to subjugate occult powers in order to place them at one’s service and obtain power over others, even if it were to procure their health” (CCC, 2117). Thus they are initiated into occultism and Satanism, with serious physical, psychological, moral, and spiritual consequences. Indeed, by participating, even indirectly, in this dark reality, one becomes more vulnerable to the ordinary and extraordinary actions of the devil.

It’s no coincidence that tragic events are often associated with this holiday. In Seoul, for example, in the Itaewon district, on the evening of October 29, 2022, 158 people lost their lives during the celebrations.

The educational risk for children

The priest’s statements therefore appear not only superficial but also potentially harmful to children. He disrespects the sensibilities of the faithful who celebrate the Vetus Ordo, a thousand-year-old liturgical form that, as Cardinal Sarah says, represents “the only moment in which man is face to face with God.” The priest’s behavior exposes younger people to irreverence toward tradition, liturgical ignorance, and misinformation, while adult believers are led to underestimate practices and traditions central to the Catholic faith. As Dalmazio Frau observes in L’Opinione, contemporary society, lacking stable religious references, has lost its sacred and fantastic imagery; some young people, driven by curiosity or by the influence of esoteric cultures, end up invoking Satan or practicing occult rites in the name of a pseudo-cultural freedom, without realizing the spiritual and psychological consequences.