Arthur Roche

Cardinal Arthur Roche is Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Roman Curia department responsible for the liturgy. This profile covers his public role only.

Under article 7 of Pope Francis's 2021 motu proprio Traditionis custodes, his dicastery exercises the Holy See's authority over the application of the restrictions on the 1962 Missal. On 20 February 2023, in an audience with Roche, Francis confirmed a rescript — published by the Holy See Press Office the next day — reserving to the Apostolic See the dispensations needed to use a parish church or erect a personal parish for the 1962 Missal, and to allow priests ordained after July 2021 to celebrate with it. Bishops who had already granted such dispensations were obliged to inform the Dicastery.

Under Pope Leo XIV, Roche was the addressee of a papal letter dated 29 June 2026 and published on 14 August, written for a liturgical formation conference his dicastery hosted at Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon from 14 to 19 August; it called for "fidelity to the approved texts and instructions" (Catholic World Report).

In an interview with Maggie Fergusson published by The Tablet on 29 July 2026, Roche was widely reported as saying that Leo would not change Traditionis custodes or return to Summorum Pontificum (OnePeterFive; Rorate Caeli; LifeSiteNews). The remarks drew sharp criticism in traditionalist media: Diane Montagna titled her response "More Extraordinary Gaslighting", and InfoVaticana accused him of campaigning to bring the Pope to his position. The commentary site Catholic Unscripted questioned whether he was reporting a papal decision or giving his own expectation. See Leo XIV and the Latin Mass and liturgy law.