More than 18,000 people have signed a petition urging Pope Francis to withdraw an apostolic letter imposing restrictions on the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass. 

The Pope’s letter was issued last week and is known as “Traditionis Custodes”.The Pontiff wants to reverse one of Benedict XVI’s decisions in a major challenge to traditionalist Catholics. They've condemned the letter as an attack on them and the ancient liturgy.

Pope Francis said he was taking action because Benedict’s reform had become a source of division in the church and had been used by Catholics opposed to the Second Vatican Council - the 1960s meetings that modernised the Church and its liturgy. 

The petition https://lifepetitions.com/petition/sign-show-pope-francis-the-latin-mass-will-survive-any-suppression urges the Pope to reconsider : 

“Francis has decried rigidity and intolerance for years, but now is showing intolerance and rigidity himself by forcing his very narrow understanding of liturgy on one of the true sources of good fruit in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church.

"The Traditional Latin Mass has been a source of unity for the Catholic Church for more than 1500 years, producing great saints, repentant sinners, and souls won for Christ across the world.

"To attempt to restrict the Traditional Latin Mass as a new generation are rediscovering the treasures of God's Church will inevitably cause further division and hurt among the faithful, risking the loss of some souls who will regretfully turn away."