Pope Francis has made controversial comments regarding Traditionalists during his flight back from Canada, read them below.
He was answering a question on contraception:
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This is very timely. But know that dogma, morality, is always in a path of development, but in a development in the same direction. To use one thing that is clear, I think I have said it other times here: for the theological development of a moral or dogmatic issue, there is a rule that is very clear and illuminating. That's what Vincent of Lerins did in the 10th century more or less. He says that true doctrine in order to go forward, to develop, must not be quiet, it develops ut annis consolidetur, dilatetur tempore, sublimetur aetate. That is, it consolidates with time, it dilates and consolidates and comes more still but always progressing. That is why the duty of theologians is research, theological reflection, you cannot do theology with a "no" in front of it. Then it will be the Magisterium to say no, you have gone further, come back, but theological development must be open, theologians (there) are for that. And the Magisterium must help to understand the limits. On the issue of contraception, I know there is a publication out on this issue and other marriage issues. These are the proceedings of a congress and in a congress there are hypotheses, then they discuss among themselves and make proposals. We have to be clear: these who made this congress did their duty, because they tried to move forward in doctrine, but in an ecclesial sense, not out, as I said with that rule of St. Vincent of Lerins. Then the Magisterium will say, yes it is good or it is not good. But so many things are called. You think for example atomic weapons: today I have officially declared that the use and possession of atomic weapons is immoral. Think about death penalty: today I can say that we are close to immorality there, because the moral conscience has developed well. To be clear: when dogma or morality develops, it is fine, but in that direction, with the three rules of Vincent of Lerins.
I think this is very clear: a Church that does not develop in an ecclesial sense, its thinking is a Church that goes backwards, and this is the problem of today, of so many who call themselves traditional. No, no, they are not traditional, they are [backward-looking], they are going backwards, without roots: it has always been done that way, in the last century it was done that way. And [looking backward] is a sin because it does not go forward with the Church. Instead tradition said someone-I think I said it in one of the speeches-tradition is the living faith of the dead, instead these [who are] looking backward who call themselves traditionalists, it is the dead faith of the living. Tradition is precisely the root, the inspiration to go forward in the Church, and always this is vertical. And [looking backward] is going backward, it is always closed. It is important to understand well the role of tradition, which is always open, like the roots of the tree, and the tree grows... A musician had a very beautiful phrase: Gustav Mahler, said that tradition in this sense is the guarantee of the future, it is not a museum piece. If you conceive of tradition as closed, that is not the Christian tradition -- always it is the root juice that takes you forward, forward, forward. So for that, for what you say, thinking and carrying faith and morality forward, but while it goes in the direction of the roots, of the juice, it's fine. With these three rules of Vincent of Lerins that I mentioned’