Reflections on Catholic Action

Introduction

We are all attracted to heroes, to people greater than life. It seems they can lift us above our day to day routine and drabness, especially if they “come from the ranks”. Indeed, the example of ordinary citizens becoming heroes inspires us with hope and, who knows, a desire to imitate them. We need heroes, because we need models to follow, if only in our own limited way or sphere of action. But what exactly is a hero? It would be amazing to see how many answers such a question would get if ask on the streets. It is safe to say that nowadays a hero is thought to be someone who, despite great obstacles, has been able to achieve excellence and thus win a difficult contest. Such would be a gold medallist at the Olympic Games. A hero is also perceived to be someone who willingly risks, and sometimes loses, his life for the sake of others. Like in the first case mentioned, we have here a lot of courage, determination, self-sacrifice, but the purpose is higher. We think of policemen, firemen, soldiers… But again, what is a hero? Surely, the right answer would be that which corresponds to what it is in the eyes of God, because God is THE Truth. So what is a hero? What is the greatest sacrifice, and the best of intentions? We find the answer in the New Testament: “In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (I John, 3:16) Thus we see that, in the eyes of God, the real hero is one who lays down his life for the eternal salvation of his neighbor. A hero is somebody who does for others what Christ has done for him. He is a member of the Mystical Body of Christ that willingly works and suffers in order to obtain the conversion of sinners. He wants the ever greater extension of Christ’s Kingdom in the souls of all men. With a great courage, determination, and self-sacrifice, the true hero toils under the Banner of Christ the King. Whether he contemplates, prays, preaches, teaches, advises, helps, gives alms, participates in the Liturgy, mortifies himself, the hero does “Catholic Action” for Jesus Christ, the King of Kings. We will, in this humble article, strive to help our readers understand better the concept and requirements of Catholic Action. We will talk of Christ the King, of His need for champions, of the methods and conditions of Catholic Action. Our hope is to bring more and more people to the realization that they can and must become heroes, and to help them doing so. It also is that these laymen and laywomen will ask their Pastors to help them regroup into organized “Catholic Action” associations, so as to unite and focus individual efforts, and thus achieve greater results.

1.0-The Kingdom of Christ the King

1.1-Christ is King

Christ’s Kingship is founded upon His hypostatic union and upon His work of the Redemption. Christ is King by nature and by conquest, and the authority of His Kingship extends to all creatures. All are subject to Christ the King in His three-fold claim to power: legislative, judicial, and executive.¹ The Kingship of Christ is without question. Archbishop Lefebvre says: “It is true that Jesus Christ is a King. He is King by nature because He is true God by reason of the union of the divine nature with the human nature. Jesus Christ is really King. He is also King by conquest, by His Cross. By His sacrifice on the Cross, Jesus Christ became King of all souls. He gave His life and blood to save all souls. Therefore, He is King of all souls.”²

Explanatory remarks for each Holy Mass in the Daily Missal of the Mystical Body (The Maryknoll Fathers, 1960) help us to reflect and to contemplate. For example, on the Second Passion Sunday, we participate in “the solemn procession of palms, to render a public testimony of love and gratitude to Christ the King”: Christ is the King Whom we worship. Exercising His Royal freedom, He died voluntarily in obedience to His Father's Will. Accordingly, the Hymn to Christ the King sung during the procession begins with the refrain, “Glory, praise and honor be to You, Redeemer, Christ the King! ”

Pius XI instituted the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King on December 11, 1925. The words of the Kingship of Christ in The Divine Office illustrate his intentions and we recite: “Let the rulers of the earth praise Thee with public worship; let the teachers of the youth, the judges on their benches, show reverence to Thy Name. Let the laws of the State and the social customs of the people be permeated with Thy Spirit. Let the national standards be emblazoned with emblems showing reverence and submission to Thy royal authority. Do Thou, 0 Lord, by Thy mild and gentle sway, govern alike our public and our private life.”³ Similarly, the Offertory Hymn of the Feast of Christ the King says, “Ask of Me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession” (Ps. 2:8). In The Lord's Prayer we live the Kingship of Christ with the words, “Thy Kingdom come; Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

1.2-The War Against the Kingdom of Christ

The most crucial of needs is the Kingship of Our Lord in our social, political and economic lives.⁴ This need is truly meaningful, and we just have to look around to be convinced. This Kingship is attacked savagely by the enemies of Catholicism. These are filled with the secularist ideology that, since the French Revolution of 1789, has replaced the Rights of God with the rights of man.⁵ Secularism and its many variations are weapons of the devil against God. We need to be on guard against secularism.

Fr. Richard Vachon, SSPX, discusses the danger of secularism, together with the Catholic solution: “We have to be on guard against human respect, that is, against false ecumenism and secularism. We must not conform ourselves to this false charity of accepting false religions, neither to this anti-religious and immoral spirit of the world. We must save our own souls and the souls of others, by keeping and developing our spiritual life and by leading others to the only true religion. And we need God's help to do so.

God created mankind in the state of grace. Adam and Eve lost sanctifying grace and human nature became wounded by original sin. We need to recover this grace in order to restore our friendship with God, and to restore our nature as much as it is possible to do so in this world. Otherwise, we remain the enemies of God and we are gravely wounded by sin. There is only one source of Grace, Our Lord Jesus Christ (God made Man, the only Savior of this world), the Holy Catholic Church (the only Church that He has founded to continue His action on earth) and the seven Sacraments (that Our Lord instituted and that His Church administers in His Name). Secularism attacks these truths by its purely materialistic conception of life. The tactics of secularists are to attack the Faith, the necessity of Grace, and the representatives of the Faith, the Catholic priests, and the pious Catholic Faithful. In today's society, secularism is due to the liberal propaganda of the media and to the lack of a theological and spiritual formation among Catholics. It is a consequence of naturalism, that is, the practical denial of original sin. Its antidote is a life that unites its temporal with its spiritual aspects, and its private with its public dimensions.”⁶

Attacked from all sides, Our Lord needs an army of dedicated Christians, to help defend His Church and convert souls. The energy and perseverance the enemies of our King demonstrate should put to shame all those who know the Truth and are too slothful or fearful to fight for Christ’s Kingdom.

2.0-Catholic Action, or the Fight for Christ the King

2.1-What is Catholic Action?

	Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)

Catholic Action is a social apostolate, in as much as its object is to spread the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, not only among individuals, but also in families and in society.  Catholic Action is Christian warfare: the apostle wears the armor of God (Eph. 6: 13-17) and is sustained by persevering in prayer (Eph. 6:18). It occurs under the direction and support of ecclesiastical authorities. This is its definitive characteristic, as many Popes, from Pius IX to Pius XII, declared many times.⁷

Members of Catholic Action work towards increasing membership in the Mystical Body of Christ in order to save souls. They practice Christ-like charity towards themselves and their neighbors. Most importantly, they are united with the Blessed Trinity, and this presence in their souls guides them in their enterprises. Pope St. Pius X mentions the importance for the Church to have Catholic Action groups that provide her with dedicated people converting souls through the exercise of spiritual and corporeal works of mercy: “The same efforts and the same designs of a tender providence find a practical application... in that Catholic Action. ...Men chosen from the people are called to associate themselves with an extensive ministry which embraces every one of the works of mercy. The Kingdom of heaven will be their reward.”⁸

Catholics need to unite. It is one Christ, one Truth, one Faith, and one Baptism in achieving the unity of the Church. Towards this end, Pius XI discusses the true ecumenical spirit: “There is but one way in which the unity of Christians may be fostered, and that is by furthering the return to the one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it. …The one Church of Christ is visible to all, and will remain, according to the Will of its Author, exactly the same as He instituted it. ...Would that God our Savior, ‘Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the Truth’ (I Tim., 2:4), might hear our humble prayer and vouchsafe to recall to the unity of the Church all that are gone astray. To this all-important end We implore, and We desire that others should implore, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Grace, Help of Christians, victorious over all heresies, that she may entreat for Us the speedy coming of that longed for day, when all men shall hear the voice of her Divine Son, and shall be ‘careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’ (Eph., 4:3).”⁹

The Society of St. Pius X supports the teachings of the aforementioned Popes on the need for Catholic Action. Archbishop Lefebvre expresses this need for all of the Faithful. He counsels: “…You are all apostles, albeit in different ways - priests by consecration and mission, religious Brothers and Sisters by a public commitment, laity by membership in the living and Mystical Body of Christ - but your various responsibilities complement one another and converge in a common burning desire for the extension of Our Lord's Kingdom . . .”¹⁰

Thus Catholic Action groups help Catholics to unite and work together for the growth of Christ’s Kingdom. A strong spiritual life is what pushes the members to work for the conversion of souls, especially through the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The organization and action of these lay groups remain always under the care and supervision of Catholic Hierarchy.

2.2-The Goal of Catholic Action: To Restore All Things in Christ

Pope Saint Pius X (1835-1914)

This goal has been the motto and goal of Pope St. Pius X, and was also the inspiration of Archbishop Lefebvre’s life and combat. It is only normal that such would be the goal of Catholic Action groups. Thus Catholic Action members strive to bring back Christian principles in all aspects of social and individual life: “...the Church has always said - both by word and deed, that Catholic Action belongs to the supernatural life, in collaboration with, and consequently in dependence upon, the Hierarchy. It is no less certain and evident that the action of the Church, by essential necessity of her nature and her divine mandate, extends and must extend to every area, where the good of souls or their ruin, the honor of God or offenses against Him, the keeping or the violating of divine or ecclesiastical law are in question.”¹¹ Thus, honoring the Sacred Royalty of Christ the King necessitates concrete action.

But you may say, "Yes, I am aware of errors in society and I have an idea of what Catholic Action is. But what does it really mean?" Catholic Action encompasses our Christian selves and our environment. It illustrates a need for the total involvement of Catholicism in every facet of social, political and economic life. Pius XII, in outlining the tasks of Catholic Action, also indicates its scope.  These tasks include: 1) a religious culture of Catholicism, 2) the sanctification of the Feast days of obligation, 3) the salvation of the Christian family, 4) a more equal distribution of wealth, and 5) taking responsibility for the common good in society.¹²

Archbishop Lefebvre discusses the Kingship of Christ and Catholic Action. It is the right of Christ the King to reign not only over individual souls but also over society. The lay apostolate has a duty to recognize and to promote this right. Towards the goal of extending the Kingdom of Christ, Archbishop Lefebvre outlines three principles: the growth of the Mystical Body of Christ, God's Will for the salvation of all souls and the necessity of Grace in achieving a lay apostolate. Archbishop Lefebvre explains: “The first principle of the apostolate is that the growth of the Mystical Body of Christ, just like His temporal birth in the Incarnation, is a work of God, one which is essentially Divine…   The second principle: ...It is God's will to save men and to restore to them the divine life and sonship which they have lost by sin… The third principle: ...The Council of Trent teaches us that ‘Grace is received by all men proportionately, the Holy Ghost apportioning it as He wills and according to the cooperation and disposition of each’... Leaders and other members of Catholic Action should ardently seek to create environments favorable to grace, and consequently, to the sacramental ministrations of the clergy.”¹³

From what we just said, we realize Pius XII and Archbishop Lefebvre are setting up pretty high standards! We understand these tasks to be of an almost terrifying magnitude. To restore all things in Christ begins with ourselves, continues to include our families and parishes and, then, moves on to include our neighborhoods, communities and the larger society. This work of re-Christianization is at the same time a restoring of civilization.

2.3-The Effect of Catholic Action: Christian Civilization

	Archbishop Lefebvre (1905-1991)

To work for the re-Christianization of society is at the same time to work for its being truly civilized, as it is Christianity that has civilized a world that was pagan and barbarian. “The Church ...has become the foremost leader and protector of civilization. …The civilization of the world is Christian. The more completely Christian it is, the more true, more lasting and more productive of genuine fruit it is. ...‘To restore all things in Christ’ includes not only what properly pertains to the divine mission of the Church, namely, leading souls to God, but also to what We have already explained as flowing from that divine mission, namely, Christian civilization in each and everyone of the elements composing it.”¹⁴

These words are beautiful. It may be difficult to know the meaning of a Christian civilization and a way of life that is distinctively Catholic. Yet, the Church provides answers. We have the Sacraments, the Catechism, the Liturgy. We have the Holy Family as the prime example of Christian living. We have the lives of the Saints as models, as well as the encyclicals of the Popes. We have a religious and a cultural history, rich in Catholic art, architecture, literature, music, science, and in politics, that honors the Rights of God. But let us go a little bit deeper…

2.3.1-A Civilization, Christianized by the Sacrifice of the Mass

Archbishop Lefebvre says, “OMNIA INSTAURARE IN CHRISTO ... TRADIDI QUOD ET ACCEPI.”  In these few words, the Priestly Society of St. Pius X is united with the Pontificate of this holy Pope. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre founded the Priestly Society of St. Pius X for Catholic Tradition, for a continuation of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and for the Catholic priesthood. This is the legacy of His Grace Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre¹⁵

Archbishop Lefebvre eloquently discusses the essence of Christian civilization. Traced to the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar of the Cross and concomitantly, to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Christian civilization involves the Catholic meaning of sacrifice. This can be difficult to understand because it is contrary to modernist thinking. The Catholic meaning of sacrifice involves accepting sacrifices in our daily lives and uniting these sacrifices with Christ's Sacrifice upon the Holy Cross. Archbishop Lefebvre says: “The notion of sacrifice is a profoundly Christian and a profoundly Catholic notion. Our life cannot be spent without sacrifice, since Our Lord Jesus Christ, God Himself, willed to take a body like our own and say to us: ‘Follow Me, take up thy cross and follow Me if thou wilt be saved.’ And He has given us the example of His death upon the Cross; He has shed His Blood. ...There is the entire mystery of Christian civilization. There is that which is the root of Christian civilization: the comprehension of sacrifice in one's life, in daily life, the understanding of Christian suffering, no longer considering suffering as an evil, as an unbearable sorrow, but sharing one's sufferings and one's sickness with the sufferings of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in assisting at the Holy Mass, which is the continuation of the Passion of Our Lord upon Calvary.”¹⁶

This is the essential lesson of the Popes and of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the lesson from which all others begin. This is the Holy Sacrifice of Calvary enacted daily upon Traditional Altars in the Tridentine Mass, the source of all Grace. There is more to the legacy. Fr. Violette, currently District Superior of Canada, recalls Archbishop Lefebvre's commitment to the reign of Christ the King, together with the grace and responsibility of his spiritual paternity: “All his life he fought to make Christ the King reign over hearts and nations by the reign of the Immaculate Heart of Mary ... May God be thanked. He did not leave us orphans.” Indeed, in response to the crisis of the Faith, the episcopacy was conferred to four priests, for a continuation of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a continuation of the true Mass and for the administration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, in a word, for the salvation of souls.¹⁷

Quite profoundly, we have the substance of Christian civilization, the Holy Sacrifice of the Cross that is re-enacted daily in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We embrace the Holy Cross and the Holy Mass, in a firm defense of the Faith. Understanding, attachment, and promotion of the traditional Holy Sacrifice of the Mass are therefore an essential part of Catholic Action.

2.3.2-A Civilization, Christianized by the Restoration of Tradition

Tradition is the means to achieve the goal of “restoring all things in Christ.” St. Pius X outlines his Pontificate in his first encyclical: “We proclaim that we have no other program in the Supreme Pontificate but that of ‘restoring all things in Christ’ (Ephes. 1:10), so that ‘Christ may be all and in all’ (Coloss. 3:2).”¹⁸

It is through a united Catholic response, a willingness to grow in Grace and a commitment to Christ Crucified that those involved in Catholic Action promote and protect the cherished beliefs of Catholic Tradition. Tradition is the key and Archbishop Lefebvre tells us: “Tradition is defined as the Deposit of Faith transmitted by the Magisterium down through the centuries. This deposit is what has been given to us by Revelation; that is to say, the Word of God entrusted to the Apostles and transmitted unfailingly by their successors.”¹⁹ Archbishop Lefebvre defends Tradition, saying: “All must be restored in Christo Domino - in Christ the Lord, in Rome as elsewhere. ...Ours is the duty to guard this Roman Tradition desired by Our Lord, as He wished us to have Mary as our Mother.”²⁰

Catholic Action groups can assist in this restoration. In order to do so, we need to understand what we are doing within a Catholic frame of reference. Archbishop Lefebvre calls for a “return to the golden rule of all Tradition.” He outlines the need for a lay apostolate, together with the elements of a Catholic society that honors Christ the King. He stresses a need for the “genuine renewal of the Church sought by the true faithful”, stating: “…There must be a return to Tradition. The day has come for freeing the true apostolic work undertaken in a diocese... (for) the glory of God and Our Lord, the sanctification of souls... the truly Christian education and teaching given by the priest and religious orders, the restoration of a Christian social order where the bishop and the priest are given the official status owed to the priesthood. ...Seminaries must be restored, …the training of holy priests... for the glory of Our Lord and the salvation of souls. …There must be a re-establishment of religious societies. …Catholic schools and Catholic universities must be restored. Understanding of the true faith and the meaning of Christendom must be given back to Christian families. …Third Orders must be organized. Pastoral organizations and co-operatives... should all be supported. …The promulgation of civil legislation in accordance with the laws of the Church, and the nomination of Catholic representatives bent on leading society to the official recognition of the Kingship of Our Lord in society must be promoted.”²¹

The teachings of the Popes, as we have seen so far, and those of Archbishop Lefebvre are in harmony. Laborers in Our Lord's vineyards are most urgently required, especially since the crisis of the Faith following Vatican II. The destruction of Tradition means fervent lay apostles are needed to join ranks with the priests and the religious of the Society of St. Pius X. Rebuilding Tradition is essential. Catholic Action within the Deposit of the Faith, that is, within Holy Scripture and Holy Doctrine, really works towards the social Reign of Christ the King. Under the Banner of Christ the King, our four bishops advocate for Catholic Tradition, with all Archbishop Lefebvre's spiritual sons and daughters, in order “to restore all things in Christ.”

3.0-The Necessity of Catholic Action

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world” (Matt. 28:19-20). The mission Our Lord Jesus Christ gave to the apostles is timeless. It is fulfilled by Catholic Action, the direct action of the Catholic Church upon the world. In Catholic Action, the lay apostolate practices the principles of conversion and sanctification with a focus on prayer, sacrifice, penance, virtue, a chaste life, living one's duty of state, setting an example, and on direct work.  Through these means, the Holy Faith is declared in thought, word and in action.        

 A defense of the Faith is absolutely necessary. Leo XIII discusses the importance of fortitude, the need for a courageous spirit in such a defense, saying: “To recoil before an enemy, or to keep silence when from all sides such clamors are raised against truth, is part of a man either devoid of character or who entertains doubts as to the truth of what he professes to believe. In both cases, such mode of behavior is base and insulting to God and both are incompatible with the salvation of mankind. This kind of conduct is profitable only to the enemies of the Faith, for nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good. ...Very frequently, by a display of courage, our enemies lose heart and their designs are thwarted. Moreover, CHRISTIANS ARE BORN FOR COMBAT.”²² The words are well chosen. The promotion of the Faith is also a defense of the Faith: "CHRISTIANS ARE BORN FOR COMBAT." St. Michael, standard-bearer of the Church, please direct us in the battle!

St. Pius X believed in the need for Catholic Action. In his first encyclical, E Supremi Apostolatus of October 4, 1903, he notes: “...It is not priests alone, but all the faithful without exception, who must concern themselves with the interests of God and souls. …Our predecessors have long since approved and blessed those Catholics who have banded together in societies of various kinds, but always religious in their aim. ...The times we live in demand action - but action which consists entirely in observing with fidelity and zeal the divine laws and precepts of the Church, in the frank and open profession of religion, in the exercise of every kind of charitable works, without regard to self-interest or worldly advantage.”²³ St. Pius X saw Catholic Action as a way to further the social encyclicals of Leo XIII; the rules of which are given in his Motu Proprio, “Fin dalla Prima,” of December 18, 1903. He deals exclusively with Catholic Action in “Il Fermo Proposito” of June 11, 1905. Catholic Action is centered upon the charity of Jesus Christ.²⁴ It is not building Catholic schools, establishing more churches or recruiting seminarians that St. Pius X saw to be priorities in the salvation of souls. It is Catholic Action, especially as an antidote to the evils in the modem world. St. Pius X emphasizes: “…The MOST necessary thing of all, at this time, is for every parish to possess a group of laymen who will be at the same time virtuous, enlightened, resolute, and truly apostolic.”²⁵

Pius XI, in reminding bishops of their responsibilities in Catholic Action, focuses upon the unique role of the laity. Pius XI says: “What can be said of your zeal in support of Catholic Action? ... Indeed, nothing is more in accord with tradition than to see the Pastors of the Church, absorbed as they are by the great works and cares of the Episcopal office, eagerly helped by the laity who, thanks to their very condition, can sometimes accomplish things which are impossible for the clergy, however willing these might be. Hence it follows that Catholic Action, by which the laity are called to take part in, to share in a certain sense in the sacerdotal ministry, is in truth more than ever fitted to the needs of our time.”²⁶

Catholic Action is doing the “work the priest cannot do.” The lay apostolate complements the work of the priests and extends it. Pius XII doesn’t say anything different: “If history shows that from the very beginnings of the Church laymen took part in the activity which the priest exercised in the service of the Church, it is true that today more than ever they must offer this collaboration ‘for the building up of the Body of Christ’ in every form of apostolate:  ...domestic, social, economic, and political.”²⁷

Catholic Action is intrinsic to the Society of St. Pius X. Indeed, Archbishop Lefebvre sounded a call to arms for Christ the King and for Catholic Action, the spirit of which reverberates throughout Tradition. Archbishop Lefebvre declares: “Oportet Christum regnare! - Christ must reign! In proclaiming this fundamental truth - history’s first truth, civilization’s first rule, humanity's only hope -let us make of these spirited words a new battle cry; the battle cry of the apostle; the battle cry of the apostolate.”²⁸ Rev. Fr. Schmidberger, when General Superior of the SSPX, gave advice on how to achieve such a lay apostolate. He acknowledges a potential to achieve the supernatural life in doing missionary work. Fr. Schmidberger encourages: “Assume a missionary, apostolic role in your family, place of work, school, circle of friends, wherever you find yourself. The apostolate of the laity is needed more than ever today. Lead souls to the Church's treasury of grace; promote Christ's message; spread the light of the Gospel and Christian charity to those around you; be like a burning flame kindled by the Holy Spirit.”²⁹ Let us therefore respond to Archbishop Lefebvre’s “Oportet Christum regnare!” with a united, “CHISTUS VINCIT! CHRISTUS REGNAT! CHRISTUS IMPERAT!”

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References:

1. Pope Pius XI, Encyclical, Quas Primas (December 11, 1925), in Rev. A. Phillipe, C.SS.R., Christ King of Nations, Instauratio Press, 1992, pp. 65-80. See Dr. Frederick D. Wilhelmsen, A Philosopher's Meditation. Quas Primas, The Angelus, XVI: 10, October 1993, pp. 27-32.

2. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, A Sermon for the Feast of Christ the King (Dublin, October 29, 1989), The Angelus, XIII: 10, October 1990, p. 2. For a discussion of Quas Primas, see Archbishop Lefebvre, Christ the King. A Sermon by His Grace (October 28, 1979), in M. Davies 1983), Op. Cit. pp. 359-364. To contemplate Christ the King, see Archbishop Lefebvre, Spiritual Journey, Op. Cit. pp. 30-41; Louis J. Puhl, S.J., The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1951, pp. 43-45.

3. Fr. Edward Cahill, Liberalism. The Repudiation of the Reign of Christ, Oportet Christum Regnare! Summer 1997, p. 12.

4. For a discussion of the social, political and economic reforms see Fr. DeLallo, Op. Cit. pp. 29-67, esp. pp. 65-67. See Gilson (1954).

5. Archbishop Lefebvre discusses this in his books. For a summary, see Fr. Franz Schmidberger, Our Lady, Triumphant in all God's Battles, The Angelus, XIII: 7 July 1990, pp. 2-7.

6. Fr. Richard Vachon, Address (March 28, 1998 & May 30, 1998), to the Catholic Action Group, Comments on Archbishop Lefebvre, A Joint Letter from the Italian Bishops on Secularism (Dakar, June 19, 1960), viz., Secularism: A Mentality Harmful to the Apostolate. How are we to Confront it? Pastoral Letter of the Italian Bishops to the Clergy (Rome, March 3, 1960), in Archbishop Lefebvre, Pastoral Letters, 1947-1968, Op. Cit. pp. 100-101, 126-148, St. Michael's Priory, Toronto, ON.

7. Pope Pius IX, Letter, Exortae in ista (April 29, 1876), to the Bishops of Brazil, in The Benedictine Monks of Solesmes (trans. Mother E. O'Gorman, R.S.C.J.), The Church, Boston, MA: The Daughters of St. Paul, 1962, p. 245; Pope Leo XIII, Letter, Obsequentissimae (March 19, 1881), to the Spanish Catholic Union, Ibid., p. 259; St. Pius X, Encyclical, E Supremi Apostolatus (October 4, 1903), Ibid., p. 357; F. A. Forbes, Pope St. Pius X, Rockford, ILL: Tan Books, 1987 (1954, 1918), p. 66; Pope Pius XI, Encyclical, Non Abbiamo Bisogno (June 29, 1931), cited in Fr. Stephen P. DeLallo, The Sword of Christendom, Kansas City, MI: The Angelus Press, 1994, p. 69; Pope Pius XII, All. - (May 3, 1951), to the Directors of Catholic Action and Marian Congresses, in The Benedictine Monks of Solesmes, Op. Cit. p. 671; Rev. George Johnson, Rev. Jerome D. Hannan, Sr. M. Dominica, O.S.U., The Story of the Church. Her Founding, Mission and Progress, Rockford, ILL: Tan Books, 1980 (1946, 1935), pp. 482, 514-517.

8. St. Pius X, Encyclical, Editae saepe (May 26, 1910), in The Benedictine Monks of Solesmes, Op. Cit. pp. 389-390.

9. Pope Pius XI, Encyclical, Mortalium Animos (January 6, 1928), The Great Papal Encyclicals, Kansas City, MI.: The Angelus Press, pp. 14-16.

10. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, The Apostolate (Circular Letter to Colleagues No. 69, Dakar, Easter Day, 11 April, 1960), Pastoral Letters, 1947-1968, The Angelus Press, 1992, pp. 102-103. See Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Catholic Action, Against the Heresies. Comments on the Papal Encyclicals condemning Modern Errors infecting the Church and Society, Kansas City, MO: Angelus Press, 1997 (1994), pp. 18-20.

11. St. Pius X, Encyclical, Il Fermo Proposito (June 11, 1905), para. 4-6. See Archbishop Lefebvre, After the Council: The Church and The Moral Crisis Today (1969), A Bishop Speaks, Op. Cit. pp. 70-72, and Against the Heresies, Op. Cit. pp. 265-268; Fr. DeLallo, Op. Cit. pp. 96-97; Fr. Puhl, Op Cit. pp. 157-161.

12. Pope Pius XI, Autograph Letter, Dobbiamo intraltenerla (April 26, 1931), to Cardinal Schuster, Archbishop of Milan, in The Benedictine Monks of Solesmes, Ibid., pp. 475- 476.

13. Pope Pius XII, Address (September 7, 1947), to the Union of Men of Catholic Action, in Fr. DeLallo, Op. Cit. pp. 75-77.

14. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Pastoral Letters 1947-1968, Op. Cit. pp. 102-109.

15. Archbishop Lefebvre, An Open Letter to Confused Catholics, Op. Cit. pp. 174-177, 181-185. See Archbishop Lefebvre, Spiritual Journey, Op. Cit. pp. viii-ix; Archbishop Lefebvre, The Declaration of 21 November 1974, Michael Davies, Apologia Pro Marcel Lefebvre, Dickinson, TX: The Angelus Press, Part I, 1979, pp. 38-40; The Catholic Guardian, May-June 1991, 14, p. 24.

16. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, The Jubilee Sermon (September 23, 1979), The Collected Works of His Excellency Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Dickinson, TX: The Angelus Press, 1985, Vol. I, p. 4. See On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14, 1975), The Collected Works of His Excellency Marcel Lefebvre, Dickinson, TX: The Angelus Press, Vol. II, 1985, pp. 44-47; Archbishop Lefebvre, Priests for Tomorrow (March 1973), A Bishop Speaks, Op. Cit. pp. 155-157; Archbishop Lefebvre, A Sermon Delivered by Archbishop Lefebvre (17 April 1977). On the Occasion of the Profession of Three Sisters of The Society of Saint Pius X, in M. Davies (1983), Op. Cit. pp. 31-36. For a beautiful explanation of the centrality of the Eucharistic Sacrifice in Catholicism, see Rev. Fr. Nicholas Gihr, What Place the Eucharistic Sacrifice holds in the Organization of the Church, The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: Dogmatically, Liturgically and Aesthetically Explained, St. Louis, MO. & London: B. Herder Book Co., 1924 (1902), pp. 192- 228. See also the Angelus Press, The Heart of the Mass, Kansas City, MO: Sarto House, 1997.

17. Archbishop Lefebvre, Letter to the Future Bishops (August 29, 1987), The Catholic Guardian (1991), Op. Cit. p. 21. See Fr. Schmidberger (1991), Op. Cit. pp. 6-14. G. Brantl, Op. Cit. p. 195. See Archbishop Lefebvre, Spiritual Journey, Op. Cit. pp. 6-7.

18. St. Pius X, E Supremi Apostolatus, Op. Cit. para. 4. See Archbishop Lefebvre, Against the Heresies, Op. Cit. pp. 1-20.

19. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, What is Tradition? Open Letter to Confused Catholics, Kansas City, MO: The Angelus Press, 1986, p. 126. See Mgr. Lefebvre, For A True Renovation of the Church, A Bishop Speaks, Op. Cit. p. 51; Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Spiritual Journey, Kansas City, MO: The Angelus Press, 1991, p. 65, and Against the Heresies, Op. Cit. pp. xvii-xxi.

20. Archbishop Lefebvre, Spiritual Journey, Op. Cit. pp. 72-73. See Archbishop Lefebvre, The New Mass and the Pope, Michael Davies, Apologia Pro Marcel Lefebvre, Dickinson, TX: The Angelus Press, Vol. II, 1983, pp. 372-373.

21. Monseigneur Marcel Lefebvre, For a True Renovation of the Church (Rome, September 8, 1968). A Bishop Speaks. Writings and Addresses 1963-1975, Dickinson, TX: The Angelus Press, 1987, pp. 53-54. For a focus upon Christian families, see George Brantl (ed.), The Catholic Affirmation, Catholicism, NY: George Braziller, 1962, pp. 195-226.

22. Quoted in the Orator, Op. Cit. p. 30.

23. St. Pius X, Encyclical, E Supremi Apostolatus (October 4, 1903), para. 14.

24. F. A. Forbes, Op.Cit. pp. 64-66. See Rev. Denis Fahey, C.S.Sp., The Mystical Body of Christ in the Modern World, Hawthorne, CA: Omni Publications, 1987 (1935), pp. 146-147, 185-198, 205- 207.

25. St. Pius X, cited in Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard, O.C.S.O., The Soul of the Apostolate, (trans. A Monk of Our Lady of Gethsemani), Trappist, KY: The Abbey of Gethsemani, 1946, p. 159. First reported in L'Ami du Clergé (Prédication, January 20, 1921) quoting a conversation of St. Pius X with a group of Cardinals.

26. Pope Pius XI, Letter (October 17, 1926), to the Piedmontese Bishops, in The Lay Apostolate. Papal Teachings, 1961, p. 279.

27. Pope Pius XII, All. ... 2nd World Congress of the Lay Apostolate (October 5, 1957), in The Benedictine Monks of Solesmes, Op. Cit. pp. 766-767.

28. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Collected Thoughts of Archbishop Lefebvre on The Social Kingship of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, King, Oportet Christum Regnare! Summer 1997, p. 5.

29. Fr. Franz Schmidberger, The Episcopal Consecrations of 30 June 1988, London: Society of Saint Pius X, 1989, pp. 49-50.

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