In the previous issues of Communicantes and Convictions, we have read the first seven chapters of this great book from Mgr Lefebvre, that helps us to put the actual crisis of the Church back into the context of God’s Great Plan. Archbishop Lefebvre helps us to do just that by his strong and just remarks. So far we have contemplated with him: God, His existence (Chap. 1), His perfections (Chap. 2); the divine Life (Chap. 3); the Angels (Chap. 4); the Creation of the world, especially man (Chap. 5); Jesus-Christ, by Whom is accomplished the return of man to God (Chap. 6); The Sacraments, means for this return (Chap. 7). Now we will study the Church (Chap. 8), and the Blessed Virgin Mary (Chap. 9).

Chapter VIII – The Church

St. Thomas did not write a treatise on the Church “ex professo,”(i.e directly and in depth), but wrote on it on the occasion of the “gratia capitis---capital grace,” i.e., the grace of Christ as Head of the Church, which grace is the source of all sanctifying grace, and from which the Mystical Body of the Church benefits. He asks who are the members of this Mystical Body, of which Our Lord is the Head. His response is very instructive: he distinguishes between those who are members in potency only, from those who are actually members, be it definitively --- this is the Church Suffering, and the Church Triumphant, including the angels ---be it those who are actually members, but “in via --- on the way,” by faith and charity in this world --- or the sinners who have the faith, but are dried up members, not having charity.

The Church considered as Mystical Body is a spiritual reality comprising all the souls and angels who live of the divine life communicated by Our Lord. They are as living branches attached to the vine. During this earthly life, alas, many can detach themselves from the vine and perish. Others, to the contrary, are grafted onto the vine by a valid and fruitful baptism, and then live by it. At the same time this Body, which is mystical and invisible for us, presents itself here below as a visible, hierarchical society founded by Our Lord for the purpose of augmenting the Mystical Body according the command given to the apostles by Our Lord: “Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Mt 28:19). “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned” (Mk 16:16).

The final goal of salvation is linked to the Faith. The whole hierarchy was instituted by Our Lord in service of the Faith, which Faith then permits the faithful to drink from the sources of charity, of the Holy Ghost and of His grace. The entire history of the primitive Church is an illustration, instructing us of the importance of the commands given by Our Lord.

St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City

The Church is born in its vitality with the effusion of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost. She can then, instructed by Our Lord, institute a sacramental liturgy for its baptized members, comprising prayers, preaching, the divine Office, the celebration of the mysteries of the Cross and of the Eucharist. She multiplied rapidly bishops, priests and others in Holy Orders, for the multiplication and sanctification of those who have the Faith.

From the Israel of the Old Testament is born the New Israel of the New Testament, of which the Incarnate Work is the Head, directing and instructing His people across the desert of this life to lead them to the Promised Land, which is none other than the Holy Trinity itself.

Just as the Israel of the Old Testament had a troubled history because of continuous infidelities towards God, which were often the works of its leaders and its Levites, so does the Church Militant in this world know without end periods of trial on account of the infidelity of its clerics and their compromises with world.

The higher they come from, the more scandals provoke disasters. Certainly, the Church itself guards its sanctity and its sources of sanctification, but the control of its institutions by unfaithful popes and apostate bishops ruins the faith of the faithful and the clergy, sterilizes the instruments of grace, and favors the assault of all the powers of Hell which seem to triumph.

This apostasy makes its members adulterers, schismatics opposed to all Tradition, separated from the past of the Church, and separated from the Church of today, in the measure that it remains faithful to the Church of Our Lord. Everyone who remains faithful to the true Church is the object of savage and continuous persecution.

But we are not the first to be persecuted by false brothers for having kept the Faith and Tradition. The Martyrology teaches us this every day. The more Holy Church is insulted, the more we must cling to Her, body and soul, the more we must force ourselves to defend Her and to assure Her continuity by drawing from Her treasures of sanctity to reconstruct Christianity.¹

Chapter IX The Virgin Mary

Mary holds such a place in realization of the work of salvation of humanity by the Word Incarnate, that she merits to be evoked in a very particular manner.

	Our Lady, Mediatrix of all graces

If Mary, by her fiat, miraculously became the Mother of God, the Mother of the Savior, she became by the very fact the Mother of His Mystical Body, that is to say of all those who live of the life of Jesus here below and will do so for eternity. She became Queen of Angels, and the terrible enemy of the devils.

Consequently, we have become her children by Baptism, and we nourish ourselves of her Son in the Eucharist. She is truly our spiritual Mother.

This divine Motherhood procured for her unique privileges and, first of all, her Immaculate Conception and fullness of grace from the instant of her conception. She is the sole human creature to be exempt from the results of original sin.

Another extraordinary privilege is that she is the Mother of Jesus, and remained virgin, before, during and after her childbirth. Nothing is impossible with God, as she was told by the Angel Gabriel. The Infant Jesus left the womb of the Virgin januis clausis, without destroying her hymen. She did not suffer the pains of motherhood. How many errors do we find on this subject in modern catechisms!

She was thus made exempt from the slightest sin and every sickness, for they are the consequences of original sin.

Finally her body, not being susceptible to corruption, was raised up and assumed into heaven. This is the privilege of her glorious Assumption. She is henceforward the Queen of Heaven and earth.

She is also, thanks to her divine Motherhood, the Mediatrix of all the graces which we are given. Her spiritual Motherhood is universal. If Jesus is the Head of the Mystical Body, Mary is the neck, as the Fathers of the Church say.

Mary, being the Mother of the Eternal Priest, exercises a particular motherhood with respect to all those who participate in Jesus’ priesthood. May the Virgin Mary deign to form us into priests in the image of her Divine Son! May devotion to Mary be honored in every house and chapel of the Society, and in all the hearts of all its members! Mary will keep us in the Catholic Faith. She is neither Liberal, nor Modernist, nor ecumenical. She is impervious to all errors and with even greater reason to heresies and apostasy.²

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1. On this subject we recommend reading the books of Father Calmel and the truly admirable writings of Father Emmanuel on the Church.

2. We will benefit from reading the books of St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort, as well as the books of Father Terrien on the glories of Mary.