Dear
Friends and Benefactors,
In
this letter, I would have liked to give you first of all
some news about the internal life of the Society. However,
current events in the Church at large and especially concerning
the developments in favor of Tradition compel us to dwell
longer upon these topics of a more external nature, because
of their importance. Once again, it seems to us necessary
to tackle this subject, so as to express as clearly as
possible something which might have caused some concern
at the beginning of the summer.
As
the media related in a rather surprising manner, I must
say, we did receive an ultimatum from Cardinal Castrillon
Hoyos. But the thing is rather complex and needs to be
clarified in order to be well understood. A glance back
at recent past events will help us to grasp things a little
more clearly.
1.
Our Pre-conditions
From
the beginning when Rome approached us and proposed some
solutions, that is, at the beginning of 2001, we clearly
stated that the manner in which Church authorities were
treating the problems raised by those who desired to attempt
the experience of Tradition with Rome did not inspire
confidence in us. Logically we had to expect to be treated
in like manner once the issue of our relationship with
Rome would have been settled. Since that time, and in
order to protect ourselves, we have been asking for concrete
actions which would unequivocally show Rome’s intentions
towards us: the traditional Mass for all priests, and
the withdrawal of the decree of excommunication. These
two measures were not sought directly in view of gaining
some advantage for ourselves, but to re-instill into the
Mystical Body a breath of traditional life, and thus,
indirectly, help to bring about a sound rapprochement
between the Society and Rome.
The
first responses were hardly engaging and were rather a
confirmation of our misgivings: it was not possible to
grant freedom for the Mass, because, in spite of the realization
that the Mass had never been abrogated, some bishops and
faithful thought it might be repudiation of Paul VI and
of the liturgical reform… As for the excommunication,
it would be lifted at the time of the agreement.
In
spite of this demurrer, we did not cut the slender thread
of fairly difficult relations, aware as we were that what
is at stake far exceeds our own plight. It is not a matter
of persons, but of an attitude which for centuries has
been that of all the members of the Church, and which
remains ours, unlike the new spirit, called “the spirit
of Vatican II.” And it is obvious for us that this new
spirit is at the root, and is the main cause of the present
misfortunes of Holy Mother Church. Hence, the basic motivation
behind our actions and our relations with the Roman authorities
has always been to do prudently all we can to bring about
the return of the Church to what she cannot deprive herself
of without rushing headlong to suicide.
Our
situation is very delicate: on the one hand, we recognize
both the Roman authorities and the local bishops as legitimate.
But on the other hand, we contest some of their decisions,
because, in various degrees, they are opposed to what
the Magisterium always taught and ordered. In this, there
is no pretense on our part of setting ourselves as judges
or of picking and choosing. It is nothing more than the
expression of an extremely painful observation of a contradiction
which goes against both our Catholic consciences and faith.
Such a situation is extremely grave, and cannot be treated
with levity. This is also the reason why we move only
very slowly and with the utmost prudence. If we are obviously
greatly interested in obtaining a situation which is concretely
livable in the Church, the clear awareness of the much
more profound key issue which we have just described,
forbids us to place the two issues on an equal footing.
It is so clear for us that the issue of the Faith and
of the spirit of faith has priority over all that we cannot
consider a practical solution before the first issue is
safely resolved. Holy Mother Church always taught us that
we had to be ready to lose everything, even our own life,
rather than lose the faith.
What
is strange is that the blows are now coming from within
the Church, and that is the stark reality of the drama
through which we are living.
2
– In 2007, One of the Pre-conditions was Fulfilled, the
Motu Proprio
In
2007, the new Sovereign Pontiff Benedict XVI finally granted
the first point we had requested, the traditional Mass
for the
priests all over the world. We are deeply grateful for
this personal gesture from the pope. And it causes us
a great joy, because
we have a great hope that we can see in this a renewal
for the whole Mystical Body. Yet, the motu proprio
has become (because
of the very nature of what it states and gives back, i.e.,
the traditional Mass), the object of the fight we mentioned
earlier
in this letter because the traditional worship is opposed
to the cult which meant to be “new”, the “Novus Ordo
Missæ”. It
has become an occasion of fight between the progressivists,
who give lip service to their full ecclesial communion
while they more
or less openly oppose the orders and the dispositions
coming from the Sovereign Pontiff, and the conservatives,
who consequently
find themselves in a situation where they resist their
bishops… So whom are we to obey? The progressivists know
quite
well that what is at stake is much more than a liturgical
dispute. In spite of the efforts of the motu proprio
to minimize opposition
by affirming continuity, what is at stake is the very
fate of a Council which meant to be pastoral, and which
was applied
in such a way that Paul VI already could speak of the
“self-destruction of the Church.”
3
– Hope of a Rapid Fulfillment of Second Pre-condition
This
first step of Rome in our direction gave us to hope that
a second would soon follow. Some signs seemed to point
this way. But, whereas we had long ago proposed the itinerary
we had mapped out, it would seem that Rome has decided
to follow another route. In spite of our reiterated request
for the withdrawal of the decree of excommunication, and
as it seemed that there was no longer any major obstacle
to prevent the accomplishment of this act, we witnessed
a sudden turn of events: Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos wants
to impose upon us conditions before going any further,
even though we had clearly said that we expected a unilateral
act. Our attitude seems to him ungrateful towards the
Sovereign Pontiff, and even worse: haughty and proud,
since we continue to openly denounce the evils from which
the Church is suffering. Our latest Letter to Friends
and Benefactors particularly aroused his displeasure.
This earned for us an ultimatum, the precise conditions
of which we still have not yet been able to figure out.
For either we accept the canonical solution, or we will
be declared schismatic!
When
we take a stand this is interpreted as a delay, a voluntary
procrastination. Our intentions and our good will to really
discuss with Rome are doubted. They do not understand
why we do not want an immediate canonical solution. For
Rome, the problem of the Society would be resolved by
that practical agreement; doctrinal discussions would
be avoided or postponed. For us, each day brings additional
proofs that we must clarify to the maximum the underlying
issues before taking one more step toward a canonical
situation, which is not in itself displeasing to us. But
this is a matter of following the order of the nature
of things, and to start from the wrong end would unavoidably
place us in an unbearable situation. We have daily proofs
of this. What is at stake is nothing more nor less than
our future existence. We cannot, and will not leave any
ambiguity subsist on the issue
of the acceptation of the Council, of the reforms, of
the new attitudes which are either being tolerated or
fostered.
Confronted
with these new difficulties, we take the liberty of appealing
once more to your generosity. Given the success of our
first Rosary Crusade to obtain the return of the Tridentine
Mass, we would now like to offer to Our Lady a new bouquet
of a million rosaries (5 decades) to obtain the withdrawal
of the decree of excommunication through her intercession.
From
November 1st until the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord,
we will take it to heart to pray with renewed fervor that,
in these difficult hours of history, the Holy Father may
fulfill with fidelity his august functions in accordance
with the wish
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the good of all the Church.
We are utterly convinced that such a gesture coming from
the
Sovereign Pontiff would have as profound an effect on
the Mystical Body as the freedom of the traditional liturgy.
Indeed,
the excommunication did not cut us off from the Church,
but it has driven away a good number of her members
from the Church’s past and from her Tradition. And she
cannot deprive herself of them without suffering serious
harm.
It is truly obvious that Holy Mother Church cannot ignore
her past, since she has received everything and is still
to this
day receiving everything from her divine founder, Our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Through
the excommunication, what has been censured and penalized
is the very attitude which specified the combat of Archbishop
Lefebvre, i.e., this relationship to the Church’s
past and to her Tradition. Since then, because of this
reprobation, many fear to come to the sources of living
water which alone can bring back the good old days of
Holy Mother Church. Yet, Archbishop Lefebvre did nothing
more than adopt the attitude of St. Paul, to the extent
that he requested that the following words be engraved
on his tomb: “Tradidi quod et accepi”—I have
handed down what I have received. Did not St. Pius
X himself write
that the “true friends of the Church are not the revolutionaries,
nor the innovators, but the traditionalists”?
For
this reason, dear faithful, we launch again this Rosary
Crusade on the occasion of our pilgrimage to Lourdes for
the 150th anniversary of the Apparitions of the Blessed
Virgin. We thank the Mother of God for the maternal protection
she extended over us during all these years, and especially
for the twenty years since the Episcopal Consecrations.
We entrust to her all your intentions for yourselves,
your families and your work. To her we entrust our future
and beg for this fidelity to the
faith and to the Church without which no one can work
out his salvation.
I
thank you wholeheartedly for your untiring generosity
which enables us to continue the magnificent work founded
by Archbishop Lefebvre. We ask our good Mother in Heaven
to protect you and to keep you all in her Immaculate Heart.
Menzingen,
October 23, 2008, on the feast of St. Anthony Mary Claret
+
Bernard Fellay
Superior
General |
|
|
