Here is a letter by the Archbishop himself on the topic of seeking approval from Rome. Taken from the book: Archbishop Lefebvre and the Vatican
Ecône
Nov. 21, 1987
Feast of the Presentation of the Most Holy Virgin Mary
Your Eminence,
You have been able to see and listen to the members of the Society, examine their formation, be present with them in their ministry, and listen to the faithful who rely on them for their sanctification.
You have conversed likewise with religious and with nuns who find in the Society either their origin, or their spiri-tual assistance, or the graces of their ordination and religious expression.
No doubt you may have noticed here and there some ex-aggeration, a little bitterness. But I cannot doubt that you have found a climate of Faith, of devotion, of zeal for truth and sanctity, which you once knew. This climate of Catholic Tradition is producing extraordinary fruits whose value you must recognize.
Thus we are forming a great family, living in this Catho-lic ambience and atmosphere, attached to the Roman Church, attached to Peter and his successors, but absolutely and radically allergic to the conciliar spirit of religious liberty, ecu-menism, collegiality, and the spirit of Assisi—the fruits of Modernism and Liberalism condemned so many times by the Holy See.
The consequences of this spirit are disastrous, and we flee from them as from a disease pestilential to our minds and hearts; we are doing everything we can to protect ourselves from it, and protect also the young people of our Catholic households.
Compare us to Israel in the midst of the perverse nations, to the Maccabees, and again to all these holy reformers of the clergy: St. Charles Borromeo, St. Vincent de Paul, St. John Eudes, Monsieur Olier.
Here is the reality: we are forming an army intent on re-maining Catholic no matter what the price, as we witness the de Christianisation taking place both outside and inside the Church.
We willingly agree to being recognized by the Pope such as we are, and to having a seat in the Eternal City, to adding our collaboration in the renewal of the Church; we have never desired to break with the Successor of Peter, nor to consider the Holy See as vacant, in spite of the trials this has caused for us.
We submit to you a project of reintegration and normali-zation of our relations with Rome. Considering what you now know of us and our works, you will not be surprised at our demands, which are founded solely on zeal for the good of the Church, and the salvation of souls, for the glory of God. Only in this spirit and taking into account these considera-tions can a solution be valid and stable.
If, in these conditions, a solution is impossible, then we will continue on our way as at present, “persevering in prayer and the preaching of the word,” as we wait for more favor-able circuмstances.
No matter what happens, however, we will continue to have a profound gratitude for you, for your charity and kind-ness, your understanding and your patience. At this hour we pray Our Lady of Fatima to repay you in blessings for what you have done for us.
Deign to accept, Eminence, my respectful and fraternal salutations in Jesus and Mary.
† Marcel Lefebvre
Archbishop Bishop Emeritus of Tulle
Founder of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X
Topic: Archbishop Lefebvre sought Aproval of his work by Rome. (Read 3534 times)