Posted by Shamus on IA:
Cor Unum, no. 104 of March 2013, has published a letter of apology from the Father Matthew Salenave in which he "recognizes the revolutionary nature" of his action. In this letter dated 9th March, the valiant Fr. Salenave confesses "having participated on the website antimodernisme.info" and to have "continued to contribute to the site after the Chapter" instead of confiding in his superiors. His "initial offense" would be to have "lacked in openness" toward Bishop Fellay. He also accuses himself of not having dared "stop" his brother priests "in their mad initiative." He must have been "blinded", etc., etc., etc. In consequence, he "willingly accepts the punishment deserved of such acts."
[...]
Even the best of men experience passing moments of depression. Prison History is full of such letters. Menzingen dared extort one, and Bishop Fellay is happy to have it read to his priests. The shame of such an action falls entirely on the General House who said to the Superiors of the Benedictines, Dominicans and Capuchins: "We know there will be damage, but we’re going to see it through to our ends." The apparent victory for Menzingen, this sorry show of the "repentant priest" begging on his knees, in reality dishonours them and hides a real defeat. They dared use personality destroying methods, they really are willing to do anything, they really are seeing it through to their ends...
Faced with such cruelty, dishonesty and duplicity, Fr. Salenave refuses the unfair trial that was being prepared for him. He has fled Italy and found shelter in [xxx] where he will rest and recover his strength before picking up once more the good fight of the faith. On leaving the priory in Albano, he left the following letter, dated 25th April 2013, on his desk:
"I left the priory this afternoon to rejoin my brother priests in the resisting the ‘ralliement’. I was outraged by the diffusion of my letter of apology which was strictly confidential. I cannot therefore expect anything good of a trial that seeks only to blacken those who resist a rallying and whiten those who want to join "the Rome of Modernist tendencies." I sincerely regret my letter of apology which I had written hurriedly and in a moment of confusion which exaggerated and distorted what I really think of my actions. I do not regret Antimodernisme.info in any way and if the clock were to be wound back, I'd do it again.
In Jesus and Mary.
Father Matthew Salenave. "