Thanks to Ancien Regime for the resource. -- NOW, there is MORE to do.....
I would like to have someone approve some
changes I would like to make in the text, to
make it credible and readable in English.
Cristera, can you do this? Or can you ask
Fr. Raphael to take a look at it?
(I went through this and made numerous grammatical, spelling, diction,
contextual, punctuation and adaptive adjustments and now I can't find them
all, so please try to see if what I have here is NOT what Fr. is trying to say!!!!)
[Cristera said]:
Clarification Regarding My Expulsion
from OLG Monastery in Silver City
PAX
I want to answer some questions regarding the events that surrounded my expulsion from my Monastery, and also to unmask false rumors about it.
There is a point I need to make clear and which I never thought was important to explain further, since for me it is totally secondary -- a point that only could be of interest for those who do not see a doctrinal problem in the whole issue. A doctrinal problem causes a state of
necessity and a state of
justification, consequent to the Code of Canon Law and under the Rule of St. Benedict.
My "permission" to leave the monastery for a few days comes from the Rule and from Canon Law. Nevertheless, I did indeed inform Father Cyprian before leaving, that due to the scandal, I was forced to look for spiritual direction somewhere else. I told him that I would be absent only for few days and that I would certainly come back; that he should not be worried, because I would come back.
Even in the cases in which a monk without justification leaves his monastery, the superior is obliged by the Rule to accept him back until this happens 4 times. For this reason I say that it is a secondary point, since leaving the monastery for any cause, good or bad, can never be a reason to close the door of the Monastery to anyone. To focus only on this issue is to miss the whole point, and this is exactly what the SSPX and Father Cyprian want, in order to avert attention to the fact that the reason why they do not accept me back is because
there is a very serious doctrinal problem they do not want to fix, and therefore, they do not want me to preach.
My permanence in the Monastery would "divide" the Monastery, when we know that the only source of unity is the truth. Doctrine and charity were being stepped upon by the monastery, and therefore by that scandal I was in a state of necessity to act accordingly.
Now I want to refute some
false rumors:
"Fathers Pfeiffer and Hewko did not accept the invitation of the Monastery to stay overnight, since they were staying overnight with the faithful of Silver City." This is completely false. They were not offered by the Monastery even a glass of water, which they would not have denied even to a pagan who would have asked for it. Both Fathers had to come back to El Paso that same day, very late.
When they arrived at the Monastery, their wish was to stay overnight at the Monastery. For that reason, as Fr. Pfaiffer was taking out his luggage form the car pablo the Amateur Exorcist, his driver, told him "Don´t do that, Father, since we do not even know if we will be expelled from here the next minute."
"They were not accepted because of their bad spirit, one of criticism and attack toward the Superior General of the SSPX." When a superior is teaching bad doctrine, whether it be the Pope or our own Superior, we have the duty in charity to correct, and to warn the flock of the danger against the faith, and therefore against their own salvation. When the shepherd sleeps, the dogs must bark.
That "attack" is only an appearance, it is rather charity in action.
"Father Raphael left his Monastery during the absence of the community, excusing himself for being sick." Indeed, I was in bed and even with some fever. But the state of necessity, as I have explained, obliged me to act in such a manner -- but not without informing beforehand what I was about to do. I had to be discrete for the good of the Monastery, and I had to leave on that day since Bishop Williamson was only to be in México for a few days.
"Father Cyprian sent an e-mail warning him that if he continues in a position of critique, attack, and rebellion, then the door of the Monastery would be closed to him." I never received such an e-mail! The only e-mail I received from him is dated February 26th, in which he said: "Go where you can find peace, for now the doors of the Monastery are closed to you," -- without further explanations, without asking my opinion, without saying what the charges are against me (crimes?), and without giving to me the opportunity for self-defense -- breaking the laws of charity, Canon Law and the very Rule of St. Benedict!
To his e-mail I answered by 2 e-mails, but I did not receive any answer.
"Father Cyprian tells everybody, the brothers included, that Father Raphael is still part of the Community." How could I be part of a Community where its doors are closed to me and where I cannot enter anymore? This is a strategy to calm down the brothers, since they were told by Fr. Cyprian,
"We are having talks for reconciliation with Fr. Raphael," -- which is totally false!!
Please pray a great deal for this your servant and father, so that I may always do the will of God. This is precisely the greatest advice I received form Mons. WIlliamson: "Always pray to know the will of God, every day, and the grace to follow it and to fulfill it, avoiding
precipitation."
[Avoiding precipitation means to stay out of the rain!!
Did +W tell Father, "avoiding procrastination?"
or, "...prognostication?"
or, "...capitulation?"
or, "...presupposition?"
or, "...predetermination?"
or, some other word I'm not imagining????
Because precipitation makes NO SENSE!!!] I also beseech you, for the love of God, to help me with your prayers and support for the new project of opening a new Benedictine Monastery in Mexico.
U.I.O.G.D. (May God be Glorified in All Things)
Yours always in St. Joseph
Father Raphael OSB