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From the mailbag:


Dear Friends-

As you are aware, last month Rome announced pastoral guidelines regarding marriages of the faithful in SSPX chapels, which effectively subordinates the Society fo diocesan control of marriages, and which contemplate as the norm the delegation of faculties to a diocesan priest to validly witness such marriages "insofar as is possible," according to ordinary jurisdiction, ostensibly to "reassure the consciences" of SSPX faithful.

Yet, for those who have followed the incremental and gradual compromises of the SSPX in pursuit of a practical accord with unconverted Rome (especially since 2012), this latest maneuver is perceived as nothing more than another step towards "reconciliation" with the modernists, which will end in the capture and dilution of Tradition, precisely as Archbishop Lefebvre predicted (and as modernist Cardinal Cottier admitted after his conquest of Campos in 2002).

In response to Menzingen's scandalous acceptance and "gratitude" to Rome for these "pastoral measures," several priors in France have published a letter explaining their rejection of this latest Roman/Menzingen maneuver, and reaffirming their reliance upon ecclesia supplet (supplied jurisdiction).

In response, the French District Superior (Fr. Bouchacourt) imediately removed all seven priors from their positions.

In his letter, Fr. Bouchacourt tries to compare these seven brave priests with other rebels in the history of the SSPX (e.g., the nine sedevacantists who were expelled from the SSPX in 1983; the sedevacantists who led a revolt in the La Reja seminary; etc).

What Fr. Bouchacourt (and his bosses in Menzingen) does not want you to notice is that, in the cases adduced by Fr. Bouchacourt, teh rebels were expelled or left because of their differences with Archbishop Lefebvre, whereas in the present instance, it is Menzingen and Fr. Bouchacourt themselves that are at odds with the positions of Archbishop Lefebvre, and the seven priors who are in line with him!

Indeed, this pattern of engineered revolution (where the authorities are the revolutionaries, and the punished subordinates are the faithful sons of the great Archbishop) has been progressing since Bishop Fellay announced in February/2012 that he would be willing to accept a merely practical accord with unconverted Rome, so long as there were no strings attached.

Apparently, he would have you believe subjection to the authority of modernist diocesan bishops is not a "string attached?"

In truth, this subversion of the SSPX apostolate began very soon after the death of Archbishop Lefebvre, fomented by those who disagreed with the Archbishop, but remained within the SSPX nonetheless (e.g., Fr. Aulagnier; Fr. Lorans; Fr. Celier; Bishop Fellay; etc).  

Since at least the year 2000, when the SSPX made a surrender pilgrimage to Rome, forecasting their consent to the GREC initiative (which subordinated doctrinal considerations to "legality", this plan has progressed, with most of the world only ably to vaguely "connect the dots" in hindsight, with the 2009 revelation of Fr. Jean of Morgon exposing the GREC initiative; the expulsion of Bishop Williamson as an obstacle to the reconciliation; Bishop Fellay's willingness to accept a practical accord way back in 2000, had it not been for the intervention of Bishop Williamson and Avrille (both now having been outcast by Menzingen as a result).

A layman in France has now written an open letter to Bishop Fellay and the Ecclesia Dei Commission, rejecting the "pastoral guidelines" of Rome/Menzingen, and defending the seven priors who all stuck their necks out for us, to defend traditional marriage, knowing very well what the consequence would be.

The hour is critical:

You have waited, prayed, and demanded an uprising of courage and fidelity from the priests of the SSPX, and the powder keg has been lit in France.

Your signature on this petition is necessary not only to support these priests (all of whom have some issues with the "Resistance," but who themselves are not beginning to resist), but to send the message to Menzingen that such maneuvers will not be tolerated, and will be vigorously and publicly combated.

The link to the French letter and petition is here (Google translate does a good job of rendering an acceptable English translation):

https://www.change.org/p/lettre-des-fid%C3%A8les-%C3%A0-mgr-fellay-et-%C3%A0-la-commission-ecclesia-dei-sur-les-mariages-dans-la-fsspx 

You can also read it on the Non Possumus blog (which also contains a translation application) here: http://nonpossumus-vcr.blogspot.com/2017/05/los-fieles-de-francia-se-levantan-carta.html 

Perhaps with enough support, we can even create enough momentum to make a turning point in the battle to save the SSPX (even though it already seems to have its head in the noose).

Please do sign.

Semper Idem,
Sean Johnson

I'm not trying to be knit-picky, but the petition says that...."As followers of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X and in the struggle of its founder, Monseigneur Lefebvre, we declare the following......"

The problem I see with this is that the author of the petition is assuming that those who sign the petition are those faithful who attend SSPX chapels. He says this in his sentence..."As followers of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X....."

Would it really be right and proper for those who do not attend an SSPX chapel to sign the petition? I don't know the answer. I'm just asking the question out of concern about being honest.

Otherwise, I think that the petition is a good thing.

Matthew,

Do you know who the author of the petition is? I assumed that it is someone who attends an SSPX chapel, due to the wording I mentioned. But maybe it's not.

I hadn't thought that the petition might be from Fr. Pfeiffer (if that's what you are referring to). But I don't think that Sean Johnson would have posted it if it was from Fr. Pfeiffer. I could be wrong. It's a bit confusing.