CathInfo.com

"Recently, there has been much talk and insistence upon Bishop Fellay’s “grace of state” to conduct negotiations with Modernist Rome, as though that grace is an infallible grace that cannot possibly “get things wrong.” Let it be said that ALL CATHOLICS have the grace of state available to fulfill their role in life—popes, cardinals, bishops, priests, husbands, wives, parents, teachers, etc.—yet look at the mess the world is in despite the available “graces of state.”  

All this reminds me of Vatican II with its endless talk of the “rights of man” while ignoring the “rights of God.” Let us not focus so much on Bishop Fellay’s “grace of state” as a mere superior general of the SSPX, but let us go higher, and let us look at the “grace of state” of the 1970  FOUNDER of the organization, that Bishop Fellay now leads. The “grace of the founder” is what the future leaders of the organization should follow, if they are going to be true to their “grace of state.” Most, if not all, religious  orders, sooner  or later, stray from the initial spirit of their founders. Fr. Ludovic  B arrielle (th e prie st c h o s e n b y Arc h bis h o p L efe b vre  to be the spiritual director of his seminary in Ecône) once said that the time it takes for a religious order to start to drift from its founder’s moorings is around 40 years. Today, 40 or so years after the founding of the SSPX, we see  serious problems and divisions facing the SSPX (or the NOVUS–SSPX ). When religious orders thus drift away, a reform is usually carried out by some, in order to recapture the original ideals, attitudes and spirit of their founders.

Perhaps the time has come for the SSPX to do the same. But to recapture the Archbishop’s spirit, we must carefully, frequently and zealously read the books in which Archbishop Lefebvre’s words are printed. I remember a traditional priest, a professor of dogmatic theology, once saying: “There are many commentaries and explanations written on the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas, but many, if not most of them, merely complicate the simple thought of St. Thomas. Go to the source! Read St. Thomas first, and then, if you cannot understand him, then read the commentary.” Similarly, in these days, when we are being told how to interpret Archbishop Lefebvre by this or that priest, who professes to know the Archbishop’s thought— go first to the source, the Archbishop! What was bad in his day, has become much worse today. What applied then, applies even more today. If he spoke strongly then, he would speak more strongly today! He spoke simply while alive, and he still speaks simply from beyond the grave!

1974:
“We hold firmly with all our heart and with all our mind to Catholic Rome, Guardian of the Catholic Faith and of the traditions necessary to the maintenance of this faith, to the eternal Rome .... We refuse on the other hand, and have always refused, to follow the Rome of Neo-Modernist and Neo-Protestant tendencies which became clearly manifest during the Second Vatican Council, and after the Council, in all the reforms which issued from it.”
(Archbishop Lefebvre, Declaration of November 21, 1974)

1976:
“We are not of this new religion! We do not accept this new religion! We are of the religion of all time; we are of the Catholic religion. We are not of this “universal religion” as they call it today—this is not the Catholic religion any more. We are not of this liberal, modernist religion which has its own worship, its own priests, its own faith, its own catechisms, its own “ecuмenical Bible. We cannot accept these things. They are contrary to our faith. It is an immense, immense pain for us, to think that we are in difficulty with Rome because of our faith! We are in a truly dramatic situation. We have to choose an appearance of disobedience—for the Holy Father cannot ask us to abandon our faith; it is impossible, impossible! We choose not to abandon our faith, for in that we cannot go wrong.”
(Archbishop Lefebvre, Ordination Sermon, June 29.1976; cf. http://www.angelusonline.org/index.php?section=articles& subsection=show_article&article_id=72)

In the days following his ordination sermon Archbishop Lefebvre was informed by Rome that he was suspended “a divinis.” The Archbishop’s reaction to this was:

THE MIND OF THE FOUNDER (Part 2)

As Fr. Ludovic Barrielle (the priest chosen to be the chief spiritual director of Ecône said, a religious order risks losing its way after a period of around 40 years. We have seen groups split from the SSPX over the years, only to lose their “traditionalism” in the years that followed—despite an insistence that they would always remain staunchly traditional! These “splits” or “break-aways” always constituted a minority. Today, in the words of Bishop Fellay (“I cannot exclude that there might be a split.”—CNS interview, May 11, 2012) it seems as though a majority, not a minority, would split from the SSPX and align itself with Rome. Previously, only branches fell from the solid SSPX tree, today the trunk itself risks splitting away and taking many branches with along with it. The SSPX risks becoming the NOVUS-SSPX before finally being absorbed fully into the NOVUS-ORDO—as the philosophical axiom says, “the greater absorbs the lesser,” or as Archbishop Lefebvre once said: “To stay inside the Church, or to put oneself inside the Church... I would have been completely swamped. I would have been able to do nothing!” The problem of Eve was that she let herself be drawn into a discussion with the serpent (devil). The serpent did not look like the devil, but he was the devil. The danger of all prolonged negotiations is compromise. A “quid pro quo” or give and take! We see that in the temptation of Christ by the devil. Satan offers Jesus all kinds of things. But as Scripture says: “What concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever?” (2 Cor. 6:15). Archbishop Lefebvre visited Rome many times, he spoke with popes, cardinals and bishops, he was almost fooled on a few occasions— but he learnt many a thing about wily Rome and tried to communicate that experience to those who would listen. These quotes show his resoluteness and avoidance of all compromise. Let us learn from his supernatural wisdom! 1986 “We have allays refused to collaborate in the destruction of the Church. Since we refused this, it is obvious that we placed ourselves in opposition to those who appear to be the legal Church. We were the outlaws of the Church and they appeared to respect the law ... In fact it is they who have distanced themselves from the legality of the Church and we, on the contrary, have remained within the legality and validity. ”
(Archbishop Lefebvre, Sept. 1986, Priests Retreat Ecône)

1986:
“Rome has asked us if we have the intention of proclaiming our rupture with the Vatican on the occasion of the Congress of Assisi. We think that the question should rather be: “Do you believe and do you have the intention of proclaiming that the Congress of Assisi consummates the rupture of the Roman authorities with the Catholic Church?”...The present acts of John Paul II and the national episcopates illustrates, year by year, this radical change in the conception of the Faith, the Church, the priesthood, the world, and salvation by grace. The high point of this rupture with the previous Magisterium of the Church took place at Assisi, after the visit to the ѕуηαgσgυє. The rupture does not come from us, but from Paul VI and John Paul II, who break with their predecessors. ”
(Archbishop Lefebvre & Bishop de Castro Mayer, Declaration Against Assisi, December 2, 1986)

1987:
“The magisterium of today is not sufficient by itself to be called Catholic unless it is the transmission of the Deposit of Faith, that is, of Tradition. A new magisterium without roots in the past, and all the more if it is opposed to the magisterium of all times, can only be schismatic and heretical. ”
(Archbishop Lefebvre, July 8, 1987, Letter to Cardinal Ratzinger)

1987:
“The See of Peter and the posts of authority in Rome being occupied by anti-Christs, the destruction of the Kingdom of our Lord is being rapidly carried out even in His Mystical Body here below....This is what has brought down upon our heads persecution by the Rome of the anti-Christs. This Rome, Modernist and Liberal, is carrying on it’s work of destruction of the Kingdom of our Lord, as Assisi and the confirmation of the liberal theses of Vatican II on Religious Liberty prove...”
(Archbishop Lefebvre, Letter to future bishops Aug. 29, 1987)

1987:
“I said to him [Cardinal Ratzinger— who became Pope Benedict XVI] ‘Even if you grant us a bishop, even if you grant us some autonomy from the bishops, even if you grant us the 1962 Liturgy, even if you allow us to continue running our seminaries in the manner we doing right now —we cannot work together! It is impossible! Impossible! Because we are working in diametrically opposing directions. You are working to de-Christianize society, the human person and the Church, and we are working to Christianize them. We cannot get along together!’ Rome has lost the Faith, my dear friends! Rome is in apostasy! I am not speaking empty words! That is the truth! Rome is in apostasy! One can no longer have any confidence in these people! They have left the Church! They have left the Church! They have left the Church! It is certain! Certain! Certain! Certain!”
(Archbishop Lefebvre, Conference, October 4, 1987, Marcel Lefebvre by Bishop Tissier de Mallerais, pp. 547-548; also http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature= endscreen&NR=1&v=jjlWYp1qQLA)

1988:
“One is driven to wonder how intelligent persons can make a statement like, “They prefer to be mistaken with the pope, than to be with the truth against the pope.” That is not what the natural law teaches, nor the Magisterium of the Church... St. Thomas says...”if there was question of a danger for the faith, the superiors would have to be rebuked, by their inferiors, even in public.”
(Archbishop Lefebvre, March 29, 1988)

1988:
“And why, Archbishop, have you stopped these discussions which seemed to have had a certain degree of success?” ... It is clear that the only truth that exists today for the Vatican is the conciliar truth, the spirit of the Council, the spirit of Assisi. That is the truth of today. But we will have nothing to do with this for anything in the world!” (Archbishop Lefebvre, June 30th 1988, Episcopal Consecration Sermon)

1988:
“We must not be under any illusions. We are in the thick of a great fight, a great fight. We are fighting a fight guaranteed by a whole line of Popes. Hence, we should have no hesitation or fear—hesitation such as, “Why should we be going on our own? After all, why not join Rome, why not join the Pope?” Yes, if Rome and the Pope were in line with Tradition .... But they themselves admit that they have set out on a new path. They themselves admit that a new era began with Vatican II. They admit that it is a new stage in the Church’s life, wholly new, based on new principles. We need not argue the point. They say it themselves! It is clear! I think that we must drive this point home with our people.”
(Archbishop Lefebvre, Sept. 9, 1988, Ecône; Conference to Seminarians; Fideliter N° 66, Nov.-Dec., 1988)

1989:
“We would have to re-enter this Conciliar Church in order, supposedly, to make it Catholic. That is a complete illusion It is not the subjects that make the superiors, but the superiors who make the subjects...Amongst the whole Roman Curia, amongst all the world’s bishops who are progressives, I would have been completely swamped. I would have been able to do nothing... [As for the Pope appointing conservative bishops] I don’t think it is a true return to Tradition. Just as in a fight when the troops are going a little too far ahead one holds them back, so they are slightly putting the brakes on the impulse of Vatican II because the supporters of the Council are going too far... the supposedly conservative bishops are wholly supportive of the Council and of the post-Conciliar reforms... No, all of that is tactics, which you have to use in any fight. You have to avoid excesses... [Asked about signs of benevolence to Tradition] There are plenty of signs showing us that what you are talking about is simply exceptional and temporary...So I do not think it is opportune to try contacting Rome. I think we must still wait. Wait, unfortunately, for the situation to get still worse on their side. But up till now, they do not want to recognize the fact....That is why what can look like a concession is in reality merely a maneuver to separate us from the largest number of faithful possible. This is the perspective in which they seem to be always giving a little more and even going very far. We must absolutely convince our faithful that it is no more than a maneuver, that it is dangerous to put oneself into the hands of Conciliar bishops and Modernist Rome. It is the greatest danger threatening our people. If we have struggled for twenty years to avoid the Conciliar errors, it was not in order, now, to put ourselves in the hands of those professing these errors. ”
(Archbishop Lefebvre, Interview, Fideliter, July-August 1989)

1990:
“Some people are always admiring the grass in the neighbor’s field...they look to our enemies on the other side. “After all, we must be charitable, we must be kind, we must not be divisive, after all, they are celebrating the Tridentine Mass, they are not as bad as everyone says” —but THEY ARE BETRAYING US —betraying us! They are shaking hands with the Church’s destroyers. They are shaking hands with people holding modernist and liberal ideas condemned by the Church. So they are doing the devil’s work. They are now saying: “So long as they grant us the old Mass, we can shake hands with Rome, no problem.” But we are seeing how it works out. They are in an impossible situation. Impossible. One cannot both shake hands with modernists and keep following Tradition. Not possible. Not possible. Now, stay in touch with them to bring them back, to convert them to Tradition, yes, if you like, that’s the right kind of ecuмenism! But give the impression that after all one almost regrets any break, that one likes talking to them? No way!...Unbelievable! Unimaginable! What kind of relations can you have with people like that? This is what causes us a problem with certain layfolk, who...have a kind of deep-down regret that they are no longer with the people they used to be with. “It’s a pity we are divided”, they say, “why not meet up with them? Let’s go and have a drink together, reach out a hand to them”—that’s a betrayal! Those saying this give the impression that at the drop of a hat they would cross over and join those who left us. They must make up their minds. ”
(Archbishop Lefebvre, Address to his priests, Ecône, September 6, 1990—just over 6 months before his death)

So we must make up our minds! We cannot serve God and mammon—Tradition and Modernism! We cannot love the SSPX and the NOVUS-SSPX. We will love one and hate the other, or vice-versa. The former Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers sends his spirit to teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever he shall have said to you (John 14:26). His words will not pass away. Read him. Know him. Love him. Follow him—and you will be on the safe path!

Lasting change takes time. Effective change takes time. Disease takes its time. Recovery of health takes time. In education, constantly repeating and reviewing ideas, over a long period of time, is essential to make the ideas “stick” in the mind. The masters of propaganda know this! When a massive unpopular change is the goal, it usually must be brought about by small acceptable steps. A forced change is not as good as a desired change. You can always force people to do something, but it works better if they want to do it. So you have to “sell the product” to those who don’t really want it. This calls for a gradual introduction of and acclimatization to thing you want “to sell.” We have seen that approach followed in the introduction of sinful laws in many countries. Talk about it rarely (and condemn it)—then talk about it more (but condemn it less)—talk even more (and condemn even less)—then talk all the time—then when the shock factor wears off and people are used to the idea—THEN DO IT!

It is just like the musical transition referred to in first of these four flyers. So the SSPX introduces the idea or possibility of union with Modernist Rome, but at the same time refuses it vehemently. Then it will bring the idea back more and more often, and oppose it less and less vehemently, until, at last, it will put it into practice. The perfect “sales pitch”! In the following quotes, you will see Bishop Fellay speak of both ideas—the idea of union with Rome and, at the same time, a refusal of it. At first the refusal is powerful, and then, over time, by 2012, it loses its strength. The comments seeming to favor the idea of union with Modernist Rome are highlighted in RED and the comments that seem resistant to the idea of union with Modernist Rome is in GREEN. Whether Bishop Fellay was slowly working towards a deal or not, the ‘music’ of his words skillfully intertwines the two opposing ideas.

2001
“If Rome calls upon us as firemen to help put out the fire, we will not refuse our services, but before we get involved in the blaze, we do ask for the gas-line, which is the source of the fire, to be cut off! .... We are being offered a practical solution not to be held up by points of dispute [over doctrine]. Rome neither denies that there are points to be disputed, nor does it refuse to deal later with such questions, but it is inviting us to re-enter the fold without further delay. As a sign of good-will, we are being offered a solution acceptable in itself, in fact a solution which would suit us down to the ground from a purely practical point of view. Yet it is an offer we must refuse....this division cannot be healed by a merely practical agreement. We embody the contradiction without meaning to do so, and a practical agreement will not change this basic situation. The solution to the problem is to be sought elsewhere ... For Rome’s part, to settle the question, of the seeming separation, is of primary importance, and takes priority over all else; doctrinal questions will be talked about later. Through this pursuit of unity, Rome has indeed changed its position towards us, it [Rome] is indeed seeking for a solution, but as far as we are concerned it is missing the point. For sure, we wish to see this crisis come to an end. For sure, we wish to cease being opposed to Rome. But that calls for a different approach altogether ... we would by no means refuse a true discussion with Rome of the real questions, but we have not yet reached that point.” (Bishop Fellay, May 2001, Letter to Friends & Benefactors, No. 60)

The following quotes, from a very long conference in Kansas City, MO, in 2002, continue this ‘musical transition’ that seeks to reconcile two opposing ideas. The old melody of Archbishop Lefebvre still dominates, but the new tune surfaces more and more. The whole conference is very traditional and powerful, but talk of union with Rome will start to dominate over the next ten years. Already we see subtle favorable comments about Rome appearing, while we are made to feel safe by also hearing the usual condemnations. The seeds of change are thus sown!

2002
“We are able to say that a new phase in the history of the Society of St. Pius X has begun. It touches seriously on the question of our existence and of our future ... we first have to remind ourselves of the principles which guide us... first...we are Roman Catholics and we want to stay Roman Catholics...; second ... the Catholic Church is our Mother, that the bad things that happen to the Church hurt us, crush us ...; third...we are Romans! ... That’s why whenever we look to Rome, we expect to hear the voice of the Lord from the mouth of the Vicar of Christ....when Rome approaches us, our first reaction as Catholics is to look at it with a favorable eye because we constantly expect that one day we will be able to hear again the voice of the Lord ... At this meeting [with Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos in December 2001] I wanted to stress two things, the first of which was that whatever happens—even if there is an agreement with Rome—the Society of St. Pius X is going to “continue to fight against Liberalism, Modernism, and Fɾҽҽmαsσɳɾყ....I re-stated all our objections to Vatican II—religious liberty, ecuмenism, collegiality. I spoke of the new Code of Canon Law. I threw a lot of punches and I was really amazed to see how much he was able to absorb and still continue in a pleasant way. I really admired that. I thought, well, he is really a mediator, because I really threw a lot of things at him....The cardinal seemed to be happy with my answers....

“At the end of the discussion, he asked, ‘When will you be back in Rome?’ I said, ‘Around January 15th.’ ‘Okay, come here, we’ll have a formal meeting, and we’ll sign an agreement.’ Done! Two weeks! I replied, ‘No, that’s not possible.’ He said, ‘We’ll have a little meeting with the pope and, once it’s signed, we’ll have a formal meeting with the pope.’ Without committing myself, I anticipated I would receive a visit around January 15th.... Later that evening, on December 29th, I received a phone call from Cardinal Castrillón: ‘The meeting with the pope is scheduled for tomorrow at 11am.’ I said, ‘I’m sorry, but my plane’s at noon.’ I asked if he could reschedule. ‘No!’ he answered, ‘there’s a general audience at St. Peter’s Square.’ I tried to change my plane, but couldn’t, so I called back and said, ‘I can’t, I’m sorry. It’s Saturday; Sunday, I’m busy. I cannot be there at 11am. There are no seats available on the planes.’ The cardinal said, ‘I’ll take care of that.’ And he did! He got me on each plane from Rome to Zurich on that Saturday afternoon and night! I don’t know how he did it! It’s unbelievable, really! So, I had no excuses....

“Our relations with Rome are made difficult because of the behavior of Rome itself, which does unbelievable things and, on the other hand, allows bishops to do even worse things. As long as Rome continues like this, we will continue as we do. Even if Rome gives us a beautiful administration, we’ll continue to fight where we must fight. That is why we request that we enter into real, true discussion on doctrinal matters. But they don’t want to.”
(Bishop Fellay, Conference in Kansas City, MO, March 5, 2002)

In the following quote, Bishop Fellay condemns the way in which the compromising traditional priests of Campos, Brazil, were acting towards Rome. Yet, what Campos did then, the SSPX is doing today! Little by little one can go far!

2003
“Rome means—all things being equal—to come to an agreement with the SSPX. On all sides we hear that the pope would like to settle this matter before he dies. [Bishop Fellay then speaks of the traditional priests of Campos who had reconciled with Rome] So little by little the will to fight grows weaker and finally one gets used to the situation. In Campos itself, everything positively traditional is being maintained, for sure, so the people see nothing different, except that the more perceptive amongst them notice the priests’ tendency to speak respectfully and more often of recent statements and events coming out of Rome, while yesterday’s warnings and today’s deviations are left out. The great danger here is that in the end one gets used to the situation as it is, and no longer tries to remedy it .... we are bound to say that the Campos priests, despite their claims to the contrary, are slowly being re-molded, following the lead of their new bishop. ” Bishop Fellay is now doing the exactly the same thing that he had condemned Campos for doing in 2002.
(Bishop Fellay, January 2003, Letter to Friends & Benefactors, No. 63)

2004 
“We are sensitive to your [Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos] efforts and those of the Holy Father to come to our aid, and we see that this overture on your part is certainly very generous... before constructing a roadway on a bridge, one must lay its foundations. Otherwise the enterprise is doomed to failure. We do not see how we could arrive at a recognition without passing through a number of steps. ” Bishop Fellay then says those two steps must be the lifting of the excommunications and the granting of permission to all priests to say the Latin Mass. (Bishop Fellay, January 6, 2004, Letter to Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos)

2004
“Rome demands that we accept their proposition of a “personal jurisdiction.” The problem lies not in the juridical formulation, which seems acceptable to us in principle, although we do not know the concrete elements and implications of such a “juridical formula.” The problem remains as always on the level of doctrine. ”
(Bishop Fellay, June 2004, Letter to Friends & Benefactors, No. 66)

2004
DICI (SSPX news website) asks: “In this interview for the Latin Mass magazine, Cardinal Castrillón-Hoyos does more than just stretch out a hand to the faithful attached to Tradition, he affirms that the Holy Father holds his arms open. Aren’t you touched by such a generous offer?”
+Fellay: “I am very much touched by this gesture and do not doubt the generosity behind it. But ... the Cardinal minimizes, as much as he can, the real difficulties which exist on both sides. ”
DICI: “So, for you, it is doctrine, integral doctrine, or nothing? Doesn’t this position of “all or nothing” lack realism?”
+Fellay: “We are firm, but not unreachable. Doubtless, doctrine is fundamental, but we do think there are some preliminary stages to go through. That is the reason why, from the very beginning, we proposed two preliminary conditions to the Roman authorities...These conditions are: the withdrawal of the decree of excommunication against the bishops of the Society and the acknowledgment of the right for every priest to celebrate the traditional Mass. ”
(Bishop Fellay, July 20, 2004, DICI interview)

After the 1988 Episcopal Consecrations, Archbishop Lefebvre said after that the only way there could be union with Rome was if Rome returned to Tradition—otherwise it would be a dialogue of death. In other words, it is a doctrinal problem, not a practical problem. Bishop Fellay here sets out on a path that devalues the issue of doctrine, and will eventually lead to a “cut-price-deal” on a practical level, while leaving doctrinal differences for a later date! Little by little one can go far!

2004 
“We see a certain development for the better. What I say, we cannot take as a general law, that is, I cannot say that now everything is fine—that wouldn’t be correct. But what we see is a certain lessening in the opposition which we are facing. Till about the year 2000, there was a huge wall. We were facing one thing, and that was a big, big “No” to Tradition. Since the year 2000 we see little by little certain things, certain bishops, certain persons in the hierarchy who are no longer so heavily against us. The wall is crumbling. “We request from Rome, that Rome confirm us in the Faith ... We have the strict right to request this from the Roman authorities, and we do not think that we will really progress towards an agreement as long as Rome has not shown a concrete will to dissipate the smoke that has invaded the temple of God ...There will be no agreement before then.”
(Bishop Fellay, November 10, 2004, Conference in Kansas City, MO)

Due to increasing bad health (Parkinson’s disease from 2001), Pope John Paul II was little involved in the talks with the SSPX. On April 2, 2005, he died. Cardinal Ratzinger replaced him as Pope Benedict XVI. This would see the rapid sprouting and growth of the seeds planted in the earlier years. Continued in Part Three.

READ THE OTHER 3 FLYERs IN THIS 4-PART SERIES Together they explain the subtle & gradual shift in principles governing the SSPX’s relations with Rome after 2000