Superior General’s letters

The Church has just celebrated 25 years of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. During this time, more damage has been caused by the reforms of Vatican II, than did other events such as the French Revolution. Most of the reforms were made in the name of ecumenism which, explains Cardinal Kaspar, will destroy all that is strictly Catholic in the Church, not bring back the separated bretheren. Your prayers are asked for a group of Ukrainian priests and their parishioners who are being threatened with major excommunication.

A non-catholic way of thinking has been the norm in the Church since Vatican II. This non-catholic way of thinking is the source of the destruction of all that is traditional. This new way of thinking has destroyed the religious and the priestly life. The Pope's encyclical on the Eucharist and Cardinal Castrillon`s Celebration of the Tridentine Mass are not a return to Tradition but rather a mixture of truth and error. Rome desires that we accept truth mixed with error as a condition of our “regularization”.

In the eyes of Rome, the Campos-Rome agreement was merely meant to be the prelude to our own “regularization” in the Society of Saint Pius X, but in our eyes what is happening to our former friends should rather serve as a lesson to us. There is a desire on the part of some Vatican officials to put an end to the downhill slide. However, it is clear that the principle governing today’s Rome is still to put the Council into practice as has been done for the last 40 years. In this letter we will also tell you a little of our activity in the missionary countries of Lithuania and Kenya.

Many priests, seminarians and newcomers are joining the Society but it is with sadness that we report that Campos has been lost to the Society. After drawing Campos away from the Society, Rome's Cardinal Castrillon seeks a dialogue with the Society. His actions which are described in detail in this letter have created a climate of distrust, and in this climate dialogue is impossible. Rome has caused the present crisis by deviating from the doctrine of the Church.

We had the joy of seeing a magnificent church in the heart of Brussels restored to Catholic worship. It sums up where we are and what we are doing – restoring Catholic Tradition as best we can within the Church. Already a considerable number of priests, especially young ones, and even some bishops, are looking with favour upon our work. We represent an encouragement for them and a glimmer of hope, because many of them feel overwhelmed by discouragement, not to say despair, at seeing the indescribable obstinacy of so many bishops in preventing all rescue attempts.  

The new language of the Second Vatican Council is being used to convey a new theology which contradicts what the Church has always taught. The Society has sought to lay the axe to the root of today's present crisis by bringing Rome back to sound doctrine but Rome has refused. Instead Rome desires a unity of communion without a unity of doctrine, a practical agreement, which the Society has consistently refused and that is why the Society has been marginalized.

Thirty years ago the Decree of Erection of the Society of St. Pius X was signed. Within two years the Vatican itself was undertaking the first steps towards granting the Society pontifical status. After this promising start there soon came years of trial through which our Founder’s determination not to compromise on principles has inspired the Society to this day. The last 30 years have been full of persecution as well as of action. 

The Society mourns the death of Bishop Lazo. He recognized the crisis which the Church was undergoing and sought by every means to inform the Philippine Clergy and others about it. He died a holy death in the arms of the priests of the asian district and was buried at the priory in Manila. We have established a pre-seminary, made some changes at the priory of Manila and concluded a successful medical mission. Join us for a pilgrimage to Rome!

The new seminary chapel at Econe is the pride and joy of our seminarians. The Traditional movement is growing throughout the world, despite the catastrophic collapse of the Faith. Events such as the renewal of Assisi beg us to make reparation for such an affront to the Sovereign Majesty of Almighty God. The priests of Fraternity of St. Peter are now bitterly learning how naively they put their trust in the churchmen back in 1988. Dear faithful, we must keep up the good fight without tiring.

Some priests have discovered the riches of the Tridentine Mass and we rejoice with them. They described the New Mass as being empty. This confirms what Archbishop Lefebvre concluded regarding the New Mass, namely, that it leads to a loss of faith. The spirit of adoration which the Tridentine Mass inspires is the spirit which the Society seeks to impart to its priests and future priests.