My dear brethren,
Bishop Fellay, our Superior General, recently accorded an
interview in which he replied to 54 questions under main headings
relating to Doctrinal Discussions, the Motu Proprio Effect, Assisi
III, Beatification of John Paul II, and SSPX 40th Anniversary. The
following extracts give an idea of the full text, which can be found
at the SSPX-USA website (sspx.org):
Qu. 8: Besides witnessing to the Faith, is it important and
advantageous for the SSPX to go to Rome (for talks)? Is it
dangerous, and do you think that it (the talks) might last a long
time?
"It is very important that the Society give this witness;
that is the reason for these doctrinal talks. It is really a matter
of making the Catholic Faith understood in Rome and trying, why not,
to make it understood even more throughout the Church."
"There is one danger: the danger of keeping up illusions. We
see that some Catholics have manages to lull themselves to sleep
with illusions. But recent events have managed to dispel them. I am
thinking about the announcement of the beatification of John Paul II
or the announcement of a new Assisi event along the lines of the
inter-religious gatherings in 1986 and 2002."
Qu. 18: What advice do you give to Catholics who, since and thanks
to the Motu Proprio, have now a traditional Mass closer to them than
a chapel of the society of St Pius X?
"My advice to them is to ask the priests of the Society for
advice first, not to go with their eyes closed to just any
traditional Mass that is celebrated nearby. The Mass is a treasure;
but there is also a way of saying it, and everything that goes with
it: the sermon, the catechesis, the way of administering the
sacraments… Not every traditional Mass is necessarily accompanied by
the conditions required for it to bear all its fruits and to protect
the soul from the dangers of the current crisis. Therefore, ask the
priests of the Society for advice first."
Qu. 28: What should Catholics do with regard to this announcement
about Assisi III?
"Pray the good Lord intervenes in one way or another so that
is doesn’t take place, and in any case start making reparation now!"
Qu. 29: Does the announcement of the approaching beatification of
John Paul II pose a problem?
"A serious problem, the problem of a pontificate that caused
things to proceed by leaps and bounds in the wrong direction, along
“progressive” lines, toward everything that they call the “spirit of
Vatican II.” This is therefore a public acknowledgment not only of
the person of John Paul II but also of the Council and the whole
spirit that accompanied it."
Qu. 37: You commented recently, at the Conference in Rome sponsored
by Le Courrier de Rome, on a meeting of around thirty diocesan
priests in Italy that you attended. What do those priests expect
today from the society of St Pius X?
"These priests ask us above all for doctrine, which is an
excellent sign. If they are with us, it is of course because they
want the old Mass, but after discovering the old Mass, they want
something else. They want something more , because they discover a
whole world that they know is authentic. They have no doubt that is
the true religion. Then they need to brush up on their theological
studies. And they are not mistaken: they go directly to St. Thomas
Aquinas."
Qu. 45: The American bishops want to revise together the directives
given by John Paul II for the universities. What, in your onion, are
the urgent measures that should be taken to turn today’s
universities into authentic Catholic universities?
"The first and most urgent measure is to return to
Scholasticism. They have to get rid of those modern philosophies and
return to the sound philosophy, the objective, realist philosophy.
Saint Thomas must become the norm again, as at the beginning of the
twentieth century."
"Back then the 24 Thomistic theses were obligatory. We have to
return to them - that is absolutely necessary. And after this
philosophical renewal, it will be possible to continue along the
same line with theology.
St. Thomas must
become the norm again, as at the beginning of the 20th century. The
24 Thomistic theses were obligatory, were presented as obligatory.
We have to go back to them - that is absolutely necessary. And after
that, it will be possible and necessary to continue along the same
line with theology."
The ‘Catholic Herald’ newspaper (25/02/2011) referred to this
interview recently under the headline: ‘Unification talks with
Vatican are failing, say SSPX.’ It reported that the talks with the
Vatican would soon be coming to an end, ‘with little change in the
views of either side.’
_________________
Confirmation tour
More than fifty individuals received the sacrament of
Confirmation from Bishop Tissier de Mallerais on his recent trip to
Ireland and Great Britain.
In addition to giving an insightful conference on the
providential beginnings of the Society, the bishop was also able to
visit North Wales for the first time and to appreciate its religious
and cultural heritage. In addition to visiting the smallest church
in the country, that of St Trillo in Rhos on Sea, His Lordship also
saw the smallest house in the country at nearby Llandudno, before
going on to the smallest cathedral in the country in St Asaph!
Whilst in Ireland Bishop Tissier de Mallerais also went to see
the early monastic settlements in Glendalough which continue to bear
witness to the spirit of faith and mortification of the early monks.
Just prior to the bishop’s visit Fr Angles was able to install
a very a fine set of stations for our Church of St. John in Dun
Laoghaire which he had acquired from Econe. Having adorned the
temporary chapel there for a number of years, they were collected
by Fr Bierer who made the long return journey from Dublin to Econe
in a van hired for the occasion.
Priests’ retreat
Eighteen Fathers attended our recent priests’ retreat at St
Saviour’s House in Bristol, including Father Alain Nely, Second
Assistant to the Superior General, from the Mother House in
Menzingen.
The retreat master, Fr Ramon Angles, preached engagingly on
the theme of the Blessed Trinity and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,
with all those in attendance benefiting from his extensive knowledge
of matters liturgical.
Dominicans’ conference
A good number of parents and families attended the talk given
at Saint Michael’s School, Burghclere, by the Teaching Dominicans of
Fanjeaux by Mother Maria Johanna and Mother Maria Sabina. The
traditional Congregation now has some eleven schools for girls in
France and the USA, and numbers some 190 Sisters. At present there
is only one British sister, in the person of Mother Mary Hilary
(Wood), and hence the Mothers in their talk emphasised the
importance of more vocations from these shores before a new
foundation here could really be considered. Interestingly a good
number of former Dominican pupils have joined the Congregation,
hence the particular relevance of our parents sending their
daughters to one of their schools in France!
A flyer on the life and work of the Congregation is included
elsewhere in this newsletter.
Church of Saint Anne in Leicester
We are indebted to Father Alan Rolph for having continued to
minister to the needs of our faithful in the Midlands these past few
years, and indeed for his loyal support of the Society and its work
in this country for some ten years. Due to a worsening arthritic
condition however, and the prospect of hip replacement surgery, Fr
Rolph regrets that he must now desist from celebrating the regular
Masses at St Anne’s Church in Leicester-at least for the present-
but assures us that his prayers and sufferings will continue to be
offered up for the Society.
Whilst assuring Father Rolph of our good wishes and grateful
prayers also, please note that Sunday Mass will be celebrated in
Leicester each week at 5.30pm until further notice.
Year planner
Please note the dates of the various pilgrimages and summer
camps which are given in the year planner section of this
newsletter. The pilgrimage to Walsingham will take place on the last
weekend of August this year due to the Priory ruins being already
booked by another group for the first weekend in September.
___________________
The Rule of Saint Benedict includes the following exhortation
to be generous in Lent:
‘In these days, therefore, let us add something beyond the
wonted measure of our service, such as private prayers and
abstinence in food and drink. Let each one, over and above the
measure prescribed to him, offer God something of his own freewill
in the joy of the Holy Ghost.’
O God, Who dodst purify thy Church by the yearly observance of
forty days; grant to Thy household, that what we strive to obtain
from Thee by self-denial, we may secure by good works. [Collect for
the First Sunday in Lent]
With every good wish and prayer,
Father Paul Morgan
Superior
