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“The
savage and unjust struggle, undertaken against the Society (of St. Pius X) by
those who are trying to contaminate the Church’s sources of sanctification,
merely confirms the Society’s authenticity. These persons are the successors of
Cain, who wish anew to rid themselves of Abel, whose prayers God finds so
agreeable.
“Today,…one
of the most painful phenomena of our age is desecration—the desecration pursued
by Freemasonry through secularization, atheism, rationalism, and now,
tragically, aided by the clergy themselves. With God, and all that reminds us
of God, being gradually eliminated and replaced by a denatured man, Society
thus becomes a hell. Living within the atmosphere of such a world, the
Society of St. Pius X, in resurrecting the true spirit of the Church, seeks to
show forth Our Lord Jesus Christ by restoring the honor due to consecrated
persons and sacred things.…We find
edification in the holy places, the ceremonies, the chant, the choice of
prayers from the Missal, the Breviary, the Pontifical and the Ritual. How could
a soul, that lives by faith and seeks to model its faith upon that of the
Church, seek to desecrate all this?”—Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
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Below is a compilation of
five articles written by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in which he outlines to the SSPX's
members the spirit of their priestly society, first published by the District of the USA.
Article no.1
Dear Friends,
Without doubt, these words
are primarily addressed to the priests of the Society, but they are intended
for the Society’s seminarians, brothers, sisters, novices, oblates and all who
help us in our apostolate and participate in the spiritual life of the family.
On the occasion of the
10th anniversary of the Society, I would like to try to define and describe
that which we call the "Spirit of the Society".
At times here and there,
we hear the more or less sharp criticisms of our friends, who say:
“The members of the
Society look upon themselves as privileges persons, they imagine for themselves
to be the Church, and so they have little concern for others; they seek to
possess everything, to control everything etc….”
It is possible that youth
and a lack of experience in the apostolate sometimes provokes a tactlessness
and causes misunderstandings. And it is certain that we must do all we can to
show a charity towards those, who like ourselves, are striving to combat error
and keeping the Faith.
But, that apart, it is
useful to see where the Society stands within the present context of the
Church, so that we might also be eventually ready to live within a new context,
without modifying anything of our being of the Church and in the Church.
Having been recognized by
the Church as a "Priestly Society of Common Life without vows", our
Society has been grafted upon the trunk of the Church. It is drawing upon its
sap of sanctification from the most authentic sources of the Church’s Tradition
and the pure, living sources of holiness, following the footsteps of so many
other societies that have gained ecclesiastical recognition over the centuries,
whose branches have grown and blossomed and born fruits of sanctity for the
honor of the Church militant and triumphant.
The savage and unjust
struggle, undertaken against the Society by those who are trying to contaminate
the Church’s sources of sanctification, merely confirms the Society’s
authenticity. These persons are the successors of Cain, who wish anew to rid
themselves of Abel, whose prayers God finds so agreeable.
In normal times, the
foundation and development of our Society would have passed unnoticed among
many other marvelous, fruitful and flourishing societies. Today, the dried-up,
sterile, bitter fruits of most branches are a stark contrast to the vigor and
life of traditionalist branches.
Thus the situation of the
Society of St. Pius X in the Church puts it in a special place, something which
is well understood by the faithful as a whole, who clearly manifest their
desire of being evangelized and sanctified by the Society. This greatly
encourages and consoles us, to see an ever increasing number of priests, who
are not members of the Society, manifesting a desire of working with the
Society, and thereby finding a spiritual strength, and the help and assurance
of not being isolated.
The place of the Society,
in relation to the Church, is one of considerable importance, since it
legitimizes its continuity and the maintenance of its apostolate along the
unchangeable line of its approved foundation by the Church. It would be most
useful for us to define the Society, for it represents, by the grace of God, a
hope for the Church and a hope for souls.
I have written these few
lines intending them to be a kind of prologue for what is to appear in
successive issues of the Cor
Unum.
+Marcel
Lefebvre
February 7, 1981
February 7, 1981
Article no. 2
The spirit of the Society,
being above all that of the Church, will see to it that the members of the
Society—priests, brothers, sisters, oblates and tertiaries—will ever increase
in their knowledge of the Mystery of Christ, such as St. Paul describes in his
epistles, especially those to the Ephesians and the Hebrews.
Then we shall discover
what has guided the Church for 20 centuries, we will understand the importance
the Church gives to the Sacrifice of Our Lord and consequently, to the
Priesthood too! We will penetrate the depths of the great mystery of our Faith,
the Holy Mass, and so to have limitless devotion for this mystery, making it
the center of our thoughts, our hearts and our interior life and in thus doing
so, living by the spirit of the Church.
All Scripture focuses upon
the Cross, with its redeeming victim, shining with glory. All the life of the
Church is turned towards the altar of Sacrifice and, consequently, the Church’s
principal concern is for the sanctity of Her priests.
These are also the
fundamental convictions of the Society. All its efforts and preoccupation with
priories, schools, and above all, seminaries, are consecrated towards the
formation of future priests.
The ever-increasing
unveiling of the great mysteries for which they are destined, should give their
lives an especial character; captivated by Our Lord and His sacrifice, they
must by that very fact leave the world behind, with its vanities and futility,
and show this detachment by their dress, their attitude, their love of silence
and seclusion, even if, at a later date, the apostolic demands will require
them to go to souls.
The spirit of the Church
focuses upon the divine and the sacred. She forms the one who will give sacred
things to others—sacerdos or sacra dans—the one who will perform holy and sacred acts—sacrum faciens. She places, in his consecrated hands, divine and sacred
gifts, sacramenta, the Sacraments.
The Church consecrates and
gives a sacred character to the baptized, the confirmed, to kings, virgins,
knights, churches, chalices and altar stones. All these consecrations are done
in the splendor of the Sacrifice of Our Lord and in the person of Jesus
Himself.
Today, however, one of the
most painful phenomena of our age is desecration—the desecration pursued by
Freemasonry through secularization, atheism, rationalism, and now, tragically,
aided by the clergy themselves. With God, and all that reminds us of God, being
gradually eliminated and replaced by a denatured man, Society thus becomes a
hell. Living within the atmosphere of such a world, the Society of St.
Pius X, in resurrecting the true spirit of the Church, seeks to show forth Our
Lord Jesus Christ by restoring the honor due to consecrated persons and sacred
things.
The sacred and the divine
inspire respect. One of the characteristics of the Society will be that of
showing respect towards baptized souls, of treating sacred things with respect,
especially concerning the sacred action par excellence: the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass.
Therefore, we will avoid
being drawn into the current of vulgarity and crudeness—fruits of desecration.
Respect for ourselves and for others, will be an especial sign of the true
spirit of the Church. Both believers and non-believers will be greatly
influenced by this manifestation of the spirit of the Church and Our Lord.
Therein we truly see the Christian spirit and Christian civilization—a civility
of respect, founded upon faith towards the sacred and divine, that is to say,
towards Our Lord, all that represents Him and all that comes from Him.
+Marcel
Lefebvre
June 2, 1981
June 2, 1981
Article no. 3
Profoundly convinced that
the source of life is found in Christ crucified, and thus in the Sacrifice of
that He has bequeathed to us, the members of the Society will uncover the
precious legacy, with an ever increasing joy that the Mystical Spouse of Our
Lord, born of Jesus’ pierced side, has wished to hand down with a splendor
inspired of the Holy Ghost. Whence come the splendors of the liturgy, that sing
of the crucified and risen Christ. The Church knows how to present and make us
live these mysteries in a truly divine manner, in a way that our hearts are
captivated and our souls uplifted. All has been thought out with the love of a faithful
spouse and merciful mother. We find edification in the holy places, the
ceremonies, the chant, the choice of prayers from the Missal, the Breviary, the
Pontifical and the Ritual. How could a soul, that lives by faith and seeks to
model its faith upon that of the Church, seek to desecrate all this?
The members of the
Society, in their attachment to this spirituality of the Church written on
stone and in traditional liturgical books, will not only strive to apply those
spiritual principles to themselves, but will also uncover those wonders to the
faithful.
The consequences of this
attachment to the liturgy will be seen in the care and attention given to the
beauty and cleanliness of holy places, the sacred linens and objects used in
worship. It will also manifest itself in beautiful ceremonies, chants and the
regularity and edifying recitation of the Divine Office.
Nothing is too little,
nothing insignificant in the service of such a Lord and King. Let us always
remember this! It is a powerful means of apostolate. If the Liturgy is, above
all, the praise of the Holy Trinity, offering and sacrifice, a source of divine
life—then it is also the most vibrant and effective means of catechizing. Happy
the faithful who have a priest who is in love with the liturgy of the Church!
In administering sacred
things, we will inspire ourselves with the sentiments of the Church—with Her
respect for Our Lord and all that is related to Him, following the example of
the Virgin Mary. That means a deep respect, as well as humility and simplicity,
avoiding all originality or personal improvisation. Are we so audacious as to
think that our personal attitude and way of doing things is preferable to that
of the Church?
Liturgical actions are
public actions and not personal acts of devotion. We must, therefore, ensure
that they are in accordance with the will of the Church and not our own whims,
nor those of a reformer inspired by a Protestant spirit.
Let us beware of haste or
excessive slowness. Neither edifies the faithful. Let us avoid accumulations of
ceremonies, which is against the spirit of the Church. Let us take account of
the availability of the faithful in fixing the times of the ceremonies, and
also the length of the ceremony when it concerns para-liturgical ceremonies or
sermons—that they always have the goal of edifying the faithful rather than
satisfying our own desires.
Yet, in this time of
secularization, the faithful are sorely afflicted by the need for prayer and to
be able to express their faith by processions, pilgrimages, and nocturnal
adoration. In these circumstances, pastoral prudence must be correctly
exercised in order to arrive at the right measure.
Let us ask the Blessed
Virgin to communicate to us her insight on those holy mysteries which she
intimately witnessed throughout the course of her earthly life.
+Marcel
Lefebvre
September 26, 1982
September 26, 1982
Article no. 4
In the preceding articles,
we have seen that the spirit of the Society is essentially a priestly spirit,
enlightened by the radiance of our Redeemer’s Sacrifice on Calvary and in the
Mass, the Mystery of Faith. This great mystery, the sun of our faith, is brought
to us by the Church’s Liturgy, where, like a mother, She unfolds to us the
infinite riches of this mystery, by the actions, words, chants and liturgical
vestments, all of which differ according to the remarkable liturgical cycle.
The Society, eager to live
out this mystery, zealously seeks to understand the Liturgy and to bring it
forth in all its beauty and splendor—Domine dilexi decorum domus tuae. The spirit of the Society is a
liturgical spirit.
The consequence of such an
approach to God though His redeeming Sacrifice, will produce in the members of
the Society the very same effects, within due proportion, that those privileged
souls felt who received the stigmata of Our Lord.
There is a twofold effect;
wherein the first influences the second, of which it is the source; we speak of
contemplative aspects.
- an ardent desire to offer oneself as a total victim in union with the Divine Victim.
- a love of God and Our Lord to the point of sacrificing oneself.
- a total abandonment of oneself to the Holy Will of God.
- a burning union with the pierced Heart of Our Lord.
The effects of the Spirit
of Love, manifested upon the Cross and which continue to manifest themselves at
the altar and in the Eucharist, have a tendency to distance a soul from the
world, despising material, passing things in favor of eternal, spiritual ones.
The soul experiences a great horror of sin, and profound contrition for its
faults and a desire to expiate for itself and for others. God must be thanked
for communicating to us His spirit of love and victim for the glory of His
Father.
How desirable it is for
all Society members to thirst after the contemplative life, that is to say, a
simple yet ardent glance at the Cross of Jesus, acquiring the spirit of prayer
and an interior life comparable to that of Our Lord, Who lived 30 of His 33
years apart from the world.
It is a serious concern
for the superiors of Missionary Societies, such as our (which is missionary by
necessity, in view of the disastrous situation in the Church today), to note
that sometimes certain members, priests in particular, end up abandoning their
zeal for the apostolate of prayer, which is leaven and source of the exterior
apostolate. The apostolate of prayer is the essential apostolate that unites us
to Our Lord, the sole source of the graces of redemption. The exterior
apostolate, with its catechism classes, meetings, conferences, etc. will
quickly become sterile, if cut off from that fundamental apostolate that keeps
us in constant union with our Lord.
Zeal that does not keep an
equilibrium and a link between those two apostolates, is in reality a false
zeal, a mere human zeal which is no longer humble, for it counts upon human
gifts and qualities. Such practitioners of human zeal expose themselves to
cruel deceptions, discouragement, irritation and impatience. Their apostolate
no longer has a supernatural source. They become like the gardener, who is so
carried away by his zeal in watering, then he eventually pulls the hose pipe
off the faucet that supplies the water! They also condemn contemplative souls,
because they themselves no longer regard contemplation as the foundation of
their apostolate. Experience shows this, as does the disaster of renegade
priests. A priest who no longer says anything more than his Mass, ends up
saying it without devotion and without faith. His apostolate will be fruitless.
He is soon to ready to abandon everything.
That is why the Society
offers its members a structure, a rule and community life, which keeps them
within a true apostolate by a happy balance between the spiritual apostolate
and the exterior apostolate. That is what all founders of religious orders or
apostolic congregations wanted, conformity to that which the Apostles
themselves practiced: "But
we will give ourselves entirely to prayer and to the ministry of the word." (Acts 6:4)
+Marcel
Lefebvre
January 14, 1982
January 14, 1982
Article no. 5
The spirit of the Society
is the spirit of the Church, the spirit of faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ and
in His redemptive work. The entire history of the Church, over the last twenty
centuries, reveals the fundamental principles of the Church as inspired by the
Holy Spirit, the spirit of Our Lord.
The priest is at the heart
of this divine work of the renaissance of souls and their divinization in
preparation for their future glory. All his thoughts, ambitions, and actions
must be inspired by this spirit of faith. This spirit of faith is essentially a
spirit contemplating the crucified and glorified Jesus. The Faith is the seed
of the beatific vision, which is an eternally blessed contemplation.
That is why the Church has
always encouraged contemplative Orders and has placed them at the head of
religious societies. Maria
optimam partem elegit[Mary—as opposed to the active Martha—has chosen the greater
part—Ed]. The Church also insists upon the prayer of the priest: his breviary,
his daily meditation. It is obvious that if the Church officially prescribes
this in Canon Law, in that the soul of the priest must belong entirely to Jesus
Christ, then the priest must fulfill the four ends of prayer: adoration,
thanksgiving, impetration and propitiation.
If contemplation is a
glance of love towards the crucified and glorified Jesus, then it places the
soul in the hands of God—In
manus tuas commendo spiritum meum—and this cannot occur unless we completely abandon
our will and place it in God’s hands. In other words, a consummate obedience to
His holy will; a will indicated by God and those who legitimately participate
in His authority and who use that authority correctly; a will that indicates
God’s good pleasure in the course of events that affect the very heart of our
existence; illnesses, trials… Let us meditate upon these great instructions of
the Church and thereby apply their principles by putting them into practice in
our own lives.
This presupposes a deep
humility; something that is seen in Benedictine spirituality, which is entirely
based upon a progression in the virtue of humility. If the teaching that is
contained in the liturgical life is so admirable and draws us towards an ever
greater sanctification of soul, then the practical directives of the Church
throughout its history, as well as its approval of the many foundations
destined to sanctify souls, not to mention the examples of the saints, are all
equally precious guidelines for our souls. In following them, according to the
grace God grants us, we can be sure of not deceiving ourselves.
Contemplation, obedience,
humility, are all elements of one sole reality: the imitation of Jesus Christ
and participation in His infinite love.
May we be inspired by
these sentiments! Consequently, whatever apostolate we may receive, whatever be
the results of our efforts, whatever our limitations or weaknesses may be, we
will have the consolation of participating in the joys and sufferings of Our
Lord, who will also let us participate in His peace and serenity.
This is, and always will
be, the secret fruitfulness of the priestly apostolate.
+Marcel
Lefebvre
June 26, 1982
June 26, 1982
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