In
2009, shortly after the so-called “excommunications” were withdrawn from the
Society of Saint Pius X by Pope Benedict XVI, John Vennari, Father Gruner’s
co-worker, wrote the following:
“Now that the “excommunications” have been
withdrawn from the four SSPX bishops, it is wise to restate the position of the
SSPX regarding the Second Vatican Council. Shortly after Bishop Bernard
Fellay, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, was granted a private
audience with Pope Benedict in August, 2005, Bishop Fellay made the following
comment: “Benedict XVI pointed out that there can be only one way of belonging
to the Catholic Church: i.e. by having the spirit of Vatican II interpreted in
the light of Tradition, that is to say according to the intention of the
Fathers of the Council and the letter of the text. This is a perspective that
rather frightens us.”...It is understandable that the SSPX should find this
frightening, since it is questionable whether Vatican II can be interpreted in
light of Tradition. I am one of many who believe it cannot realistically be
done, nor do I think it should be attempted. It seems to me impossible to
separate the verbose and ambiguous texts of Vatican II from the revolutionary
spirit that inspired the texts — a non-Catholic spirit of liberalism that would
have been condemned by every Pope prior to Vatican II...In fact, those
“conservatives” who deny that various points of Vatican II constitute a break
with Tradition and with previous Magisterial pronouncements—at least by
ambiguity, implications and omissions—have failed to listen to the very movers
and shakers of the Council who openly acknowledge it. ...Yves Congar, one of
the artisans of the reform, remarked with quiet satisfaction that “The Church
has had, peacefully, its October Revolution.”....The same Father Yves Congar
stated that Vatican II's 'Declaration of Religious Liberty' is contrary to the
Syllabus of Pope Pius IX. Regarding Article 2 of the Declaration, he said: “It
cannot be denied that a text like this does materially say something different
from the Syllabus of 1864, and even almost the opposite of propositions 15 and
77-79 of that document.” ....Statements such as this led theologian
Father Gregory Hesse to often remark, “How can I accept documents that no Pope
or bishop from the 19th Century would have signed?”...Yet every traditionalists
group that is “reconciled” with post-Conciliar Rome must agree to accept
Vatican II; an act I believe to be suicidal, for it always neutralizes the
group in its fight against the Council and its destructive progressivism. I
know of no exceptions. For example, I know of no “approved”
Tridentine group that has published books or booklets equivalent to ‘Iota
Unum, Si Si No No’, or Archbishop Lefebvre’s ‘They Have Uncrowned
Him...' ”
This
well-known declaration (Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre Declaration of November 21,
1974) was contained in the Media Brochure issued
by the Society of Saint Pius X on January 24, 2009 (after the withdrawal of the
"excommunications"), which must be taken as the SSPX reaffirming
Archbishop Lefebvre's position as its own. Today, the SSPX, whether under
the leadership of Bishop Fellay or Bishop Williamson, must always reaffirm the
same position in the true spirit of the faithful and indeed holy Archbishop:
We adhere with our whole heart and our
whole soul to Catholic Rome, the Guardian of the Catholic Faith and of those
traditions necessary for the maintenance of that Faith, to eternal Rome,
Mistress of Wisdom and Truth.
Because of this adherence we refuse and
have always refused to follow the Rome of neo-Modernist and neo-Protestant
tendencies, such as were clearly manifested during the Second Vatican Council,
and after the Council in all the resulting reforms.
All of these reforms have, indeed,
contributed and still contribute to the demolition of the Church, to the ruin
of the priesthood, to the destruction of the Holy Sacrifice and the Sacraments,
to the disappearance of religious life, and to naturalistic and Teilhardian
teaching in universities, seminaries and catechesis, a teaching born of
Liberalism and Protestantism many times condemned by the solemn magisterium of the
Church. No authority, not even the highest in the hierarchy, can constrain us
to abandon or diminish our Catholic Faith, such as has been clearly expressed
and professed by the Church's magisterium for 19 centuries.
"But though we, or an angel from Heaven,
preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be
anathema." (Gal. 1:8).
Is this not what the Holy Father is
repeating to us today? And if a certain contradiction is apparent in his words
and actions, as well as in the acts of various Roman Congregations, then we
choose what has always been taught, and we turn a deaf ear to the innovations
which are destroying the Church.
The lex orandi (law of prayer)
cannot be profoundly changed without changing the lex credendi (law
of belief). The New Mass is in line with the new catechism, the new priesthood,
new seminaries, new universities, and the charismatic or Pentecostal church,
all of which are in opposition to orthodoxy and to the age-old magisterium.
This reform, since it has issued from
Liberalism and from Modernism, is entirely corrupt. It comes from heresy and
results in heresy, even if all its acts are not formally heretical. It is thus
impossible for any faithful Catholic who is aware of these things to adopt this
reform, or to submit to it in any way at all. To ensure our salvation, the only
attitude of fidelity to the Church and to Catholic doctrine, is a categorical
refusal to accept the reform.
It is for this reason that, without any
rebellion, bitterness or resentment, we pursue our work of the formation of
priests under the star of the age-old magisterium, in the conviction that we
can thus do no greater service to the holy Catholic Church, to the Sovereign
Pontiff, and to the future generations.
For this reason we hold firmly to all that
has been believed and practised by the Church of all time, in her faith,
morals, worship, catechetical instruction, priestly formation and her
institutions and codified in the books which appeared before the Modernist influence
of the late Council. Meanwhile, we wait for the true light of Tradition to
dispel the darkness which obscures the sky of eternal Rome.
By acting thus we are sure, with the grace
of God, and the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. Pius X, of
remaining faithful to the Catholic and Roman Church, to all the successors of
St. Peter, and of being fidelis dispensatores mysterium Domini Jesu
Christi in Spiritu Sancto.
+ Marcel Lefebvre
Rome on the Feast of the Presentation of
the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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