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JMJ
At once we see the intention of Archbishop Lefebvre and the original thoughts of Father (now Bishop) Williamson.
Both are worth looking at and comparing to the situation of the SSPX and Bishop Williamson today.
P^3
Source: LeoFec
Dear Friends and Benefactors,
This Christmas we are sending you a card which we hope is a little present in itself. Certainly the Novena of Masses of which it speaks is a present to you all. It is the least we could do at the Seminary in return for your gift to us of the magnificent Seminary building in Minnesota. The Novena will run from the Midnight Mass of Christmas to January 2, inclusive. It comes to you with our very best wishes for above all your spiritual health and happiness for Christmas and the New Year.
What will the New Year bring? What will it not bring? At any rate the closing of the old year brings relatively good news for the Society from Europe. Cardinal Gagnon has just terminated his one-month visit to various houses of the Society and of kindred Traditional movements in Switzerland, France and Germany, and he will no doubt be depositing by Christmas on the Holy Father's desk a report highly favourable to the Society.
Just before beginning his visit, the Cardinal excused himself from visiting any Society houses in the New World or in the United States because his time was too short. In fact, after just the first eight days of his visit, he told members of the Society that he already had enough positive elements in hand to be able to conclude his visit then and there, but he wished conscientiously to complete it as planned.
So he next set off for France, where on Sunday, November 24, he almost took an official part in the celebration of the Solemn High Mass at the famous Traditional Church of St. Nicolas du Chardonet in Paris, run by Society priests. He was only prevented from doing so by a last-minute intervention from the very highest quarters in Rome: the Holy Father and Cardinals Ratzinger and Casaroli met together and decided that it would be better to avoid such a provocation to the French bishops. So Cardinal Gagnon's place in the ceremony was taken by his colleague on this visit, Msgr. Perl, an official of the Congregation of Divine Worship. Both of them said only the Tridentine Mass in Society houses for the duration of their visit.
Proof that a different wind is blowing in Rome is offered by the fact that on that same Sunday, at the very same time, Cardinal Lustiger of Paris, normally no traditionalist, was celebrating a Tridentine Mass in another church in Paris. The battle of the Mass is virtually won? If so, that is Archbishop Lefebvre's doing.
But will the Pope be able to settle the question of the Mass and the Society as several things indicate he would like to do? The mere mention of the name of Cardinal Casaroli, arch-enemy of Sacred Tradition, and of the French bishops, arch-promoters of modernism, reminds us how fierce the opposition will be in the Roman Curia and amongst the world's bishops, to any papal approval of the Tridentine Mass or of the Society associated with it. Here is what Archbishop Lefebvre wrote to me in a letter dated November 20: "I think that as his visit continues, Cardinal Gagnon is more and more convinced that we are right to be doing what we are doing. However, if his visit is useful, it is not the answer.
"We shall have to find a form of institution to protect us from the Roman Curia and the diocesan chanceries. In Rome we shall need a secretariat or commission, composed of members agreeing with what we think and do, to help the Society set itself up with three bishops chosen from within the Society, to form like an "Armed Services' Vicariat", with all the powers necessary to continue our work, independently of all other bishops. A way must be found for all Traditional movements and initiatives to normalize their juridical situation so that they can continue to ask for the help of our own bishops.
"The whole thing is to know whether Rome, that is to say the Pope, will have the courage, despite the howling set up by the bishops and the Roman Curia, to grant us such a degree of independence. There are several Cardinals who will support Cardinal Gagnon. But it will not be easy. Already the episcopates are getting together to prevent a solution.
"In any case, if they do not give me the authorization to consecrate bishops, 1 shall do it without authorization. This is the most practical and pressing point. Let us continue to pray, especially to Our Lady of Fatima."
The solution here envisaged by Archbishop Lefebvre, a personal prelature, like an Army Vicariat for instance, is from the point of view of Canon Law a very flexible formula and may be the best suited to the needs of the situation. Whereas a local bishop has jurisdiction over Catholics in a given locality, or geographical diocese, a personal prelate has jurisdiction by his person over Catholics in some way connected to him. Thus an Army Vicar has in person direct jurisdiction over army chaplains or priests and through them over Catholic servicemen and their families attached to that army. Thus Monsignor Lefebvre or his successor would have full powers of a diocesan bishop firstly over the Society priests and their faithful, but also over priests and faithful outside the Society who would resort to him because of their attachment to the Traditional rite of Mass. He would be in effect an alternative Ordinary or bishop for all such Traditional priests and faithful, without their necessarily having to quit the diocese to which canonically they normally belong. Such a solution has the great advantage of largely corresponding to an already existing and honest state of affairs. Will it come about? That depends upon God's grace and men's free will. It is, as always, and more than ever, a question of prayer.
A great way to pray is to do the Exercises of St. Ignatius for five days. On last month's flyer for the Exercises of December 26 to 31, we forgot to mention they are for men, age 18 and upwards. There are still vacancies. Come to the help of Mother Church by taking this major step in your own sanctification, and come to the help of the Seminary by filling out the enclosed pledge card.
And may the Child Jesus amidst all the trouble and turmoil, grant you the peace, light and joy of the Christmas crib. Do not miss the little poem on the back of the card!
Most sincerely yours in His service,
Fr. Richard Williamson
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