Monseigneur Lefebvre and I

Thirty-four years ago today, on St Bonaventure's Day, 1988, just two weeks after the Episcopal Consecrations at Econe, I sent a letter to Monseigneur Lefebvre that I will forever regret. In it, I told him that he was a hell-bound excommunicate for consecrating the four Bishops without Papal mandate. He never answered, not that I was surprised.

A couple of years later I was seeing Rome's tepid attitude to enforcement of the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei and I'd had a bit of personal experience with it. I had written my Ordinary with a request that my children be allowed to receive the First Sacraments in the Traditional Form. As a formality, I had copied the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei in Rome.

Weeks passed with no answer. Then one day, out of the blue, I received an answer from the Archbishop. It was four pages long. The first page told me how much he supported the Pope in issuing the motu proprio. The following pages were an explanation of why he would not grant my request, and a long screed accusing me of being a 'Lefebvreite'! Note, I had never mentioned Monseigneur or the SSPX in my letter of request.

Given that I lived, at the time, in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and that both St Vincent de Paul in Kansas City, MO and St Marys, KS were within comfortable driving distance, had I been a 'Lefebvreite', I'd have had no trouble having my children receive the First Sacraments in the Traditional form.

A day or two later, I received a letter from His Eminence Augustin, Cardinal Mayer, President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.  Obviously, the Archbishop had had no intention of replying, until he realised Rome was involved. The letter from Cardinal Mayer was a massive disappointment. He told me that if I would assure him that I was not a schismatic (i.e. an adherent of the SSPX) he would request my Ordinary to accede to my request!

After this exchange of correspondence, I wrote to Monseigneur Lefebvre again. I apologised for my earlier letter and told him that I had come to view him as the Athanasius of the 20th century. Ever the Catholic gentleman, as well as a holy Bishop, he not only replied to this missive, he gave me his Episcopal Blessing and included some holy cards from the jubilee of his Consecration as a Bishop.

Here is a prayer for his canonisation. It was composed by a Priest friend of mine who is not affiliated in any way with the Society of St Pius X.

WE BESEECH THEE to grant us, O Lord, who raised up Thy servant Marcel François to resist the serpentine doctrine of the modernists, and to be an example of humility and courageous fortitude, through his intercession, a measure of that same spirit, so that following after his goodly example we may ever remain ardent in charity to Thy well-beloved Son, King of the Universe; And, full of zeal for Thy House ma, before Thy heavenly throne, approve ourselves worthy to be numbered among his friends. Our Lady of Victory, intercede with thy Divine Son, that if He wills, Marcel François may be raised to the dignity of the Altar, and be hymned among His saints. Amen. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. (3x) Our Lady of Victory, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy upon us!