Archbishop Lefebvre and the Vatican - Part I: The Documents (1987) - 21 November Letter of Archbishop Lefebvre to Cardinal Gagnon

During the Visitation of the Society and of traditional institutions by Cardinal Gagnon, Archbishop Lefebvre wrote a letter to him to explain in what spirit he conceives of a normalization of the Society’s relationship with Rome.

† Ecône
November 21, 1987
Feast of the Presentation of the Most Holy Virgin Mary

Your Eminence,

You have been able to see and listen to the members of the Society, examine their formation, be present with them in their ministry, and listen to the faithful who rely on them for their sanctification.

You have conversed likewise with religious and with nuns who find in the Society either their origin, or their spiritual assistance, or the graces of their ordination and religious expression.

No doubt you may have noticed here and there some exaggeration, a little bitterness. But I cannot doubt that you have found a climate of Faith, of devotion, of zeal for truth and sanctity, which you once knew. This climate of Catholic Tradition is producing extraordinary fruits whose value you must recognize.

Thus we are forming a great family, living in this Catholic ambience and atmosphere, attached to the Roman Church, attached to Peter and his successors, but absolutely and radically allergic to the conciliar spirit of religious liberty, ecumenism, collegiality, and the spirit of Assisi—the fruits of Modernism and Liberalism condemned so many times by the Holy See.

The consequences of this spirit are disastrous, and we flee from them as from a disease pestilential to our minds and hearts; we are doing everything we can to protect ourselves from it, and protect also the young people of our Catholic households.

Compare us to Israel in the midst of the perverse nations, to the Maccabees, and again to all these holy reformers of the clergy: St. Charles Borromeo, St. Vincent de Paul, St. John Eudes, Monsieur Olier.

Here is the reality: we are forming an army intent on remaining Catholic no matter what the price, as we witness the de-Christianisation taking place both outside and inside the Church.

We willingly agree to being recognized by the Pope such as we are, and to having a seat in the Eternal City, to adding our collaboration in the renewal of the Church; we have never desired to break with the Successor of Peter, nor to consider the Holy See as vacant, in spite of the trials this has caused for us.

We submit to you a project of reintegration and normalization of our relations with Rome. Considering what you now know of us and our works, you will not be surprised at our demands, which are founded solely on zeal for the good of the Church, and the salvation of souls, for the glory of God. Only in this spirit and taking into account these considerations can a solution be valid and stable.

If, in these conditions, a solution is impossible, then we will continue on our way as at present, “persevering in prayer and the preaching of the word,” as we wait for more favorable circumstances.

No matter what happens, however, we will continue to have a profound gratitude for you, for your charity and kindness, your understanding and your patience. At this hour we pray Our Lady of Fatima to repay you in blessings for what you have done for us.

Deign to accept, Eminence, my respectful and fraternal salutations in Jesus and Mary.

† Marcel Lefebvre
Archbishop-Bishop Emeritus of Tulle
Founder of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X

Proposal for an Arrangement Creating a Solution
to the Problem of Institutions Favoring the
Traditional Liturgy in the Church

Archbishop Lefebvre established this project to present it to Cardinal Gagnon. Noteworthy are the two demands made by His Grace for the unity and identity of the works of Tradition, in which their power lies: on the one hand, aside from the Cardinal President, the members of the Roman Secretariat will all be members of the Society, or at least presented by it; and, on the other hand, three members of the Society will be enabled to receive episcopal consecration.

A comparison of this proposal with the Protocol of May 5 is very interesting. In his letter of May 24 to Cardinal Ratzinger, Archbishop Lefebvre did not ask for anything other than what was already asked for in this proposal to Cardinal Gagnon.

INTRODUCTION

1) Referring ourselves to the suggestion of the Council in the text Presbyteriorum Ordinis, §10, which says the following:

Where a real apostolic spirit requires it, not only should a better distribution of priests be brought about but there should also be favored such particular pastoral works as are necessary in any region or nation anywhere on earth. To accomplish this purpose there should be set up international seminaries, special personal dioceses or prelatures (vicariates), and so forth, by means of which, and according to their particular statutes and always with respect for the rights of local Ordinaries.

—and referring also to the proposition of Cardinal Ratzinger in the letter of July 28, 1987, it appears that a solution can be found to the problem which preoccupies us.

2) In conformity with the proposition of Cardinal Ratzinger in the letter already quoted, a Visitor-Cardinal Gagnon accomplished a prolonged visit of the works of the Society from November 11 to December 7.

PRELIMINARY NOTE TO THE PROPOSITION

3) Without prejudging the conclusions of the Visit, but in the hope that they will be positive, it seems indispensable to us, before proceeding further in the talks with the Holy See, to express a condition sine qua non, in the name of all the priests and faithful attached to Tradition.

4) If the Holy See sincerely desires that we officially become efficacious collaborators for the renewal of the Church, under its authority, it is utterly necessary that we be received as we are, that we not be asked to modify our teaching or means of sanctification, which are those of the Church of all time.

5) Thus it seems absolutely necessary to us, if good relations are to be restored with the Holy See, that these relations be entrusted to persons who are respectful of and attached to the Holy See, but who are also convinced of the urgent necessity for the Church of favoring initiatives which maintain Tradition, and of doing nothing which would alienate them again.

6) Thus the Cardinal, the Secretary and the minutanti of the Roman Secretariat, if it is accepted, will have to be chosen according to the criteria expressed above, otherwise it will stifle the efforts of several months for an agreement.¹⁴

I. THE ROMAN SECRETARIAT

1. The Necessity of a Permanent Roman Organization

7) The rapid worldwide extension of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X and the multiplication of similar works calls for an organization having its seat at Rome, patterned after a Secretariat or a Commission, for the maintenance and development of the Latin liturgy according to the prescriptions of John XXIII.

2. Composition of The Secretariat

8) Modeled after other secretariats and commissions of this nature, namely:

• A Cardinal Prefect, named by the Pope with the consent of the Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X.
• An Archbishop or Bishop serving as secretary and president, and some minutanti, presented by the Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X.

3. The Powers of This Secretariat

9) They would be similar to those of the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith vis-à-vis mission territories, and the Congregation for the Eastern Church vis-à-vis the Eastern Rites.

4. Goal of These Powers

10) These powers would exist to normalize the works and initiatives in favor of Tradition and help them to fulfil their role in the Church in present circumstances, especially for the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X:

• to see to their continuation by granting the episcopate to several priest-members
• to see to their harmonious development, remaining at peace with the diocesan bishops
• to get the local Ordinaries to see the advantage of collaboration, for example, with their seminaries.

5. Determination of Work and Initiatives by The Secretariat

11) Those which have always exclusively used the liturgical editions of John XXIII and prayed for the Pope, according to the public formulas of the Liturgy.

• those which are in accordance with the spirit of the Law of the Church, in their constitutions, spirit of the founders and original constitutions, for the choice of subjects, preparation, spirituality, doctrine, habit, community life, etc….

II. CANONICAL STATUTE OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES,
ISOLATED PRIESTS, AND RELIGIOUS IN RELATION
WITH THE ROMAN SECRETARIAT

Preliminary Note

12) Before proceeding to the study and normalization of all these societies and persons devoted to Tradition, which can take place over time, it is urgent to:

   i.  Lift suspensions or condemnations.

  ii. Recognize again the statutes of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, as was done before 1975.

iii. Modify some articles of its statutes to provide for the episcopal succession of Archbishop Lefebvre.

  iv.  Canonically it seems that one could refer to what was decided on April 21, 1986, on the subject of Military Ordinariates.

13) The detailed application of these points could be left to a precise study undertaken by the Secretariat or the Cardinal Visitor and the Society.

The different stages to be followed might be the following:

14)  1.To consider the Society as the support of the Ordinariate for the Latin liturgy, stating in its Constitutions that the Superior General, if he is accepted by Rome through the Secretariat, will receive episcopal consecration, and will be able to designate two auxiliaries to assist him in his functions, and who could become auxiliary bishops.

15) By way of exception, however, for the first designation or presentation of names of those who are to become bishops, it will be done by Archbishop Lefebvre in accord with the Cardinal Visitor.

16)  2.Once this first stage is completed, a deeper study of the application of the general principles will be made, using the example of the Military Ordinariate in relation to the situation of the Society of Saint Pius X. Thus the application of cumulative jurisdiction seems very realistic and solves many problems.

17)  3. It does not seem that there is any disadvantage in the Superior General being a bishop; if he is not re-elected, he can become an auxiliary or be put in charge of a diocese, or be employed in other functions by the Roman Secretariat.

18)  4.The relations between the different works and initiatives on the one hand and the Society on the other would remain as they are now for ordinations, confirmations and other assistance: blessings, retreats, ceremonies of profession, etc…but, everything which concerns the canonical statute and the dispensations to be submitted to Rome would go directly to the Roman Secretariat.

III. INCARDINATIONS¹⁵ AND JURISDICTION
VIS À VIS THE FAITHFUL

19) THE NORMS OF THE APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION SPIRITUALI MILITUM CURƹ⁶, ON THE SUBJECT OF INCARDINATION CAN EASILY BE APPLIED TO THE PRIESTLY SOCIETY OF SAINT PIUS X, WHICH HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH THE SPIRITUAL CARE OF A SMALL ARMY OF THOSE WHO MAINTAIN LITURGICAL TRADITION. SERVATIS SERVANDIS, IN THE FUTURE THE POSSIBILITY OF INCARDINATION WILL APPLY TO INTERESTED RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

• JURISDICTION OVER THE FAITHFUL IS CONFIRMED BY ROME, MEANING THAT THE PRIESTS OF THE SOCIETY RECEIVE JURISDICTION FROM ROME THROUGH THE SUPERIOR GENERAL, WHILE THE OTHERS RECEIVE IT DIRECTLY FROM THE SECRETARIAT IN ROME, AT THE REQUEST OF THE DIFFERENT SUPERIORS.

IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THESE PRIESTS MUST OBSERVE THE PRESCRIPTIONS OF LAW TO CONFER THE SACRAMENTS ACCORDING TO THE INDICATIONS OF THE RITUAL OF 1962.

CONCLUSION

There seem to be no major difficulties from the canonical point of view, or from the standpoint of those faithful to Tradition, if the above stipulations are followed exactly.

For the episcopal consecrations, we wish that they not be delayed past Good Shepherd Sunday, April 17, 1988.

 

14. Please note that this condition was put at the very beginning of the negotiations with Rome. On May 24, 1988, Archbishop Lefebvre will stress it again. On May 31, Cardinal Ratzinger refused to grant it.

15. Canon Law requires that each cleric in major orders be attached to a diocese or congregation; this is referred to as incardination. Thus Church forbids a cleric vagus, i.e., not attached to any legitimate superior (1917 Code of Canon Law, Canon 111 and 1983 Code of Canon Law, Canon 265).

16. On the Spiritual Care of the Soldiers, Constitution of April 21, 1986 concerning Military Chaplains, incardinated in the Military Ordinariates; see L’Osservatore Romano, May 5-6, 1986.