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Archbishop Lefebvre, Msgr. Ducaud-Bourget, Rev. Dom Gerard, OSB, Rev. Father Eugene, OFM Cap. Father André, Father Aulagnier (District Superior of the Society of St. Pius X for France), were invited to the Maison Lacordaire, Flavigny, to meet their host, Father Coache. They understand and share the distress of many of the faithful at the "self-destruction" of the Church, which is proceeding ever more rapidly and deeply, and the concern of many traditionalists over the entrenched ambiguity of Rome. They decided to give some encouragement to these troubled souls, to help them remain steadfast in the Faith, to persevere in Tradition without wavering. For this purpose they make the following declaration: 1. They remain attached heart and soul to the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman church, to all she has taught and defined as part of Revelation, and to everything which, though not yet defined, has been consistently taught by the Magisterium, especially regarding the Liturgy of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the sacraments. This is all the more necessary as they observe that the so-called progressives, embracing novelties and ecumenical reforms, are already for the most part hardly any different from Protestants and are thus no longer Catholic. 2. They remain attached to the See of Peter and to the Successor of Peter, in spite of the serious criticisms which can be justly made concerning him, especially for his decision to further the work of the Council, which is purely and simply the "self-destruction" of the Church. We must pray that he may be enlightened by the Holy Ghost and return to Tradition, which is eternal, and that in all areas. 3. They make the firm resolution to maintain Tradition at all costs, especially in the Liturgy of the Mass and the sacraments, sources of supernatural grace and pledges of their salvation. They thus support all institutions and seminaries designed to train true priests to offer the true Sacrifice. 4. They encourage and support all traditional forms of religious life, orders and contemplative congregations, semi-contemplative, and active congregations of fraternities which make the Holy Sacrifice of the immemorial Mass the source of their supernatural life. 5. They hope to see multiplied and developed teaching orders, to give solidly Catholic training to young people, based on the Catechism of the Council of Trent and the catechisms which derive from it. Modem catechisms twist the sense of the Faith and lay the foundation for generations of Modernists and atheists. It is better for parents to teach their children themselves than to hand them over to intellectual, spiritual and moral perversion. In short, the faithful must be aware that we are living in more subtle and dangerous times of persecution against Our Lord Jesus Christ than ever, because, as in the time of Modernism, this persecution takes on misleading appearances and even uses the same Gospel (as for the theology of liberation), invoking the "rights of Man" and "human dignity" and such phrases well known among progressivists, socialists and even Marxists (cf. Pius X's Letter on the Sillon, 1910). Everything is geared to the total destruction of Christian institutions and of the reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ, especially His social reign, i.e., His laws and the Ten Commandments. Only by replying on the eternal tradition of the Faith, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the sacraments, on the Catechism of the Council of Trent, on the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas, on the Rosary and the Spiritual Exercises, can we hold out against the plague of destruction which is coming over us. 6. They ask the faithful to gather around priests faithful to Rome and to the Successor of Peter. These bulwarks of resistance, by their prayers and spirit of penance, will finally succeed in touching the Hearts of Jesus and Mary and bring about the end of this dreadful and destructive time of trial to souls. They should guard against being led astray by false messages from heaven, false devotions such as pentecostalism, which is a work of the devil. Our Lord Himself warns us against these seductive movements. They should commit themselves to Mary, Joseph, the archangels, and angels and to all the elect of heaven. They should invoke their guardian angels. They should unite themselves to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, make frequent acts of adoration, carry out the duties of their state in life, observe the Ten Commandments and practise charity on an individual and social level. In this way they will receive the graces necessary to get them through this wicked world and into heaven. 7. They are in favor of the development of a great Rosary Crusade to storm heaven through the Heart of Our Lady, Mother of the Church, Help of Christians and consolation of the Afflicted; they invite priests and faithful, with this goal in view, to take whatever initiatives their zeal and charity will suggest. * * * * The aforesaid declaration was released to the press on May 28, 1981. It was signed by Archbishop Lefebvre and the above-named priests and sums up the fundamental traditionalist position. Many priests and laity, organizers of centers and groups, other activities, periodicals, etc., were given the opportunity to sign. 1. From Fideliter, July/August 1981.
Courtesy of the Angelus
Press, Regina Coeli House |
