Volume
1, Chapter 6 
On 25 May 1975, Mgr.
Lefebvre, the Seminary professors, and the students of Ecône went
to Rome to lead the Credo Holy Year Pilgrimage. The account
of this Pilgrimage which follows was originally printed in The
Remnant of 23 June 1975. It was entitled "Lauda Sion."
"The Pilgrimage
to Rome in May, 1975, led by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, is of such
historic significance in so many respects that it appears almost
impossible to present any of them adequately. There are four major
basilicas in Rome at which pilgrims for the Holy Year of 1975 can
gain their indulgence - St. Peter's, St. John Lateran, St. Mary
Major, and St. Paul's Without-the-Walls. During the weekend of 24-26
May, Holy Year pilgrims from all over the world were astounded to
see an event which took place at each of these basilicas in almost
identical circumstances. A venerable prelate in full episcopal robes,
a prelate whose very being radiated holiness, serenity, and Christian
joy, entered each basilica followed by a procession of a nature
sufficient to convince any spectator that far from being in a process
of self-destruction or 'auto-demolition' as Pope Paul has expressed
it, the Church must be entering upon a period of renewed vigor,
the kind of second Spring which Cardinal Newman had promised. The
prelate, Archbishop Lefebvre, was followed by what seemed an endless
double file of priests and seminarians. There were, in fact, about
120, but they seemed to be far more. Behind the seminarians came
a group of nuns in an unfamiliar habit, the postulants of the new
order founded by the Archbishop. Then came the faithful in their
thousands, faithful Catholics from countries as far apart as Australia
and Argentina - and as they entered the basilicas, they sang.
Lauda
Sion Salvatorem,
lauda ducem et pastorem,
in hymnis et canticis.
This sublime hymn of
praise to Christ our God, present in the Blessed Sacrament, surged
up to the bright blue sky above the basilicas as the pilgrims filed
in, and then filled the basilicas with praise after they entered.
Pilgrims with other groups and the Roman clergy as well were quite
overwhelmed by the scale and fervor of this Pilgrimage. Nothing
like it had been seen before during this Holy Year, nothing like
it will be seen again. It had not been the largest pilgrimage to
come - although it would seem blasphemous to describe the group
which had taken over St. Peter's exactly one week before as a pilgrimage.
Indeed, the appearance in St. Peter's Basilica of about 9,000 charismatics,
some of whom danced and some of whom gibbered, brings immediately
to mind St. Matthew's warning concerning the 'abomination of desolation
which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy
place.' Indeed, if the Mass concelebrated by Cardinal Suenens and
five hundred Pentecostal priests was valid, then the passing of
Hosts from hand to hand, to be broken in pieces by the congregation
and offered even to tourists of any belief or none, was in truth
an abomination!
Here then is one aspect
of great significance: the Pentecostals received special papal authorization
to use the Main Altar of the Confession of St. Peter; Cardinal Suenens
was warmly embraced by the Pope; and the Pope addressed the charismatics
- certainly with some words of caution and admonition, but also
with a great deal of warmth and praise. There was, on the other
hand, no papal welcome for Archbishop Lefebvre; he would not have
been given the High Altar to celebrate Mass for his Pilgrimage,
because the Mass he would have celebrated would have been the Mass
codified by Pope Saint Pius V, Mass as it was said in Rome during
his pontificate, virtually the only form of Mass to be celebrated
in St. Peter's Basilica from the time it had been built. But such
is the state of the Church today that it is this form of Mass, arguably
the supreme achievement of Western Christianity, which is now regarded,
practically speaking, as an abomination. The Pentecostals with their
guitars, their dancing, their gibberish, are acceptable. The age-old
Mass is not.
Thus the presence of
the Archbishop and his pilgrims in Rome so soon after the Pentecostals
both symbolized and manifested the two-centuries-old struggle between
Liberal and traditional Catholicism, which reached its climax on
the ninth of May in this Holy Year of 1975, when canonical approval
was withdrawn from his Society of St. Pius X and the Seminary at
Ecône.
Here, then, is the
next aspect of great significance with regard to this Pilgrimage:
it was remarked above that anyone seeing the great procession led
by the Archbishop entering one of the Roman basilicas would have
concluded that the Church could not be undergoing a process of self-destruction
or 'auto-demolition.' When it is realized that those in authority
in the Church at present are intent upon destroying the Seminary
which is forming such holy and such fervent young priests, then
self-destruction is the only term applicable. It is no wonder that,
as the great procession entered St. Peter's Basilica, it sang the
Parce Domine.
Traditional Catholic
devotions took place in all the basilicas visited by the Credo
pilgrims - and, in addition to the four major basilicas mentioned,
these included St. Sebastian, St. Lawrence, and the ruins of Maxentius.
The traditional Roman Mass was sung for huge congregations in St.
Mary Major, Maxentius, and St. Lawrence. At least one hundred more
must have been said during the course of the Pilgrimage by the many
priests who took part, from both the Ecône Seminary and the groups
which came from different countries. Some of these Masses were offered
at side altars in St. Peter's, including that of St. Pius X. L'Osservatore
Romano had published an expression of 'pained surprise' at the
fact that all the Masses for the Credo pilgrims were to be
Tridentine Masses and thought this inappropriate in a year of 'reconciliation.'
The fact of the matter
is that precisely in this year of 'reconciliation' the prime aim
of the Church ought to be to reconcile herself with her own traditions
- the abandoning of which has caused nothing but disaster. Veneration
for her traditions was once the prime characteristic of the Church
of Rome, yet today the official Vatican newspaper can express regret
at the celebration of the Mass of St. Pius V - the greatest of these
traditions. However, with or without the approval of the Vatican,
the Mass which had been the only Mass for Roman-rite pilgrims in
the Holy Year 1950, and for its predecessors for centuries before,
was celebrated with due ceremony and due honor once again in this
Holy Year of 1975. It was the fervent prayer of all present that
it will be the only Mass permitted for Roman-rite pilgrims in the
year 2000.
Most of the pilgrims
considered the Pontifical High Mass sung in the ruins of the ancient
Basilica of Maxentius to have been the most memorable of the entire
Pilgrimage. Loud speakers insured that the words and music of this
ancient Mass echoed across Rome, the Mass whose origins reach back
to the time of the martyrs with whom this basilica has such poignant
associations, and so many of whom lie buried in its precincts. Many
pilgrims and citizens who were not taking part in the Credo
Pilgrimage were overjoyed to discover a celebration of the traditional
Mass and swelled the ranks of a congregation which certainly exceeded
three thousand in number. The Mass ended with the singing of the
Te Deum, and all knelt on the stony ground while His Grace
passed along giving his blessing.
The Mass which ended
the 'official' Pilgrimage in the Basilica of St. Lawrence was equally
impressive. The great basilica was literally packed to the doors
and, despite the fact that a good number of priests helped to distribute
Holy Communion, this still took almost twenty-five minutes, during
which time the pilgrims waited with patience and sang with devotion.
Archbishop Lefebvre preached very important sermons during Mass
in the basilicas of Maxentius and St. Lawrence.
The all-night vigil
for this Pilgrimage was held in the Church of San Girolamo della
Carità. Some of those who had been on previous traditionalist pilgrimages
regretted the fact that it was not held in St. Peter’s square,
and indeed those who have had the grace to take part in these vigils
had good reason for doing so. However, the fact that this Pilgrimage
was led by the Archbishop made it necessary to make its essentially
religious character clear throughout - anything which could give
the appearance of a demonstration or a confrontation had to be avoided.
It is likely that the timing for the withdrawal of canonical approbation
from the Society of St. Pius X was designed to provoke some form
of violent or intemperate reaction during the Pilgrimage. There
was no such incident; the dignity and restraint shown by all present
was as remarkable as their fervor. It would, of course, be argued
by the Liberal establishment that the celebration of the traditional
Mass was in itself an act of provocation, hence the admonition in
L'Osservatore Romano. But any Catholic, whatever his position
or rank, who would consider the celebration of the traditional Mass
'provocative' has reached a stage where we can only say, 'God help
and forgive him', and breathe a prayer on his behalf.
During the all-night
vigil, an unceasing stream of hymns and prayers was offered up to
God, above all for the restoration to our altars of the traditional
Mass, which was celebrated every two hours throughout the night
by one of the priests present. One of the most impressive sights
was the entry of the pilgrims into the indescribably beautiful Basilica
of St. Paul's Without-the-Walls on Monday morning. The clergy of
the Basilica gave their fullest cooperation and put every facility
at the disposal of the pilgrims, including their loudspeaker equipment.
As in all the basilicas, the three Paters, Aves, and
Glorias necessary for gaining the indulgence were recited,
and Credo was sung and the general atmosphere was such that
it really did seem hard to believe that anything had changed since
1950 - that these fine young seminarians, who are the pride and
joy of hundreds of thousands of the faithful, will never be ordained
if the present 'parallel magisterium' has its way.
During the weekend
innumerable prayers and acts of penitence were offered up by the
pilgrims, in groups or as individuals. Some made the ascent of the
Scala Santa on their knees on three or more occasions - not the
least among them being the English-speaking pilgrims. It seems permissible
to wonder whether, if the New Mass should be abolished and the old
one restored, a single Catholic would ever get down on his knees
and make the slow and painful journey up the Scala Santa in the
interests of Archbishop Bugnini's Novus Ordo Missae.
The traditionalist
Pilgrimage for the Holy Year of 1975 was, then, a great success
in every way. It was a success for the honor and glory offered to
Almighty God and the graces it brought down on the pilgrims; it
was a success for the way in which the strength and resilience of
the traditional Faith were made clear to the Vatican and, equally
important, to the traditionalists themselves. There was not one
who did not leave full of hope and encouragement."
The sermon which Mgr.
Lefebvre preached in the Basilica of Maxentius on 25 May 1975 was
published in The Remnant of 6 March 1976. It was entitled
"The One True Religion."
The
One True Religion
My dear brethren:
If there is one day
on which the Church's liturgy affirms our Faith, that day is the
Feast of the Blessed Trinity. This morning, in the breviary which
the priest formerly had to recite, he had to add to the psalms of
Prime the Creed of St. Athanasius. This is the creed which affirms
clearly, serenely, but perfectly, what we are bound to believe concerning
the Blessed Trinity, and also concerning the divinity and the humanity
of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, all our faith is summed up in
our belief in the Most Holy Trinity and in Our Lord Jesus Christ,
God made Man. The whole of our Creed, which we shall sing in a few
minutes, is focused, as it were, on the very person of Our Lord
Jesus Christ. He it is who is our God, He our Savior; it is through
Him that we shall enter Heaven. He is the door of the sheep-fold,
He is the Way, the Truth, the Life. There is no other name on earth
by which we may be saved: the Gospels tell us all this.
Therefore, when our
Faith is being attacked from all sides we must hold steadfastly
and firmly to it. We must never accept that there can be any compromise
in the affirmation of our Faith. Herein, I think, lies the drama
through which we have lived for the last ten, perhaps fifteen years.
This drama, this tragic situation we are going through, lies in
seeing that our Faith is no longer affirmed with certainty: that
through a false ecumenism we have, as it were, reached the point
of putting all religions on the same footing, of granting what is
called "equal rights" to all religions. This is a tragedy
because it is all entirely contrary to the truth of the Church.
We believe that Our Lord Jesus Christ is our God, our Savior, our
Redeemer; we believe that the Catholic Church alone has the Truth,
thus we draw the proper conclusions, by respecting in our personal
lives the Religion which Our Lord Jesus Christ founded. For, if
other religions are quite prepared to admit that there can be other
beliefs and other religious groups, we cannot do so. Why do other
religions admit this? Because their religions are religions which
have been founded by men and not by God. Our holy and beloved Religion
has been founded by God Himself, by Our Lord Jesus Christ.
He it is who has given
us the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, He who died upon the Cross. Already
on the day of the Last Supper He wished, in a certain manner, to
enact in advance what was to take place on the Cross, commanding
us to do likewise continually to the end of time, thus making priests
of those to whom He gave the power to consecrate the Eucharist.
He did this by His own Will, His Will as God, because Jesus Christ
is God; He has, thus, given us the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which
we love so much, which is our life, our hope, and our salvation.
This Sacrifice of Calvary cannot be transformed, the Sacrifice of
the Last Supper cannot be transformed - for there was a Sacrifice
at the Last Supper - we cannot transform this Sacrifice into a simple
commemorative meal, a simple repast at which a memory is recalled,
this is not possible. To do such a thing would be to destroy the
whole of our Religion, to destroy the most precious thing which
Our Lord has given us here on earth, the immaculate and divine treasure
which He put into the hands of His Church, which He made a priestly
Church. The Church is essentially priestly because she offers the
redemptive Sacrifice which Our Lord made on Calvary, and which she
renews upon our altars. For a true Catholic, one who is truly faithful
to Our Lord Jesus Christ, anything which touches what He Himself
established moves him to the very depths of his heart, for he loves
it as the apple of his eye. So, if it comes, in any way, to the
point of destroying from within what Our Lord Jesus Christ gave
to us as the source of life, as the source of grace, then we suffer,
we suffer dreadfully, and we demand absolutely that this spring,
this fountain of life, this fountain of eternal life, this fountain
of Grace be preserved for us whole and entire.
And if such is true
of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, it is also true of the Sacraments.
It is not possible to make any considerable changes in the Sacraments
without destroying them, without running the risk of rendering them
invalid, and consequently without running the risk of drying up
the grace, the supernatural and eternal life which they bring to
us. It is again Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself who established the
Sacraments; it is not for us, we are not the masters of the Sacraments:
even the Sovereign Pontiff cannot change them. Without doubt he
can make changes in the rites, in what is accidental in any Sacrament;
but no Sovereign Pontiff can change the substance of a Sacrament,
for that was established by Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is Our Lord
Jesus Christ Himself who took such care in the founding of our holy
Religion, Who left us directions as to what we must do, Who gave
Himself to us in the Holy Eucharist through the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass. What more could we ask? What other religion can lay claim
to possess such a thing? And why? Because the only true religion
is that of the Catholic Church.
This is a matter of
fundamental importance, fundamental for our behavior, fundamental
for our religion, and fundamental also for the way we should behave
towards those people who do not believe in our holy Religion. This
is extremely important, because it is precisely towards those who
do not believe, those who do not have our Faith, that we must have
immense charity, the true charity. We must not deceive them
by telling them that their religion is as good as ours - that is
a lie, that is selfishness, that is not true charity. If we consider
what profound riches have been given to us in this Religion of ours,
then we should have the desire to make it known to others, and share
these riches and not say to them: "But you already have all
you need! There is no point in your joining us, your religion is
as good as ours." See how this matter is one of paramount importance,
for it is precisely such false ecumenism which makes the adherents
of all the other religions believe that they have certain means
of salvation. Now this is false. Only the Catholic Religion,
and only the Mystical Body of Christ, possesses the means of salvation.
We cannot be saved without Jesus, and we cannot be saved without
grace. "He who does not believe," said Our Lord, "will
be condemned." We must believe in Our Lord Jesus Christ in
order to be saved. "He who believes shall be saved; he who
obeys My commandments shall have eternal life; he who eats My Flesh
and drinks My Blood shall have eternal life." Here is what
Our Lord taught us. Therefore, we should have a tremendous desire,
a really tremendous desire, to communicate our Faith to others.
And this is exactly what made the missionary spirit of the Church.
If the strength, the certainty, of our faith is weakened, then the
missionary spirit of the Church also diminishes, since it is no
longer necessary to cross the seas, to cross the oceans, to go and
preach the Gospel, for what is the good of it? Let us leave each
man to his own religion, if that religion is going to save him.
Therefore, we must
hold fast to our Faith, we must adhere strictly to its affirmation,
and we must not accept this false ecumenism which makes all religions
into sister-religions of Christianity, for they are nothing of the
kind. It is very important to state this nowadays, because it is
precisely this false ecumenism which had too much influence after
the Council. False ecumenism is the reason why the seminaries are
empty. Why is this so? Why are there no more vocations for the missionary
orders? Precisely because young men no longer feel the need to make
the Truth known to the whole world. They no longer feel the need
to give themselves completely to Our Lord Jesus Christ simply because
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only Truth, the only Way, the only
Life. What attracts the young to preach the Gospel is that they
know they have the Truth. If vocations are withering away, it is
due to this false ecumenism. How we suffer at the thought that,
in certain countries, people speak of "eucharistic hospitality,"
of "inter-communion" - as if one could give the Body and
Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ to those who do not believe in the
Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, consequently to those who
do not adore the Holy Eucharist, because they do not believe in
it! Without sacrilege, without blasphemy, the Body and Blood of
Our Savior cannot be given to a person who denies His Real Presence
in the Eucharist. On this point, therefore, we must have a firm
and solid faith, a faith which does not compromise. This is entirely
in keeping with the tradition of the Church.
Thus the martyrs believed
who lie buried everywhere in this basilica, and in all the churches
of Rome, who suffered here in this forum of Augustus, who lived
among pagans for three centuries and were persecuted as soon as
they were known to be Christians. They were thrown into prison...our
thoughts turn to the Mamertine prison, so close to us here, where
Peter and Paul were put in chains because of their faith: And shall
we be afraid to affirm our faith? We would not in that case be the
true descendants of the martyrs, the true descendants of those Christians
who shed their blood for Our Lord Jesus Christ in affirmation of
their faith in Him. They, too, could indeed have said, "But,
since all religions are of equal value, if I burn a little incense
before an idol, what does that matter? My life will be saved."
But they preferred to die, they preferred to be thrown to the beasts
in the Colosseum, quite close to us here. So many, many martyrs
were thrown to the beasts, rather than offer incense to pagan gods!
So, may our presence
here in Rome be an occasion for us to strengthen our faith, to have,
if necessary, the souls of martyrs, the souls of witnesses (for
a martyr is a witness), the souls of witnesses of Our Lord Jesus
Christ, witnesses of the Church. Here is what I wish you, my most
dear brethren, and in this we must be unflinching, whatever happens.
We must never agree to diminish our faith; and if by misfortune
it were to happen that those who ought to defend our Faith came
to tell us to lessen or diminish it, then we must say: "NO."
Saint Paul put this very well: "Though we, or an angel from
heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached
to you, let him be anathema." Well, that, I think, sums up
clearly what I wanted to say to you, so that when you return to
your homes you may have the courage, the strength, despite difficulties,
despite trials, to remain true to your Faith, come what may, to
uphold it for yourselves, your children and future generations,
the Faith which Our Lord Jesus Christ gave to us; so that the pathway
to heaven may still have many pilgrims, that it may still be crowded
with people on their journey upwards, that it may not be a deserted
byway, while on the other hand, the road leading to hell is filled
with those who did not believe in Our Lord Jesus Christ, or who
rejected Him. We must think on these things, because it is what
Our Lord told us: "If we do not believe, we shall be condemned."
A
Visit to Ecône
After the Credo
Holy Year Pilgrimage I returned to Ecône with the seminarians, travelling
on the all-night train from Rome and arriving on the morning of
Tuesday, 27 May. The account which follows is my personal impression
of Ecône. It will, I hope, convey however inadequately something
of the spirit of the Seminary. The train in which we were travelling
continued on to France with large numbers of French pilgrims on
board.
Tuesday, 27 May.
The train stops at
about 10:00 a. m. The whole platform is soon full of seminarians
in their long black soutanes. Their fellow pilgrims lean from every
window in the train laughing, talking, shouting, gesticulating -
some are weeping and smiling at the same time. Everyone seems in
the best of good humor - and what a lot of young girls there are!
One might imagine that there was a pop-group on the platform! The
train begins to move. The passengers lean even further out. "Adieu!
Au revoir!" They wave. They smile. They weep. "Merci
pour tout - Thank you for everything!" cries one of the
girls. "Merci pour tout!" Her farewell is echoed
from other windows. Some of the seminarians watch the train as it
vanishes from sight; others begin stacking the luggage. I have the
feeling I am back in the army again and have just piled out of a
troop train; the atmosphere is almost identical. There is a great
deal of laughter, and a tremendous atmosphere of comradeship; but,
unlike the army, there is no one giving orders. In fact, no one
ever appears to give any orders. The seminarians and their professors
seem to form a corporate entity - an impression that will be strengthened
throughout my stay at the Seminary. Everyone knows what he should
be doing, how he should be doing it, and when.
"Come along, we've
been invited for a beer." We all troop out of the station to
a local restaurant. The seminarians are tremendously popular wherever
they go. We can't all fit inside. There are more than a hundred
seminarians, about twenty priests, myself, and a young American
who will be entering the Seminary in September. Some of us sit at
the tables on the pavement. Everything is "on the house."
It is soon time to
take another train along the branch line to Riddes; then follows
a walk of several kilometers to the Seminary at Ecône. Fortunately
a Volkswagen bus is available to take the luggage. We approach the
Seminary through extensive vineyards which belong to it and are
tended by the students. Manual work forms an important item in their
training. Ecône is situated among scenes of breath-taking natural
beauty. Great snow-capped mountains rise up on every side. A gigantic
waterfall tumbles down the mountainside behind the Seminary. The
buildings themselves consist, firstly, of a large and very Swiss-looking
house - formerly belonging to the Canons of St. Bernard and about
three hundred years old. Archbishop Lefebvre had begun his work
of priestly formation with a few students in Fribourg. The numbers
expanded immediately and this building with the surrounding land
was put at his disposal. The influx of new seminarians was soon
so great that it was inadequate almost at once. New wings stretch
off in all directions and their effect upon the visitor, the British
visitor at least, is staggering. I would not have believed that
any Catholic institution could be so ultra-modern. Truly, where
the buildings are concerned, it is the space-age seminary. But there
is no time to look around; lunch is being served immediately. I
am taken to the bursar together with my American friend and we are
shown to guest rooms in the old house. The rooms are furnished comfortably
but simply; nothing useful is missing and everything works perfectly
- and what a view from the window! We are asked to come down for
lunch at once. The refectory is a huge room, clean, cheerful, and
full of light; for there are large windows looking out onto the
mountains on one side, and the other wall, alongside which there
is a corridor, is made entirely of great glass bricks. I am astonished
to find a case for my table-napkin with my name typed on a card
inserted into a plastic socket - and I can scarcely have been in
the building for five minutes! When I return to my room after lunch
there is an identical card on the door. I had heard of Swiss efficiency
- but really!
Every meal begins with
a short grace (in Latin, naturally). There is reading from the Bible
(which is always in French) and this is heard throughout the refectory
by means of a superb amplification system which functions faultlessly.
The same is true of a loudspeaker system which reaches every part
of the building and the grounds. This is all operated by nuns in
the most traditional habits who sit in a room surrounded by the
most sophisticated electronic equipment, from which they summon
"Monsieur the Abbé This" to answer a telephone
call from Germany or "Monsieur the Abbé That" to
come to Parlor Number Two where a visitor awaits him. The same system
is used to rouse the community each morning in a very gentle manner
with a series of soothing chimes. Similar chimes indicate the beginning
or end of a lecture, a service in the chapel, or a mealtime.
The meals are simple
but nourishing. The food is cooked by brothers of the order in a
kitchen that looks like something out of the twenty-first century.
It is served by the seminarians, who take it in turns to wait at
table. Almost all the work in the Seminary is carried out by the
seminarians, including such tasks as cleaning the corridors and
stairs; but as these are all covered in thick hard - wearing carpet
it is easily done.
When lunch is over
it is announced that the community Mass will be at 17:00. In view
of the exacting pilgrimage they have just completed, the afternoon
will be free. During this time I am shown around the Seminary. My
stock of superlatives is inadequate to express the impression it
makes on me. The light and airy lecture rooms, the large and comfortable
study-bedrooms for the students (the professors have a study, a
separate bedroom, and a private bathroom). The library in the newest
wing is already well stocked but with row after row of new and empty
shelves to allow for expansion. There is a music room with the latest
stereo equipment and an extensive collection of religious and classical
music: I am pleased to see that someone has been playing Byrd's
Mass for Five Voices. There is no television and the students
are not allowed radios; nor is smoking permitted in the Seminary.
There are a good number
of chapels and oratories but the main chapel is a recently converted
barn - a massive structure with walls at least three feet thick.
It is divided into two sections, one for the community and one for
visitors. The number of visitors wishing to attend the Seminary
Masses had grown so much that this new chapel was necessary - the
previous one could hardly accommodate the seminarians. At least
one hundred and fifty visitors had been attending the community
Mass each Sunday. On 9 May, the Swiss bishops had withdrawn their
canonical authorization from the Seminary. Canonically it had ceased
to exist - in the language of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four
it could now be described as an "unseminary." The announcement
had appeared in the Swiss press on Saturday, 10 May. The bishops
had said that, as a result of their decision, no faithful Catholic
could continue to support the Seminary ("aucun fidèle
n 'a plus le droit de lui accorder son appui"). There was
some speculation in the Seminary as to how many, if any, visitors
would come for the Mass on Sunday, 11 May. Over three hundred crammed
themselves into the chapel - double the normal number and this figure
increased the next week.
Just before 17:00 the
seminarians file in for their community Mass. I have already referred
to my impression of their forming a corporate entity: it is during
the liturgy that this impression becomes most manifest. All stand
as the celebrant and servers enter. As the Mass begins a sharp tap
is heard. All kneel as if one person. Introibo ad altare
Dei - Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam - it is as if one
person is responding, half speaking, half chanting. I soon discover
that Ecône has a liturgical style of its own. Judica me Deus,
et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta...It is impossible
not to apply these words to those who are persecuting the Seminary;
to those who will allow practically any abomination to take place
during the celebration of Mass, but who are adamant that to begin
it with Psalm 42 is a crime crying out to heaven for vengeance!
(As the celebrant is now encouraged to add some words of his own
at the beginning of Mass, why should he not choose Psalm 42? and
if the congregation wishes to say some of the verses, is this not
a dialogue? and surely nothing is more praiseworthy than a dialogue
in the renewed Church?)
It is not simply the
seminarians who seem to be an entity - everything in the chapel
blends into an organic whole: the dignified and beautiful altar;
the priest with his quiet words, his slow and deliberate gestures;
the acolytes whose movements must surely be synchronized, the words
of the Mass, the seminarians who have been absorbed into the liturgy,
who are simply part of what is happening. And what is happening?
The Sacrifice of Calvary is being rendered present in our midst.
There is indeed but one entity here - and that entity is Christ.
Hoc est enim Corpus Meum. Christ is present upon the altar,
present physically, present in person. The priest raises Christ's
true Body for our adoration - the same Body Which was born of the
Virgin, Which hung on the Cross as an offering for the salvation
of the world, and Which is seated at the right hand of the Father.
The priest who elevates the Host is also Christ, and how easy it
is to believe this at Mass at Ecône. And the Congregation is Christ
too, His Body on earth to build up His kingdom and, when they receive
Holy Communion, they are united with Him and with each other as
fully and perfectly as it is possible to be. This then is the secret
of Ecône, this is the aim and the effect of the formation given
there, the complete incorporation into Christ of these young men
whose vocation it is to bring Christ to others.
In the pew in front
of me there is a young couple with three children. The older girls
use their missals with complete facility and make the responses
with scarcely a glance at the page. The youngest child, about six
years old, has a little book with a simple text and pictures of
the action of the Mass. From time to time her sister checks to see
that the picture corresponds with what the priest is doing at the
altar.
Ite Missa Est
says the priest. Deo Gratias comes the response; and what
grace and blessings those who have been present at the Mass have
to thank God for. Yet this is the Seminary which the French bishops,
the Swiss bishops, and now the Vatican are trying to suppress.
In principio erat Verbum....Once again the reason why is clear.
We are in the midst of a "renewal" - which forbids the
reading of the Last Gospel of St. John. Et tux in tenebris
lucet, et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt. Ecône is a light,
a light shining in the darkness that is now enveloping the Church,
a light which reveals the hollowness of a renewal about which much
is spoken but of which nothing is seen, a light which must be extinguished
if the shallowness of this renewal is to remain hidden.
Wednesday, 28 May.
Today I am to follow
the seminarians throughout their normal program. They rise at 6:00.
At 6:30 there is Prime followed by meditation. The Community Mass
takes place at 7:15 and breakfast is at 8:00. Lectures begin at
9:00. The next is at 10:00 and the third at 11:00. Each lasts about
forty-five minutes. They begin and end with prayer, they are very
intensive and demand a high degree of attention. A large proportion
of the students are graduates of secular universities and are able
to cope with the demanding curriculum without great difficulty.
Some of the younger seminarians find it requires an enormous effort
- particularly those whose French is not too good when they arrive,
as the teaching is conducted through this medium. There are several
dozen students whose mother tongue is not French - Germans, Italians,
Spaniards, English, Scottish, Australian, and above all American.
There are also students from Africa and Asia. The title "International
Seminary of St. Pius X" is well merited. I notice that an English
student sitting next to me, now in his second year, makes his notes
in French. In the Canon Law lecture the subject is that of the Oath.
There is a great deal to condense into one lecture and the professor
expounds the subject at great speed. The students open their Latin
Codes of Canon Law at Canon 316. The difference between an oath
and a vow is explained. We soon learn the difference between a iuramentum
assertorium and a iuramentum promissorium. Canon follows
canon as information is given on witnesses worthy of confidence,
when oaths are binding on heirs, licitness, validity, obligation,
annulment, dispensation, commutation, complications arising from
possible conflicts with civil law. From time to time my eyes wander
to the window through which I can see the great waterfall gleaming
and shimmering in the bright sun. Soon the sun becomes too bright
and the curtains are drawn. The loud-speaker summons an Abbé
with a German name to the telephone. The professor is explaining
how two apparently contradictory canons are not contradictory at
all. Then chimes are heard over the loudspeaker announcing the end
of the lecture. After the lecture the students crowd round the professor
in friendly and animated conversation. During the lecture the atmosphere
was formal and businesslike - afterwards it is all friendliness
and informality.
At 12:10 there is Sext
and the Angelus followed by lunch. Lunch is followed by recreation
and the manual work - which can be synonymous if necessary. All
students are asked to report to the vigneron, who has some
urgent tasks to be done in the vineyard. There must have been some
who when they answered a call to become laborers in the vineyard
of the Lord had not expected to do so in quite such a literal manner.
But the work is done with a great deal of gusto and a great deal
of laughter, and the vigneron seems well pleased as he reappears
with wine for those who want it.
Manual work is followed
by two hours private study by the students in their rooms or the
library - and study they do and study they must. If there is any
feeling of anxiety among the seminarians during my visit it concerns
their forthcoming examinations rather than the campaign to have
the Seminary closed.
At 16:00 Goûter
is available for those who want it - a cup of tea or coffee and
a piece of bread and jam. Every weekday there is a plainchant practice
at 18:00 - which explains the exceptionally high standard of chant
in the Seminary. This is followed at 18:30 by a spiritual conference
and at 19:00 by one of a variety of spiritual exercises, the Rosary,
Benediction, Way of the Cross. Dinner is at 19:30, after which a
period of recreation follows until Compline at 20:45. At 22:00 hours
lights must be put out and strict silence observed.
It is impossible in
any written account even to begin to convey any adequate impression
of the atmosphere of Ecône. Serenity is perhaps the best word to
describe it. This serenity derives in part from order and from discipline,
but it is a discipline which comes from within, a discipline that
is freely and consciously accepted, but which is practiced unconsciously
and naturally. Above all, the atmosphere comes from the spirit of
prayer which pervades the community. If asked to describe Ecône
in one phrase there could be no other answer but "a community
of prayer." This prayer springs from and is fostered by the
deep spirituality evoked by the sublime liturgical worship which
permeates the life of the Seminary. Whenever there are no lectures,
there are students praying in the chapel or one of the many oratories.
Look from any window in the Seminary and you will see soutane-clad
figures walking in the vineyards and along the mountain paths saying
the rosary. In the long corridors of the Seminary there are some
very fine examples of baroque statuary - Our Lady, St. Joseph, the
Sacred Heart. Strangely enough they appear in complete harmony with
their very modern setting. Votive lights burn before them continually
and in the evening there is almost invariably one young man kneeling
in prayer before each statue. There is a particularly strong devotion
to St. Pius X - the patron of the Seminary - before whose picture,
beneath which there is a relic in the wall, a stream of prayers
is offered for his intercession. However, although the atmosphere
of Ecône is one of sanctity it is certainly not sanctimonious; there
is no affectation, no conscious attempt to appear pious. The spirituality
is natural and spontaneous and certainly accounts for the cheerfulness,
the feeling of joy, which is equally evident and a real indication
of true holiness.
Thursday, 29 May.
Thursday, 29 May, is
the Feast of Corpus Christi which is prepared for by solemn
Vespers on the Wednesday evening. I will not even attempt to describe
the beauty, the dignity, the perfection of this service. There is
all-night exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and, during the night,
I have the good fortune to make a visit to the chapel just before
Matins are sung. I am not normally at my most receptive at 3:00
a. m., but I can state in all honesty that the only question I ask
myself is not, "When will it end?" but, "Why must
it end?" At about 4:00 a. m. I go outside for a few minutes
to see the dawn appearing. The mountains are clearly visible, their
snow-capped peaks turning red with the first rays of the sun. A
chorus of innumerable birds has burst into its own version of Matins,
almost drowning the rush of the great waterfall and blending with
the sound of the eternal chant which filters through the windows
of the chapel. At that moment, the brave new Church of Vatican II
seems quite remote, quite unreal, and quite irrelevant with its
dialogues and discussions, its committees and commissions, its political
priests and emancipated nuns, its smiles and goodwill to all who
are not of the Household of the Faith, its harshness and vindictiveness
towards any Catholic who is less than enthusiastic about being updated.
The great renewal with all its works and pomps seems no more than
a memory now of a distant and unpleasant dream. Here is the eternal
and unchanging Church. I turn to the ancient house of the Canons
of St. Bernard. I would not be surprised to see one or more of them
come down the steps at any moment; and should any do so and enter
the chapel, then, no matter whether they had returned from fifty,
a hundred, two hundred or three hundred years before, they could
take their places beside the seminarians and begin singing Matins
just as they had done when they lived at the foot of these same
mountains.
At about 8:30 on the
Feast of Corpus Christi we all leave for the parish church
at Riddes. The parish priest has invited all the seminarians to
take part in his Corpus Christi procession - a courageous
gesture as the Swiss bishops have said there can no longer be any
support for the Society of St. Pius X. Fr. Épiney, the Curé,
is a very dynamic young priest. He has just built a very large and
very modern church constructed of grey concrete. I must confess
that I do not much like it, either the exterior or the interior.
The church is packed to the doors for Mass with one empty section
of seats reserved for the seminarians and their professors. Outside
there is an atmosphere of great excitement and anticipation. Two
bands are waiting - the Socialist band in blue uniforms and the
Fanfare independante in crimson: this, I am told, is the
"Radical" band and has Masonic ties. Both are anti-clerical
and the Fanfaristes manifest this by remaining outside the
church. But virtually everyone in Riddes is devoted to the Curé
- and the bandsmen will manifest this devotion by playing in his
procession. My friends at the Seminary told me I was in for a surprise.
They were correct. The young Curé celebrates a Solemn High
Tridentine Mass. The deacon and sub-deacon are seminarians who will
be ordained on June 29th. The seminarians sing the Proper - many
of the congregation join in. I notice that a good number of the
young people present have very new missals - the Daily Missal which
is on sale at the Seminary. The Curé gives a passionate sermon
on devotion to the Blessed Sacrament which is listened to with rapt
attention. He deplores the fact that there are even those who call
themselves Catholics but do not kneel to receive their Lord and
some who have the temerity to hold out their hands for the Host.
The Blessed Sacrament is God; there is no honor, no devotion, no
praise too great to offer to Him. We must be prepared to endure
any humiliation, persecution even, rather than diminish our reverence
for the Blessed Sacrament by one iota. In this sermon and in another
when the procession halts for Benediction in the Town Square, he
expresses his complete solidarity with the Seminary. He and the
people of Riddes know what value to put on the calumnies used against
it, no matter from what level they come. Our religion is a religion
of love, and in the service of love malice and calumny have no part.
There are reporters present. Cameras flash. I learn later that informed
opinion is certain that the revenge of the bishops will be swift
and severe. The Curé may not even last a week - he will certainly
be out within a month. It is a humbling experience to see a young
man prepared to make any sacrifice for a matter of principle, a
young man who considers that truth takes priority over expediency.
My mind immediately turns to another young man who took such a stand
nearly 2,000 years ago; and it is this very Man, God the Son made
Man, whom the Curé elevates in the Monstrance for our adoration
at the start of the procession. Truly, here is Christ carried in
the arms of an alter Christus.
The procession is a
never to be forgotten event. There were clouds in the sky before
Mass; these have vanished now and the sun is blazing down. The Pange
Lingua surges upwards. The procession seems to go on for ever.
There are the two bands. There are this year's first communicants
- the little boys in their long white robes looking as charming
as the girls. There is another group of children with baskets of
rose petals which they scatter on the road along which God the Son
will pass. The children of the village are present in their different
age groups. A Marian group carries a statue of Our Lady of Fatima.
The seminarians file past together with their professors; their
number seems almost endless. An elderly and very poor lady is overcome
with emotion. She begins to ask me something. I explain that I am
only a visitor. She is delighted to learn that Ecône is known in
Britain and that there are five British seminarians there now; and
even more delighted to know that this number will be increased in
the autumn. "Monsieur," she says, "Monsieur, the
seminarians. How they sang at Mass. It was heaven come down to earth."
"Heaven come down to earth" - this is it precisely. That
is what Ecône is.
Behind the Blessed
Sacrament walk the civic dignitaries - they are all there including
the Socialist mayor whose devotion to the Curé equals that
of any of the Catholic parishioners. Then come the ordinary Faithful
- first the men and then the women; thousand upon thousand of them.
Many must have come from outside this little town. All ages and
all social classes walk together reciting the Rosary as they pass
along the streets between houses decorated in honor of the Feast
while the bands play and the sun shines. There are practically no
spectators - almost everyone is walking in the procession. My American
friend and I decide that it is about time we do so too and we join
the men. He is a young convert who, after graduating at an American
University, has been working for a doctorate in Spain. He must return
that night to defend his thesis. He will be entering the Seminary
in September. He has only one regret and that is that he cannot
enter now.
Eventually the procession
returns to the church. There is Benediction yet again. The service
ends with the Te Deum during which the seminarians file out.
The great hymn of praise continues with almost undiminished vigor.
I have to follow it from my missal (to my shame). I notice that
most of the congregation know it by heart and sing it from their
hearts. Salvum fac populum tuum Domine, et benedic baereditati
tuae....We all go out to where the bands are playing and an
unlimited supply of wine is available to all. The Curé moves
among his people, a true father in God, laughing, smiling, joking,
listening. The seminarians are surrounded by admirers and well-wishers.
This has been a revelation of what Catholicism can be - how Belloc
would have approved! And not least of the laughter and the wine.
I must leave the Seminary
after Compline that night to take the train for London. The thought
of leaving is painful. My own spiritual life has not simply been
deepened and strengthened; it seems to have only just begun. I am
just beginning to learn the true meaning of prayer and worship.
Compline draws to an end. The lights are extinguished for the Salve
Regina. The chant rises effortlessly up to the Blessed Lady
who will certainly act as the gracious advocate for the hundred
and more young men who are placing their hope in her - exsules
filii Evae. Exiles indeed, exiles because their hopes and their
beliefs are anathema to the forces holding effective power in the
Church today. If they belonged to any of a thousand and one heretical
sects they would be smiled upon; if they professed Judaism, the
Islamic or the Hindu faith they would be welcomed with open arms;
if they were Marxist politicians, then red carpets would be laid
before their feet. But they are young men who believe in the traditional
and unchanging Catholic Faith; they are young men filled with a
burning love for Our Lord and Our Lady; they are young men who have
no other desire in life than to bring Christ upon the altar in the
sublime setting of the Mass codified by St. Pius V and which has
nourished the Faith of so many saints and countless millions of
faithful Catholics throughout the centuries. But this rite of Mass
is inimical to Protestants. It enshrines and proclaims so clearly
the doctrines of the Real Presence and the Real Sacrifice which
they do not believe in and will not accept. The Tridentine Mass
is an obstacle to Ecumenism. Ecumenism is the new god of the new
Church and Ecumenism is a jealous god. The young men who kneel in
the shadows before me, pouring out their prayer to the Blessed Virgin
Mary, evoke the memory of St. Ignatius and his tiny band of followers,
who eventually grew into a great army of soldiers of Christ who
not only halted the progress of the Protestant heresy but won back
millions of souls to God. The forces of Modernism realize too clearly
that unless something can be done to prevent these young men from
being ordained and going out into the world then the victory of
Modernism, which had seemed so secure for a time, will be in serious
doubt. The Faithful will rally to these young men, the young in
particular, and there will indeed be a renewal; but a Catholic renewal
built on the sound basis of the traditional liturgy, traditional
teaching, and traditional spirituality of the Church.
Calumny is the weapon
which will be used in an attempt to destroy it. More often than
not the Society of St. Pius X will be unable to refute these calumnies,
but truth is great and must prevail. For those who might be tempted
to believe the calumnies I know that every member of this Society,
from Archbishop Lefebvre to the youngest seminarians, would have
only one answer: "Come and see." Ecône has no secrets,
as any visitor will soon find out. If there is anything to be discovered
there it is the secret of holiness. I would be surprised to learn
of any man of good will who could visit the Seminary and think otherwise.
Courtesy of the Angelus
Press, Regina Coeli House
2918 Tracy Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64109
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