| Editor : Abbé Georges de Nantes | N° 85 – October 2009 |
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TO CUT THE GROUND FROM UNDER OUR FEET,
TOO LATE, YOUR EMINENCE!
The prospect of the “conversations” that will begin in Rome in mid-October between Vatican authorities and the Fraternity of Saint Pius X dominates religious news. Cardinal Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, wanted to set the tone. He announced that the points that the Vatican considers « not negotiable: the position regarding the Jews, other Christian and non Christian religions, as well as religious freedom as a fundamental right of humanity » will be « clearly laid down. »
If I understand correctly, it has already been decided! So be it! Let the Holy Father render this judgement from the height of his cathedra – if he dares! – so that we may have the guarantee of infallibility. For Cardinal Schönborn’s opinion does not count, any more than Joseph Ratzinger’s. What counts is the Pope’s infallible judgement!
But “to cut the ground from under our feet, too late, your eminence!” as our Father entitled an editorial in January 1993 (CCR n° 254), the year of his third initiative in Rome to take his third Book of Accusation there, an ultimate protest against the new catechism and its authors, a « catechism of pride, catechism of cheats! »
Today the manoeuvre is the same as in 1993: « Beneath the Lefebvrist stooge, our Father wrote, it is we who are really being hammered, with three blows... but too late! »
The first blow consisted of proclaiming urbi et orbi that « any criticism of the Pope and the Council is from the Devil ». The second, that « the Council, the Pope can neither err nor lie »; the third affirmed religious freedom as a traditional truth.
Today Cardinal Schönborn takes this delayed revenge out on the Lefebvrists, but « it is too late! » because the Abbé de Nantes’ well-founded criticism reduces these affirmations to nothing in three Books of Accusation that were taken to Rome in 1973, 1983, and 1993, an accusation that is repeated today in 700 pages of commentary on the texts of the Council. As long as there has been no infallible response, opposition to the Council’s innovations is impervious to Cardinal Schönborn’s offensive condemnations.
In fact, what does the Council proclaim? It states that liberty in religious matters is an imprescriptible and sacred right, based on the dignity of the human person, which is equal in all and universal, authorising the public practice and open propaganda of any religion, independently of its objective character of truth or falsehood in the eyes of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We consider that this proposition is utterly offensive to God our Saviour, and absolutely contrary to the Church’s mission of universal salvation. This proposition does not need to be the object of « dialogue »; it is not « negotiable » in the eyes of the Catholic Faith. It must simply be submitted to the judgement of the Holy Father. If he makes use of his infallibility, he will necessarily anathematise whoever professes it: and this is the only reason why Paul VI and John Paul II refused yesterday, and Benedict XVI today refuses to exercise this duty of their supreme apostolic ministry.
For « this God, with whom the Council seems to be unfamiliar, wanted men to adore Him, pray to Him, serve Him, and love Him in order to gain Life, eternal Blessedness. From this, we can, we must deduce that He makes it a duty for every man to adhere freely to this Covenant, with the sacred right of adhering to it by himself, without constraint or impediment. As for the other religions and irreligions, how can this infinitely holy God do anything other than hate them as snares of Satan and forbid their very public or private existence as a major offence against His glory and a harmful obstacle to the salvation of all men? » (Auto-da-fe, p. 137)
JOHN-PAUL I,
The Saint whom God gave us
