He will return with his immense heart, with his heart of fire, his poor man's soul
and his smile. He will return! And the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph!

THE CONCERN FOR UNITY:
THE CHURCH, THE CHURCH ALONE!

At the end of his encyclical, Benedict XVI reminds us that we are truly only instruments in the Lord’s hands. This thought must free us from the presumption of having to work by ourselves alone « on the reformation that the world needs », all the more so for the Counter-Reformation in the Church. He who understands this « will, humbly do what he can, and in all humility will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who governs the world, not we. As for us, let us simply put ourselves in His service to the extent that we can, and for as long as he grants us the strength. » (Deus Caritas est, n° 35)

The Holy Father does not merely content himself with saying so. He practices what he preaches. For a year he has been teaching the Catholic Faith discretely and « humbly », prudently, too. His concern has been to avoid all “rupture”, and, as his homilies and spiritual advice reveal, his teaching enjoys the light of an interior life.

His first encyclical is a call to union with God who is Charity and thus to union among us all, children of the Catholic and Roman Church, bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons and lay faithful.

The members of the Catholic Counter-Reformation answer this call without any hesitation, all the more so because for more than thirty years they have submitted to the approval of the Holy See and of their bishops, an Act of Union, an expression of their Faith and of their programme of action, which was very close to acceptance during the pontificate of John Paul I. God did not permit it, but it seems as though it was written for today. Here it is, unchanged, unchangeable. May it find its way to the heart of our beloved Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, who so ardently desires reconciliation among Catholics.

« ACT OF UNION »

« Members of the Holy, Roman Catholic Church by virtue of our Baptism and our Faith, our union is with God as adopted children with their Creator and Father; with the Word of God Jesus Christ who redeemed and saved us at the cost of His Blood, as disciples and brothers; with the Holy Spirit participating in His inspirations and graces as His hosts and His witnesses in the world.

« This is why the totality of our safety and salvation are in Holy Mother Church and in our submission to her Head, our Holy Father the Pope, and to our Bishops in communion with him, without prejudice to God’s honour and the pre-eminence that serving Him holds, in all that furthers the greater glory of God, according to the teaching of Jesus Christ and the Church’s tradition. We affirm that we are and wish to be members of the One Church, which is the mystical Body of Christ, and that we remain loyal to her lawful Pastors and in a union of brotherhood with all who share the same Faith, the same Sacraments, and the same wealth of spiritual gifts, for they are joined to us by the bond of charity.

I. THE LAWS OF CATHOLIC UNITY

« Amidst the oppositions and intolerance that dangerously divide this family of God, we sincerely and wholeheartedly desire to conform to the laws of Catholic unity and to recover the way that leads to Christian reconciliation, placing God’s service, the good of the Church and peace among brethren before and above all that is proper and particular to us, such as our differences of opinion.

« We will direct our prayers and our efforts towards the establishment of peace within the Church, according to the following principles:

« 1. The foundation of unity is faith in the pure truth of the revealed Mysteries of God, of which the integral teaching of the Church is the authentic and infallible expression. Accordingly, we declare that we adhere to the teaching of the ordinary and extraordinary Magisterium, and that we refuse every innovation or doctrinal change that would attack the inviolable Deposit of Revelation. We will, moreover, remain prudently aloof from any perilous opinion that strays from the Tradition of the Fathers.

« If we consider that others are deviating from the true Faith and perverting the Church’s teaching, we must admonish them, fight against their opinions and, finally, appeal to the decisive judgement of the Magisterium; but we must not cease to regard them as members of the Holy Church as we ourselves are, and to respect them as our brethren in Jesus Christ, for, as we must continue to remind ourselves, only the sovereign judgement of the Church is competent to pronounce upon heresy and to excommunicate the heresiarch. We will never substitute our own judgement for that of the Church.

« 2. It is charity that constitutes the bond of unity, that charity which, impelled by divine grace, adds to the love for our God and Father, the love for our brethren and especially to those who are closest to us – our Catholic Christian brethren. Accordingly, we acknowledge our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI as Sovereign Pontiff, the Successor of St. Peter and the Vicar of Jesus Christ. We acknowledge our Bishops in official communion with him as the Successors of the Apostles and the Pastors of their respective local Churches with him. We look upon all priests canonically endowed with the faculties of Order and Jurisdiction, as well as all the faithful who are regularly admitted into the communion of the Church and to her Eucharistic Communion as our fathers and brethren in the Faith; they along with us constitute the Catholic community, the sole exception being those individuals who are giving public, undisputed scandal. We seek to love them in all justice, in familial respect and affection and in religion.

« If others, through a deliberate and manifest act of their own will, break the bond of Catholic unity and cut themselves off from the visible, apostolic and hierarchical communion of the Church, it becomes our duty to warn and admonish them and to oppose their enterprises, and – if they persist – to break with them and their sects without waiting for the Church to bring judgement or sanctions against them, remembering that to  rebel against and reject the doctrinal, pastoral and juridical authority of the Apostolic and Roman Hierarchy is evidence of schism. We will never take part in any worship, doctrinal teaching or religious work that is outside full Catholic communion. »

II. THE THREEFOLD MINISTRY OF THE HIERARCHY

« Nevertheless, because our fidelity responds to the divine authority of the Hierarchy, it follows that it cannot subsist without such authority. It appeals to it for assistance in perils. As Christ’s faithful who form the Taught Church, we are entitled to remind our Pastors, who are the Teaching, Sanctifying, Governing Church, of the necessity of their functions, the urgency of their service in order to safeguard Catholic unity, a function and service that is proper to them and them alone. The hierarchy owes to us its threefold ministry:

« 1. Its teaching of true Doctrine and the effective condemnation of every error arising among the Christian people is as important to us as the air we breathe. The Hierarchy have an obligation to remove the authority to speak officially in the Church from all teachers of untruth, unbelievers, sceptics and heretics. It is their duty, a duty that they cannot neglect without abuse of authority, to guarantee that all the baptised shall have access to catechesis and preaching free from heresy and complete in its content, for they need these for their eternal salvation. We demand that they should diligently examine every complaint and criticism concerning the teaching of the Faith, since that is necessary for the peace of souls and their spiritual unity, and has always been an absolute rule in the Church.

« 2. Its safeguarding the rites of the Sacraments and its guaranteeing their valid and licit administration are more needful for us than the bread and wine with which we nourish our bodies. It is the Hierarchy’s inalienable duty to control the administration of the Sacraments, which today has become so anarchical, and to investigate every complaint concerning the sacred ministry and mete out the consequences due them. They have the responsibility, in particular, of seeing that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated in a manner that is edifying and dignified and leaves no doubt of its validity and licitness. Every transgression of the divinely instituted rite and of the Church’s liturgical laws must be publicly reprimanded, and subsequent offences duly punished. The organic unity of the Eucharistic community is the price which is at risk. If the bishops remain indifferent or inactive on such a grave issue it becomes the duty of whoever has witnessed their attitude, to appeal to Rome. And Rome makes itself guilty of prevarication if it rejects or takes no notice of such an appeal. For is not Eucharistic unity the sign of the Church’s unity?

« 3. Finally, its rule over the priests and faithful can only preserve and foster the peace of supernatural order and mutual charity if it is exercised with due respect both of Canon Law and of the common Law and guarantees the respect of persons. May no one be prevented from practising his religion in accordance with the traditions of his Forebears, may no one be forced to adopt as yet doubtful innovations. Surely all except self-confessed revolutionaries will understand and declare that filial and fraternal union in the Church must be based upon respect for law and the avoidance of abuse of power at every level of the Hierarchy. To attack the law is to attack the common good and the sacred liberty and safety of all. It is part of the bishops’ pastoral duty to suppress effectively such moral – indeed also sometimes physical – violence. No member of the Hierarchy is entitled to relinquish this duty or remain indifferent to its demands. The Church is neither a tyranny nor an anarchy, but a hierarchical society that has been divinely instituted and is bonded together by charity.

III. IN THE COMMUNION OF THE CHURCH

« One divine Faith, one Sacred Liturgy, one body of ecclesiastical law upheld by the Sovereign Authority of a single Hierarchy – without infringing on the legitimate diversities of theologies, rites and particular law – these are essential to our Catholic communion. These are matters of urgency for our fraternal reconciliation to which we declare that we subscribe and for which we earnestly, very earnestly, most earnestly ask our Holy Father and our bishops to restore for the sake of peace in the Church and the welfare of our souls and theirs, so that the world may believe and be saved.

« As for us, we have no intention of ever claiming to teach, sanctify, or govern the Church or any section of her. That is the task of the Magisterium alone, and we do not seek in any way to put ourselves into its place. We intend to remain Roman Catholic Christians in communion with our Holy Father the Pope, with our bishops who are in union with him and with the priests and faithful of the Universal Church. We will have no communion with those who separate themselves from this One Church through schism, and we accept communion with all who are accepted within her communion. Whatever our differences with them, we will not take it upon ourselves to wage ware against our brethren by declaring them to be excluded from the Church or bereft of their authority. We will, rather, carry our concerns, our indignation our complaints and our accusations to the tribunal of Holy Church, so that she may judge between us and our brethren, in accordance with Catholic Law and Faith.

« Whatever may come to pass and whatever the cost to us, we sign this act of union and present it to the Roman Magisterium for approval or correction, in the hope that this will serve the cause of the reconciliation of all Catholics around their common Father, in the service of God and of all our human brethren. For the glory of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen! »

On the feast of Saint Joseph,
19 March 2006

Georges de Nantes, priest.