THE SOCIETY OF SAINT PIUS X AND THE VATICAN

Divine Providence is good toward the Society of Saint Pius X. It is granting it a good opportunity to place itself once again at the height of the combat and to do so in the spirit and the letter of Archbishop Lefebvre. Deo gratias! May it truly be so.

The letter of February 18 from the General Council of the Society to the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is good. It explains, indeed, clearly, wherein lies the impossibility of reaching an agreement on the doctrinal level with the conciliar Church, which demonstrates the failure of the discussions up to the present moment, since modernist Rome refuses to call into question the last council and the post-conciliar reforms.

Fr. Pagliarani is acting courageously in maintaining, under these conditions, the episcopal consecrations of July 1. The mention of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces is most fitting. The appeal to charity as the sole point on which the Society and the Vatican might meet is more debatable. It appears to be a gesture, a diplomatic attitude that extends a hand to the enemy, although I think Archbishop Lefebvre would not have done so. It seems to me somewhat ambiguous to speak of charity with those who are destroying the Church.

It remains to be seen what the coming months will bring us. Some twenty-five years of a policy of rapprochement with conciliar Rome, which have caused so many disturbances within Tradition, do not fade away so easily. But we willingly pray that the Society may rise again from the steps it should not have taken in the past.

May Our Lady guard the work of Archbishop Lefebvre and his sons, among whom we are proud to count ourselves. We even feel inclined to say, with Saint Paul, “and more than they,” but, being fully aware that we are unworthy servants, we cannot say it as it ought to be said.

Kyrie eleison.

+Thomas Aquinas O.S.B.