And these Conciliarists have the gall to complain about Priest shortages. How many of us know MANY Orthodox men driven out of the diocesean and religious seminaries?
I was reading Pope Paul's letter to Lefebvre the other day (it's in the appendix to "The Pope, the Council and The Mass). He claimed that he wanted Lefebvre working together with him within the Church to fight the "deplorable abuses" of the post-conciliar period. Sounds good, but the reality was totally different. Far from being welcomed within the Church, they were deliberately excluded. These priests who still believed the Catholic faith were refused ordination.
At the same time, Archbishop Lefebvre was being kicked out as superior of the Holy Ghost Fathers, one of the largest orders in the world. The article says that he "resigned," but the reality is that there was a coup which re-wrote the constitution of the order so they could get rid of him because he wasn't "updating" at a fast enough pace for the conciliar revolutionaries. Where was the "familial concern" of Pope Paul while this was going on? While the leader of a congregation equivalent to several dozen dioceses was being illegally eliminated, where was the concern of Pope Paul? Yet when Archbishop Lefebvre simply wanted to continue using the Mass of all times, his response was instantaneous and draconian. The reality behind the soothing words is very different from what they would pretend.
Fr. Aulagnier believes that things are different today. Maybe he is right. But this is a prudential decision upon which the consequences of being wrong are enormous.
This is an understatement. His position in French Africa was essentially equivalent to that of a Patriarch - the head of the Churches of many nations, of which he was the founder. He was not merely "another Bishop". This is why his schism is taken so seriously by Rome, as opposed to the ridiculous schisms perpetrated by the sedevacantists, who Rome considers on par with the various American and English "Old Catholic" jokers.
In better times, he would have been named a Cardinal.
Fr. Aulagnier believes that things are different today. Maybe he is right. But this is a prudential decision upon which the consequences of being wrong are enormous.
What is important is that rights of property and succession be guaraneed. With that betrayals in the future cannot be enforced on the ground. This can be done in a Prelature or Apostolic Administration. It can even be done for individual churches in dioceses. The Church "Mater Ecclesiae" in Berlin, NJ, diocese of Camden, was reconciled and canonically erected under the premise that title to the property would remain in the hands of the people. Since the people are in theory free to leave and kick out the Priest and Bishop at any time, they are now happy to stay and be in unity.