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Dear Friends and Benefactors,
The past few weeks have been full of news concerning
the Catholic Church, and specifically the Society of St. Pius X.
The first major event and the most important one
was, of course, the lifting of the “excommunication” of our four bishops. The
letter His Excellency Bishop Fellay, our Superior General, addressed to you on
this matter has already shed some necessary light to help you understand the new
state of affairs with Rome.
Reactions to the decree have been very harsh. A
severe press campaign was launched across the entire world, against the Catholic
Church, the pope, and of course against the Society of St. Pius X. The interview
of His Excellency Bishop Williamson, given a few months before the decree to
Swedish television, has been used by the press, and is the alleged reason to
harass and discredit whatever is even slightly in favor of Catholic Tradition.
Thus, the label of “excommunicated,” used for so
long to keep people away from Tradition, has been removed, but now a new attempt
is made to discredit Tradition. A new label which like the old we absolutely
reject as unfounded, is attached to us.
Many of you have read the different statements that
Bishop Fellay had to make in order to distance the Society of St. Pius X from
the positions expressed by Bishop Williamson in the interview on the specific
matter of the Holocaust. Some may wonder why such statements were necessary to
make.
It is important to remember that the mission of the
Society of St. Pius X is essentially one of defending and living the Catholic
Faith. God has revealed this Faith to us, and it is the Faith that is necessary
for the salvation of our souls. The question of the Holocaust is a historical
one, not a question of Faith. Hence it is of secondary importance, and cannot be
allowed to become an obstacle to the Society’s primary mission.
Furthermore, unity among Society members and
faithful is possible only if we keep our focus on the Faith. Disagreement on
historical questions and other matters that are not of Faith is inevitable, and
a source of certain division if we allow such questions to take on a
disproportionate importance.
Because of the threat Bishop Williamson’s comments
on the Holocaust pose to the Society’s mission and to the unity of the Society,
Bishop Fellay has deemed it necessary to act firmly in his regard. As the superior
of the Society of St. Pius X, God gives him the grace of state to make such
decisions, however painful they might be. It is not for us to second-guess him
in these prudential matters, but to support him by our charity and especially by
our prayers.
The events of the past few weeks show us the
necessity to re-focus our actions upon what is essential and crucial; the Faith
and the Salvation of our souls.
As we have entered the time of Lent, I encourage you
to make it fruitful, to offer prayers and sacrifices, particularly for the
intentions of the bishops and priests of the Society of St. Pius X. In these
difficult times we need to keep unity in our ranks, unity in doctrine, unity in
prayer, unity under the guidance and leadership of our Superior General, Bishop
Fellay.
With my prayers and
blessings,
In the Immaculate
Heart of Mary,
Fr. Arnaud Rostand |
