Feb.
29

How many of these missionaries sent by the Church during the course of centuries have been massacred, massacred because they said that Our Lord Jesus Christ should be the King of people, King of society? [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
28

And what did the Church do in this case? She sent priests, bishops, religious men and women, brothers of the Christian schools—brothers who were dedicated to teaching the people, so that slowly, surely, those who did not believe in Our Lord Jesus Christ, would be converted to the Church, would be transformed into Christians, even at the price of the blood of those preachers. [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
27

Concerning states that were not Catholic, for example Senegal, where I spent fifteen years as Archbishop over 3,500,000 inhabitants. There were 3,000,000 Moslems and 500,000 Animists, of which, happily, 100,000 were converted to the Faith. We were, consequently, a small minority. [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
26

In this way, what the Holy See wanted was accomplished: the reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of souls, not in order to have a temporal influence in those states. [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
25

When the chiefs of state drew up a constitution they would provide in the first article that "the Catholic religion is the only one officially recognized by the state." [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
24

Regarding Her mission of saving souls, when the states were Catholic, the Holy See counted on the support of the chiefs of state, of whom She asked that Our Lord Jesus Christ be the one to reign in society. [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
23

When the principles of the relations between the Vatican and the states were facilitated by the Catholic Faith there were no difficulties in anything having to do with relations of the states with the Church. [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
22

There was experienced then, in all these dominions the secular knowledge of the Church, just as the knowledge and protection of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary towards her children can be felt. [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
21

For example, I remember well that in General Franco's time, in Spain, Pope Pius XII used to tell me that never had there been realized an agreement so conformed to Catholic doctrine as the agreement reached with the Spanish government. To make such a statement was a most extraordinary thing for the Holy Father to do. [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
20

In the same way, to know what kind of relations the Vatican wanted to maintain between the Holy See and civil societies, it sufficed to direct oneself to the Secretariat of State which had then, very clear and very precise principles before the states which were not Catholic regarding Catholic states. [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
19

Indeed, you know well that for four centuries great efforts have been made to fight against that Catholic doctrine, that Faith of the Church, but the truth is that when one went to the Vatican, he would find that the Catholic Faith was alive in all those Roman Congregations and there would be found considerable support, above all for a missionary bishop such as I was. There was no hesitation! [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
18

I can say that generally, in the Roman Congregations and in the Vatican, there existed a very profound sense of the Catholic Faith. They truly worked for the reign of the Faith of Our Lord Jesus Christ and for the social reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ—a reign over people, over families and over society. [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
17

I think that finding myself before a select audience—before a profoundly Catholic audience—it will not be necessary for me to insist on what the situation in the Church was until Vatican Council II. It can be said, in a general way, that the Church, the men of the Church, such as they were during the time of Pope Pius XII... were very different from what they are today. [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
16

I would like to be able to answer these questions in the most exact and correct manner. To do this I think we are obliged to consider briefly what the actual situation in the Church is, and in this way explain the reasons for our attitude and our position. [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
15

We know that many questions are being asked about my attitude in the Church, about my position in the Church. What is the attitude of Archbishop Lefebvre in the Catholic Church? What is the situation of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church? [Archbishop Lefebvre: The Role of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X in the heart of the Church-1982]

Feb.
14

This is the state of mind among those fanatical progressives who oppose and insult us. We must not hesitate in responding that it is necessary to take advantage of the laws of the Church which the Church permits in exceptional circumstances of extreme gravity. [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
13

Soon everything that we do would be invalid according to them. It is almost as if to say that our Mass would not be accused of being invalid. [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
12

After all, the progressive priests challenge us whenever they can, saying: "You do not have the jurisdiction, you do not have the right to hear confessions." [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
11

Our attitude is justified by all of these events. [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
10

Confronted with this continuous worsening of the situation, are we not obliged to take measures which are obviously extraordinary? [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
9

The bishops who replace those who retire or who die, have received less theological training. They are imbued with the spirit of the Council, with this Protestant, modernist spirit and it is increasingly serious. [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
8

We are driven more and more by continually worsening circumstances. If only things seemed to be improving, if we could see tangible signs of a return to Tradition, then everything would be different. But, unfortunately, the situation is worse. [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
7

This is why we must absolutely maintain our traditional line, in spite of the appearance of disobedience and the persecutions of those who use their authority in an unjust and often illegal manner. [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
6

When Rome asked: "But surely you can adopt the new liturgy and continue your seminaries, that won't make them disappear," I answered:

Yes, it will make our seminaries disappear. They would not be able to accept the new liturgy, it would amount to introducing the poison of the conciliar spirit into the community. If others were unable to hold on, it is because they adopted this new liturgy, all of these reforms and this new spirit. As for us, if we accept the same things, we will have the same results. [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
5

If our priests came to abandon the true liturgy, the true Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the true sacraments, then it would be no longer worth while to continue. It would be suicide! [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
4

For marriage, Canon Law has provided an exception: those who cannot find a properly delegated priest who would marry them according to the spirit of the Church, as their parents were married―and it is obviously a basic right for young men and women to be married in the same rite as their parents and not in a rite that is not only often disgusting and in an atmosphere that is far from devotional and fitting for such an important a sacred act as the Sacrament of Matrimony. [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
3

The Church has foreseen cases which could be extraordinary. This applies to the question of jurisdiction for confessions. Practically, it is the individual who seeks out the priest in order to receive the Sacrament of Penance who gives the priest the jurisdiction through the intermediary of the Code of Canon Law. Even if an individual were to seek out an excommunicated priest to hear his confession, this priest would receive the necessary jurisdiction (canon 2261). [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
2

Now, even in its particular laws, the Church has had the wisdom to always include an open door for the salvation of souls. The Church has foreseen cases which could be extraordinary. [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]

Feb.
1

If we can be accused of failing in the application of certain practical laws, no one can say that the Society does not act according to the goals of the Church. No one can deny this. [Archbishop Lefebvre: 20 Years of Struggle]