17 October 1977 Dears Friends and Benefactors, At a time when the Synod of Bishops is meeting in
Rome to study the question of Catechetics, one would wish that the
introductory pages to the Catechism of the Council of Trent, drawn up
by the very authors of that Catechism, might be re-read by the
Bishops present at the Synod. They would learn therein how those
authors meant to resolve problems of adaptation. We have every reason for fearing that, in spite of
some good interventions, the work of conciliar reform will continue.
It will not be the Archbishop of Saigon who will “put on the
brakes” since he considers that the only catechetics possible in a
Marxist country are collaboration with Marxism. And in that, he
affirms, he is taking his stand on the texts of the conciliar decree
Gaudium et Spes (cf. Edith Oelamare’s article in Rivarol,
13 October 1977). The facts show us no sign of a return to Tradition,
but much to the contrary, a continual establishing of ecumenism and
Marxism. The most inconceivable innovations are left without public
reprimand, whereas only those who maintain the Catholic Faith are
hounded down and condemned. In the face of the constant progress of the auto
demolition of the Church, the Mystical Body of Our Lord, which is the
living Church, reacts and demands that the hierarchy help it to
survive, not die. Numerous members of the Mystical Body go to
extraordinary lengths in order to survive, doing all they can to find
faithful priests and bishops who will give them the sources of life. In such a predicament, it is the law of survival
which commands, and no positive law, even ecclesiastical, can
contradict this primary and fundamental law. Authority, law in the
Church, as in all society, is at the service of life, and ultimately
supernatural life, which is life eternal. It is not surprising that, when authority fails or
is used to annihilate that which it ought to be building up, the
social body finds itself crippled, and that the reaction takes place
according to different criteria which can be somewhat divergent. The
important thing is to save the Catholic Faith inscribed in our
catechisms, to save the means of living it by the grace of the
Sacrifice of the Mass and of the Sacraments, to save the means of
passing it on to future generations through Catholic schools and
seminaries. This is what we are trying to do through our
seminaries and priories. The appeal of the faithful is ever more widespread.
Besides Europe and North America, South America, Australia, the
Indies and Japan are also calling out to us. Would that this appeal might be heard by Rome and by
a great many bishops, and that they might respond to this expectation
through the means which the Church has always used! As for us, we are trying to respond through the
means Providence places at our disposal: our forty priests and 140
seminarians of every nationality, our Brothers, our Sisters, our
twenty houses, of which three are seminaries, all founded within
eight years, are a proof that God is with us as our Helper. This year we must find larger premises for our
German-language seminary and also for our seminary in the United
States. The growing number of vocations makes this obligatory.
Thirty-nine new students have entered Ecône, among them eight
Americans, five Italians, and three Argentinians. Weissbad has
received seven new-comers and the American seminary, sixteen. Six have entered the Brothers’ Novitiate, and
there are eight postulants for the Sisterhood as well as two oblates.
In this connection we are taking part in the foundation of a
Cistercian monastery for women, and also of a Carmel according to the
most faithful traditions. Girls and women aspiring to a contemplative
life can obtain the addresses of these two foundations by writing to
us here at Ecône. This is why we ask you, dear friends and
benefactors, to continue helping us by your prayers and your gifts,
persuaded moreover, that the difficulties with Rome will end well in
a solution. But nothing can be done without a redoubling of fervour
in prayer, in the Sacrifice of the Mass by the intercession of the
Most Holy Virgin. She alone will vanquish all the obstacles which
impede the Reign of her Divine Son from being extended over families
and societies for the salvation of souls. We remind you that the Rosary is recited every
evening at seven o’clock in all our houses for the intentions of
friends and benefactors living and dead. Unite with us in this
supplication. And may God bless you. + Marcel Lefebvre
Letter
to Friends and Benefactors
