Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Manifest injustice against the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate- Roberto de Mattei


 The "case" of the Franciscans of the Immaculate

- Roberto de Mattei
 The "case" of the Franciscans of the Immaculate http://www.corrispondenzaromana.it/il-caso-dei-francescani-dellimmacolata/
looks like an episode of extreme gravity, bound to have consequences within the Church perhaps not foreseen by those who recklessly put them in this  place.

The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life (known as the Congregation for Religious) with its Decree of 11 July 2013, signed by the Cardinal Prefect João Braz de Aviz and Archbishop Secretary José Rodriguez Carballo, OFM, has ousted the top of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, entrusting the government of the institute to an "apostolic commissioner," the father Fidenzio Volpi, cappuccino.
 
To "secure" the decree, card. João Braz de Aviz, is equipped with an endorsement ex auditu”,  by  Pope Francis,  who takes away any possibility of an appeal to the Apostolic Signatura by the Friars. The reason for this conviction, which  has its origin in a complaint to the Congregation for the Religious by a group of dissident monks, remain mysterious. From the Decree of the Congregation and the letter sent to the Franciscans on July 22 by the new Commissioner, the only accusations seem to be those of little "thinking with the Church" and excessive attachment to the ancient Roman Rite.

In reality we are faced with a manifest injustice against the Franciscans of the Immaculate. This religious institute founded by the Fathers Stefano Maria Manelli and Gabriele Maria Pellettieri, is one of the most flourishing which the Chuirch boasts of for the number of vocations, the authenticity of the spiritual life, fidelity to orthodoxy and to the Roman authorities. In the situation of anarchy liturgical, theological and moral, in which we find ourselves today, the Franciscans of the Immaculate should be taken as a model of religious life. The Pope often refers to the need for a religious life more simple and sober.
 
The Franciscans of the Immaculate stand out for its austerity and evangelical poverty which, since their founding, they have lived with  their Franciscan charism. It happens however that in the name of the Pope, the Congregation for Religious emoves the governing of the community , to transmit it to a minority of friars. It is to these  rebels, progressives, to which the neo-Commissioner will lean to "normalize" the Institute, or to lead it to disaster in which up to now it had escaped because of its faithfulness to the laws of the Church and the Magisterium.
 
But now the evil is rewarded and the good punished. Not surprisingly, while  exercising an iron fist against the Franciscans of the Immaculate the same Cardinal hopes that there will be  understandinging  and dialogue with the heretical and schismatic American Sisters. Those religious preach and practice the theories of gender, and therefore, with them there is dialogue. The Franciscans of the Immaculate preach and practice chastity and penance and and with them  therefore there is no possibility of understanding. This is the sad conclusion  inevitably for a dispassionate observer.
 
One of the charges against them is to be too attached to the traditional Mass, but the accusation is specious, because the Franciscans of the Immaculate are, as they say, "bi-ritualists".They celebrate the New Mass, and the ancient as it is granted to them by the ecclesiastical laws in force. Faced with an unjust order, one can imagine that some of them will not give up celebrating  the traditional Mass, and would do well to resist on this point, because it will be a gesture  not of rebellion but of obedience. Favors and privileges in favor of the traditional Mass have  not been repealed and have a higher legal force then that of the Decree of a Congregation, and even the intentions of the Pope i.e  if you do not express a clear legal act.
 
Cardinal Braz de Aviz seems to ignore the existence of the motu proprio   Summorum Pontificumotu of 7 July 2007, its implementing decree, the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae of 30 April 2011, and the Ecclesia Dei commission, attached to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.The   Congregation for Religious today invades their  field.
 
What is the intention of the supreme ecclesiastical authority? Supersede the Ecclesia Dei and to repeal the motu proprio of Benedict XVI? It is explicit, because the consequences can be learned. And if not, why put in place a decree unnecessarily provocative towards the Catholic world which refers to the Tradition of the Church? This world is undergoing great expansion, especially among young people, and this is perhaps the main reason for the hostility to which it is subject today.
 
Finally, the Decree constitutes an abuse of power that concerns not only the Franciscans of the Immaculate and those who are improperly defined traditionalists, but every Catholic. It is indeed an alarming symptom of the loss of legal certainty that is taking place today within the Church. Indeed, the Church is a visible society, in which there is the "power of the law and the law" (Pius XII, Address Dans notre souhait of 15 July 1950). The law is what defines right and wrong, as explained by the canonists, "The power in the Church must be right, and what is required from the Church itself, which determines the purposes and limits of the Hierarchy. Not every act of the sacred pastors, due to the fact that they come from them, is right "(Carlos J. Errazuriz, Law and Justice in the Church, Giuffre, Milan 2008, p. 157).
 
When legal certainty is not there, then the will  of the stronger prevails. It often happens in society, it can occur in the Church, when it prevails over the human dimension of the supernatural. But if there is legal certainty, there is no mis conduct . Otherwise everything is left to the whims of the individual or groups of power, and the strength with which these lobbies are able to impose their will. The strength, separated from the law, it becomes arrogance and hubris.
Ordine dei Francescani dell'Immacolata
The Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, is a legal institution, based on a divine law, of which the men of the Church are the custodians, and not the creators or owners. The Church is not a "soviet", but a building founded by Jesus Christ in which the power of the Pope and the bishops must be exercised according to the laws and traditional forms, all rooted in divine revelation. Today we speak of a Church more democratic and egalitarian, but the power is exercised often in a person, in defiance of the laws and customs of thousands of years. When there are universal laws of the Church, as the bull of Pius V Quo primum (1570), and the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI, it is necessary to change them, with a legal equivalent. A law cannot be considered revoked or  a previous law, if it is not explicitly repealed with  an Act of equal capacity.
 
To defend justice and truth in the Church, we are confident in the voice of Jurists, among which are some of the eminent cardinals,  ordered according to the "Extraordinary" Rite of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate and who know the exemplary life and apostolic zeal of this community. We appeal especially to Pope Francis, to withdraw the measures against the Franciscans of the Immaculate and against their legitimate use of the ancient Roman Rite.
 
Whatever decision is taken, we can not hide the fact that now that the Church lives today is dramatic. New storms are forming on the horizon and these storms are certainly not raised either by the friars, nor by the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate. Love for the Church, the Catholic Apostolic and Roman has always moved and moves us to take up their defense. May the Madonna, Virgo Fidelis, suggest to the conscience of everyone, in these difficult times the right way to go. -Roberto de Mattei
 
 
Translation L.A

The complaints of less than 1% of Franciscans of the Immaculate led to the disciplinary action

A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics

The complaints of less than 1% of Franciscans of the Immaculate led to the disciplinary action?
 
by tantamergo
 
Eponymous Flower is written by a Tancred I've never met and know nothing about, save that he is apparently proficient in German. As such, he frequently translates and posts articles from the German-Catholic press which are otherwise unavailable in English. Tancred has a blockbuster translation today from the German site Katholisches, which claims that only 6, out of over 800, members of the Franciscans of the Immaculate are at the source of this conflict, and that some of those 6 have already left the order:
 
Six out of 800 members of the order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate (FI) have made a submission to the Roman Congregation for Religious. A small minority. Thus, they protested against the decision of the Order's leadership, to use the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite and to remain bi-ritual for the pastoral care of the faithful. Some of the six dissidents are now no longer in the Order, they were excluded because of disobedience and indiscipline. [We need to understand that there is no English attribution here, so it's not a substantiated claim, and it's not likely it will be] It may be argued that only a pretext was sought for the Congregation of Religious to take action against the exemplary order. The radical intervention erschereckenden [looks like some German slipped through.....] shows a lack of liturgical sensibility. Only such a deficiency may explain a ham fisted methods of this magnitude, which deprives the heart of religious life for four branches with more than 100 monasteries and houses and it seems to be the opinion that the Old Rite being simply replaced by the new is desirable. Upon the disempowerment of the Founder and the imposition of a Commission is expected to prevent a reaction to this by the Order.
 
If the numbers above are correct, it is amazing - and highly disturbing - that such a tiny minority (less than 1%) could cause such suffering and disruption in their own religious order. Again, the specificity and totality of the injunction made against the FFI's ability to offer the TLM is truly unprecedented. I think Tancred makes another valid point, the FFI, always truly faithful and imminently successful, without the slightest taint of scandal, are being treated much more severely than the Legionaires of Christ, whose founder was an utter disgrace not only to the Church, but to every human virtue! Amazing. The highly distinguished Italian Church historian Roberto dei Matteo points out, in Italian only, unfortunately, that this latest act is something outside the Church's Canon Law and normal operation, and speaks to a mode of operation based not on justice and rights, but on will to power. That might be going a bit far, but Matteo is quite close to Italian FFIs, and so may know of what he speaks.

Certainly, we don't have many details regarding what has occurred to all the FFI's leadership. We know the founder and superior has been removed, but the same occurred to the FSSP and they managed to carry on rather well. In fact, the parallel's to the infamous Protocol 1411 with regard to the FSSP are too obvious to ignore, as Tancred points out in another post (I had to switch the quoted text to italics, I am still having technical problems with this blog):

Secondly, this is the result of a small clique of embittered hostiles who've been given an ear in Rome, which has provoked this shakeup. It brings to mind another shakeup more than a decade ago with Protocal 1411, which many predicted back then, would be the end of the FSSP. Some will remember that a letter was sent from a small number of society members accusing it of being divisive, rigid and so forth, [in point of fact, it was sent by 12 French priests of the Fraternity who felt the Fraternity could better serve souls by offering the Novus Ordo. The Fraternity was, at that time, being denied the ability to operate in many French Dioceses because of their unwillingness to offer the Novus Ordo. These French members thus thought that, by offering the Novus Ordo in direct contravention of the Fraternity's founding orientation and charism, they would win over the reluctant/hostile French bishops and be able to serve more souls. The rest of the Fraternity strongly disagreed and the disaffected priests sought a sympathetic ear in Rome, which they found. Even though the disaffected priests "won" their case in Rome, the Fraternity hasn't been particularly more welcomed in French dioceses, and most all of those 12 who brought this great "division" on the Fraternity - really, a division of their own making - subsequently left the Fraternity.] which provoked a ruling down from Rome that despite the Society's original founding charter, that its priests would only say the Mass of All Ages, that this would be overruled and priests of the Society would therto be permitted to say the Bugninine Liturgy. [At that time, the 12 priests represented about 5% of the Fraternity's ordained priests, but they fired off a letter to Rome and that's about all it took to have the Fraternity's founder, Fr. Josef Bisig, removed, and a technicality added that could, potentially, require Fraternity priests to offer the Novus Ordo. Thankfully, this potentiality has never been much tested, at least outside France. The similarities to the FFI case are eerie, but the details are much worse. Never was there even a threat that the Fraternity would be denied its right to offer the TLM. But, at present, it is unclear when, if ever, the FFI will be able to regularly offer the TLM again, without special permission from possibly hostile superiors.]

At present, Father Stefano Maria Manelli, the 80 year old Franciscans of the Immaculate founder, is currently being replaced along with his board while a Capuchin visitor. [I briefly mentioned yesterday that Capuchins are, by and large, strong supporters of the "spirit of Vatican II" and hostile towards traditional practice of the Faith. I cannot overestimate this point, the one Capuchin I know who loves Tradition and the TLM has been all but hounded out of the order and is treated as an outcast.]

 
The troublemakers are said by a source known to us as being Americans who've been vocally critical of the "Gheradini line" of loyal criticism engaged upon by Immaculate members. [I should add that in both cases, FFI and FSSP, the mere existence of the TLM and strong adherence to Tradition was claimed by the disaffected members to be "divisive." That is a fascinating claim, which perhaps reveals a subtle (or overt) bias against the TLM and Tradition in general, as if such are incompatible with the "new Church."

This last quote would appear to be a direct reference to Fr. Angelo Geiger. Certainly, he has waged a war of words against the views of Msgr. Gherardini, Roberto Metteo, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, and others who, in a spirit of faithful obedience, question aspects of Vatican II. It appears Fr. Geiger, if he is truly involved, has been successful in his attempts to change the direction of his religious order. Maybe, perhaps, more "successful" than was intended.


http://veneremurcernui.wordpress.com/2013/07/30/the-complaints-of-less-than-1-of-franciscans-of-the-immaculate-led-to-the-disciplinary-action/

FSSP Assassination Attempt on Old Mass : Input by six Members-Pretext ?

Assassination Attempt on Old Mass: Input by 6 Members -- Pretext?
 
From Eponymous Flower
(Rome) Six out of 800 members of the order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate (FI) have made a submission to the Roman Congregation for Religious. A small minority. Thus, they protested against the decision of the Order's leadership, to use the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite and to remain bi-ritual for the pastoral care of the faithful. Some of the six dissidents are now no longer in the Order, they were excluded because of disobedience and indiscipline. It may be argued that only a pretext was sought for the Congregation of Religious to take action against the exemplary order. The radical intervention erschereckenden shows a lack of liturgical sensibility. Only such a deficiency may explain a ham fisted methods of this magnitude, which deprives the heart of religious life for four branches with more than 100 monasteries and houses and it seems to be the opinion that the Old Rite being simply replaced by the new is desirable. Upon the disempowerment of the Founder and the imposition of a Commission is expected to prevent a reaction to this by the Order.
Second Largest Traditional Order in Ecclesia Dei Banned from Saying Immemorial Mass of All Ages
 
Update: while it does sadden us to see such heavy-handedness on the part of the Curia, which is frankly happening to other traditional orders, like the Good Shepherd, it doesn't necessarily mean an abrogation of Summorum Pontificum as Vox points out.

Edit: Is this a sign of things to come? There are also reports from Mumbai, India that the Traditional Latin Mass will be abolished in that Archdiocese, allegedly because there are no priests proficient in Latin.
 
As reported by at Sandro Magister and Rorate Caeli, the Mass of All Ages is being forbidden within the tremendously successful Franciscans of the Immaculate. They are the second largest Society under Ecclesia Dei to offer the Mass of All Ages. They don't offer it exclusively, and from now on, it appears they may not be allowed to offer it at all as of August 11th:

"In addition to the above, the Holy Father Francis has directed that every religious of the congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate is required to celebrate the liturgy according to the ordinary rite and that, if the occasion should arise, the use of the extraordinary form (Vetus Ordo) must be explicitly authorized by the competent authorities, for every religious and/or community that makes the request.”

It's not known whether giant puppets, bad folk music or Jesuit dance will be required.
 
There are a couple of things that come to mind in the face of the recent issue with the Franciscans of the Immaculate. First of all, and most important to our mind, is that, barring any revelations of real wrongdoing on the part of this order, they have had a lot of success and have been growing nearly exponentially in the post-Conciliar age.

It's actually unheard of. They're not like any of the decadent, moribund, withering, archaic, folksy, dinosaur Benedictines or other irrelevant societies who cling to fossilized forms of a bygone era of the 1968 as Pope Francis opined at World Youth Day, from CFN:
 
"The Pelagian solution. This basically appears as a form of restorationism. In dealing with the Church’s problems, a purely disciplinary solution is sought, through the restoration of outdated manners and forms which, even on the cultural level, are no longer meaningful. In Latin America it is usually to be found in small groups, in some new religious congregations, in (exaggerated) tendencies to doctrinal or disciplinary 'safety'. Basically it is static, although it is capable of inversion, in a process of regression. It seeks to 'recover' the lost past."


In a way, it's a good sign that they are being unjustly persecuted, because in the post-Conciliar Church, a sure sign of success is being treated unjustly by one's superiors. Of course, as one corresponded reports, not even the evil Marciel Maciel's order, the Legionaries of Christ has been dealt with so roughly. The Franciscans of the Immaculate are being assigned a governing board and the past leadership, those who have made the order as successful as it is.
 

Secondly, this is the result of a small clique of embittered hostiles who've been given an ear in Rome, which has provoked this shakeup. It brings to mind another shakeup more than a decade ago with Protocal 1411, which many predicted back then, would be the end of the FSSP. Some will remember that a letter was sent from a small number of society members accusing it of being divisive, rigid and so forth, which provoked a ruling down from Rome that despite the Society's original founding charter, that its priests would only say the Mass of All Ages, that this would be overruled and priests of the Society would therto be permitted to say the Bugninine Liturgy.

At present, Father Stefano Maria Manelli, the 80 year old Franciscans of the Immaculate founder, is currently being replaced along with his board while a Capuchin visitor.

 
The troublemakers are said by a source known to us as being Americans who've been vocally critical of the "Gheradini line" of loyal criticism engaged upon by Immaculate members.

OFFICIAL TEACHING OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS THIS : ACCORDING TO MAGISTERIAL TEXTS ONLY

There is a comment on the blog post The Official Teaching of the Catholic Church is this .(1)

As posted: "So the official teaching of the Catholic Church on salvation, before and after Vatican Council II has not changed"

True, but all save a few at any level in the Church teach 'official Church teaching' and thus the confusion, babel and crisis of Faith.

Until the hierarchy teach official Church teaching there is very little hope for Baptism of Desire and Invincible Ignorance to be correctly understood and articulated.-GB

Exactly!
I have posted reports which show that the present magisterium(CDF) has made a factual error.
When I refer to the official teaching of the Catholic Church I am doing so with reference to magisterial texts from the past, including Vatican Council II, to Pope John Paul II's Catechism of the Catholic Church and Dominius Iesus.
-Lionel Andrades

 
 
(1)

SSPX book makes same doctrinal error as Neo Catechumenal Way, Charismatics and Jesuits

The Society of St.Pius X (SSPX) has clearly made a doctrinal error  in a book they are selling . It's the same error being made by the Neo Catechumenale Way, Charismatic Renewal  and priests who offer  Mass in the vernacular.
 
Like the Neo Catechumenal Way the traditionalists  mistake implcit desire  ( baptism of desire) as being visible to us. This not  only leads to error but heresy. It implies there are three known baptisms and not one (contradicting the Nicene Creed) and that outside the Catholic Church there is known salvation (contradicting the Athanasius Creed).
 
For so many years I have been mentioning this  but no one in the SSPX  can refute what I am saying or correct me . This error is also the political postion of the SSPX (USA) and the Vatican Curia.it is appreciated by the Jewish Left.
 
The SSPX (USA) is contradicted privately by priests of the SSPX in Italy who admit there are no known exceptions to the literal interpretation of Fr.Leonard Feeney.
 
If the SSPX (USA) admits that the official position of the Catholic Church is that of Fr.Leonard Feeney they could be accused of being ati-Semitic or racist.They have already expelled so many priests who  have criticicezed the Jewish Left.
-Lionel Andrades




SSPX IMPLY BAPTISM OF DESIRE IS VISIBLE, THEN THEY ASSUME IT’S AN EXCEPTION TO THE DOGMA OUTSIDE THE CHURCH THERE IS NO SALVATION: OFFER LATIN MASS WITH NOVUS ORDO ECCLESIOLOGY

http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2011/11/sspx-imply-baptism-of-desire-is-visible.html

Fr. Francois Laisney indicates that for the SSPX the Church is no more ecclesiocentric since there are explicit exceptions to the dogma on salvation
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2012/06/fr-francois-laisney-indicates-that-for.html
 
DOCTRINAL ERROR OF ARCHBISHOP LEFEBVRE AND SSPX BISHOPS POSTED A NEW ON U.S WEBSITE
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2012/12/doctrinal-error-of-archbishop-lefebvre.html#links

ARCHBISHOP MARCEL LEFEBVRE MISUNDERSTOOD BY SSPX PRIESTS IN HERESY
http://www.cathinfo.com/catholic.php/Abp-MARCEL-LEFEBVRE-AND-SSPX-PRIESTS-IN-HERESY

 

SSPX(USA): it's an issue of integrity

Angelus Press book still refers to obsolete concepts as the baptism of desire being known to us and being an exception to the traditional teaching on other religions and salvation.
 
It's a question of integrity and honesty. The Angelus Press, of the Society of St.Pius X (SSPX) has published a book with factually incorrect information.When they are asked two questions which will expose their error, they refuse to answer them. The book with doctrinal errors is still being sold by the SSPX (USA).
This controversial book is part of the formation of SSPX priests.
This book written by Fr.Francois Laisney and approved by the SSPX bishops assumes the baptisem of desire is a known visible exception to the traditional interpretation of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus.
It also assumes that when Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre  referred to the Hindu in Tibet who can be saved , this person is presently known in the present times, he is personally known to SSPX priests and bishops, to be an exception to the literal interpretation of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus.
Fr.Francois Laisney interprets the Letter of the Holy Office 1949 and other  magisterial texts, as referring to an explicit for us baptism of desire.
Similarly Fr.Francois Laisney assumes all salvation mentioned in Vatican Council II (invincible ignroance LG 16, elements of sanctification LG 8 etc  are explicit, known to us exceptions to the traditional Catholic teaching on other religions  and Christian communities.With this error they also misundestand Dignitatis Humane, in Vatican Council II on religious liberty.
The SSPX  priests and Communications Office do not have the integrity to say there are no known exceptions to literal interpretation of Fr.Leonard Feeney and neither does the Letter of the Holy Office 1949 mention any.
The priest whom they slander was excommunicated of disobedience and when they excommunication was lifted , he was not asked by the Catholic Church to recant.

Pope Francis severely restricts the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate from celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass, imposes the Novus Ordo on all their priests


from Rorate Caeili  
  

UPDATE: FULL TEXT OF THE DECREE that abrogates Summorum for the FFI
Rorate note: A clear attempt to minimize the importance of this decree is taking place here and there in the blogosphere, as expected. We are being told that this isn't really something to worry about; that this is just a particular situation, limited to a particular religious institution, and has nothing to do with how Pope Francis views Summorum.

Against these manifestations of the spirit of denial that we have come to know so well since February 28 of this year, we raise the following points.

1) First, the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate are not just a small religious Order or congregation occupying a tiny niche of the Traditional Catholic world; with more than 130 priests, they are the second largest canonically-regular religious congregation or society among those that primarily or de facto exclusively offer the Traditional Latin Mass. (The FSSP is the largest.) The family of female monasteries and convents under the spiritual care of the FFI have no other parallel in the Traditional Catholic world outside the SSPX. Anything that restricts the ability of the FFI to offer the Traditional Latin Mass will of necessity be deeply felt by the Traditional Catholic world.

2) One justification now being raised is that the FFI's application of Summorum Pontificum had caused discord in many communities and that the Traditional Latin Mass was "imposed" brutally on priests who did not want it. On the contrary, we in Rorate, who have been closely observing the FFI since 2008, can affirm that the opposite is the case: Summorum was applied in a very gradual manner by the FFI, the Novus Ordo was never forbidden in their houses and sanctuaries, and in many parts of the world the FFI continued to offer the Novus Ordo predominantly. It ought to be noted as well that the FFI, in their promotion of the "Forma Extraordinaria", have been remarkably free of polemics and public attacks on the Novus Ordo.

3) Yet another justification now being used is that this action is acceptable because the FFI were not founded with the TLM as an essential part of their charism. This excuse is incomprehensible as it completely ignores the rights given by Summorum Pontificum to religious priests. Furthermore, if the dissatisfaction of a few is enough to get a whole religious congregation or Order restricted from making use of Summorum Pontificum, this opens an easy way by which the opponents of the old Mass can eventually expel the TLM from all non-"Ecclesia Dei" institutes.

4) Lastly, and most importantly, the decree -- by specifically restricting the Traditional Latin Mass -- is a clear indication that it is seen as something problematic, something that must be excised from the life of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. If this whole crisis in the FFI is not really about the Traditional Latin Mass, then why is it the target of exclusion and of restrictions, and why does the decree devote so much space to it, and why does the decree take the trouble of noting that this restriction was personally commanded by the Holy Father himself? If the crisis in the FFI is due to the misbehavior of some, then why is the deprivation of the Traditional Latin Mass extended to all?


***

Sandro Magister's latest column (For the First Time, Francis Contradicts Benedict) has the details. The emphases in the quote below are by Rorate. In our update, the full text of the decree.

The importance of this decree -- exquisitely dated July 11, the feast of St. Benedict in the calendar of the Novus Ordo -- is difficult to overstate. In the aftermath of Summorum Pontificum the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate -- the largest "strict observance" movement to be established in the Franciscan family of religious Orders and congregations after the general relaxation of observance in the post Conciliar era -- became far and away the largest religious congregation to adopt the Traditional Latin Mass as their favored form of the Roman Rite, albeit without completely abandoning the Novus Ordo. The FFI soon came to occupy an important place in the "canonically regular" Traditionalist Catholic world, being involved in numerous important conferences promoting Tradition and playing an important part in organizing many Pontifical Masses especially in Rome.

Many Traditional Latin Mass sites are open only because of the ministry of FFI priests; it remains to be seen how many of these Masses will have to be ended because of this decree. As of today we have already been informed that some of nuns under the spiritual care of the FFI are looking for priests to continue celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass for them after the August 11 ban comes into force.

In addition, the decree virtually ousts from his position the founder and superior of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, Fr. Stefano Manelli FFI, who is in his eighties, whose writings are known for their intense Marian devotion and fidelity to the traditions of Catholic asceticism and mysticism, and who is venerated by not a few as a living model of holiness.
 



The decree bears the date of July 11, 2013, the protocol number 52741/2012, and the signatures of the prefect of the congregation, Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, a focolarino, and of the secretary of the same congregation, Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo, a Franciscan.


Braz de Aviz is the only high-ranking official in the curia of Brazilian nationality, and because of this he has accompanied Francis on his voyage to Rio de Janeiro. He has a reputation as a progressive, although that of a scatterbrain fits him better. And he will probably be one of the first to go when the reform of the curia announced by Francis takes shape.

Rodríguez Carballo instead enjoys the pope's complete trust. His promotion as second-in-command of the congregation was backed by Francis himself at the beginning of his pontificate.

It is difficult, therefore, to think that pope Bergoglio was unaware of what he was approving when he was presented with the decree before its publication.

The decree installs an apostolic commissioner - in the person of the Capuchin Fidenzio Volpi - at the head of all the communities of the congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.

And this in itself is cause for astonishment. Because the Franciscans of the Immaculate are one of the most flourishing religious communities born in the Catholic Church in recent decades, with male and female branches, with many young vocations, spread over several continents and with a mission in Argentina as well.

They want to be faithful to tradition, in full respect for the magisterium of the Church. So much so that in their communities they celebrate Masses both in the ancient rite and in the modern rite, as moreover do hundreds of religious communities around the world - the Benedictines of Norcia, to give just one example - applying the spirit and the letter of the motu proprio “Summorum Pontificum" of Benedict XVI.

But precisely this was contested by a core group of internal dissidents, who appealed to the Vatican authorities complaining of the excessive propensity of their congregation to celebrate the Mass in the ancient rite, with the effect of creating exclusion and opposition within the communities, of undermining internal unity and, worse, of weakening the more general "sentire cum Ecclesia."

The Vatican authorities responded by sending an apostolic visitor one year ago. And now comes the appointment of the commissioner.

But what is most astonishing are the last five lines of the decree of July 11:

"In addition to the above, the Holy Father Francis has directed that every religious of the congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate is required to celebrate the liturgy according to the ordinary rite and that, if the occasion should arise, the use of the extraordinary form (Vetus Ordo) must be explicitly authorized by the competent authorities, for every religious and/or community that makes the request.”

The astonishment stems from the fact that what is decreed contradicts the dispositions given by Benedict XVI, which for the celebration of the Mass in the ancient rite “sine populo" demand no previous request for authorization whatsoever:

"Ad talem celebrationem secundum unum alterumve Missale, sacerdos nulla eget licentia, nec Sedis Apostolicae nec Ordinarii sui" (1).

While for Masses "cum populo" they set out a few conditions, but always guaranteeing the freedom to celebrate.

In general, against a decree of a Vatican congregation it is possible to have recourse to the supreme tribunal of the apostolic signatura, today headed by a cardinal, the American Raymond Leo Burke, considered a friend by the traditionalists.

But if the decree is the object of approval in a specific form on the part of the pope, as it seems to be in this case, recourse is not admitted.

The Franciscans of the Immaculate will have to comply with the prohibition on celebrating the Mass in the ancient rite beginning Sunday, August 11.

And now what will happen, not only among them but in the whole Church?

Rorate has learned from its own sources that the "internal dissidents" were led by an American member of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate who was notable for his opposition and hostility to the any criticism of Vatican II, in direct contrast to the Italian friars of the FFI, many of whom adhered to the "Gherardini line" of loyal but unflinching criticism of at least some elements of the Conciliar documents.

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UPDATE - TEXT OF THE DECREE

The text of the decree in Italian is transcribed below. The last paragraph, with the specific papal order abrogating Summorum Pontificum for the priests of the FFI, is exactly as reported by Magister.

Full text (Italian - source Messa in Latino):


CONGREGATIO
PRO INSTITUTIS VITAE CONSECRATAE
ET SOCIETATIBUS VIATE APOSTOLICAE

PROT. N. 52741/2012

DECRETO