• “The fact of going to Rome doesn’t mean that we agree with them. But it’s theChurch! And it’s the true Church!” (Bishop Fellay, Flavigny, 09/02/2012).
  

• “The Religious Liberty of the Council is limited, very limited.” (Bp. Fellay 5/11/12).
  

• “We are in the process of making the Council’s errors into super-heresies, as though it is becoming absolute evil, worse than anything,...this is serious, because such a caricature no longer corresponds to reality” (Bp. Fellay 10/07/12).
  

• “The Priestly Society of St. Pius X rejoices to see the Church regain her liturgical tradition...the Priestly Society of St. Pius X extends its deep gratitude to the Sovereign Pontiff for this great spiritual benefit “ (Bp. Fellay 07/07/2007 On the occasion of “Summorum Pontificum”).
  

• “Anyway, the Pope said that it is only a problem of canonical discipline. An act of Rome will suffice to say it is finished and we will return to the Church. It will come. I am very optimistic!” (Bp. Fellay, Interview with Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes, 12/27/10).
  

• “Unfortunately, in the present situation of the Society (i.e. the Society members’ resistance to the steps of making an Agreement with Modernist Rome) the new Declaration will not be accepted...I committed myself, despite rather strong opposition within the ranks of the Society, and at the expense of significant troubles. And I intend to continue to make every effort to pursue this path in order to arrive at the necessary clarifications… May Your Holiness deign to believe my filial devotion and dearest desire to serve Holy Church.” (Bp. Fellay Letter to Pope Benedict XVI, 06/17/2012).
  

• “There was a questioning of authority [by priests in the Society loyal to Archbishop Lefebvre], a radical challenge, because it accused it of no longer leading the Society towards its end.” (Bp. Fellay, Cor Unum, November 2012).
  

• “The entire Tradition of the Catholic Faith must be the criterion and guide for understanding the teachings of the Vatican Council II which Council in turn clarifies— i.e., deepens and make more explicit over time— certain aspects of the life of the Church that are implicitly present in them or not yet conceptually formulated” (Doctrinal Declaration April 15, 2012).
  

• “We declare that we acknowledge the validity of the Sacrifice of the Mass and of the Sacraments when celebrated with the intention of doing what the Church does according to the rites indicated in the typical editions of the Roman Missal and of the Rituals of the Sacraments legitimately promulgated by Popes Paul VI and John Paul II” (Doctrinal Declaration 04/15/12).
  

Quote:At that time, all too often aggressive and polemical points-of-view were being expressed both on the part of the Catholics attached to Tradition, as well as on that of those who claim to follow the spirit of the Council. These were not contributing to bring about the climate of peace and mutual confidence which is necessary in the search for a true reconciliation. The Society of St. Pius X must understand that, even if it has much to bring to the Church of Rome, it also has much to receive from it. Therefore it must stop rejecting Vatican II in its entirety. 

Quote:We ask the leaders of the Society to cease declarations and polemical articles which criticize the Holy See.

Quote:When they say that they (i.e. those joining Conciliar Rome) have lost nothing, it is false. They have lost the possibility of refuting Rome. They can no longer say anything! Having been given the favors that have been accorded to them, they must keep quiet. It is now impossible for them to denounce the errors of the Conciliar Church (Abp. Lefebvre, Fideliter, no. 79, p. 3).

Quote:Having been given the favors that have been accorded to them, they must keep quiet! (ibid.)

Quote:Neither God nor truth changes. What the Church has defined or solemnly condemned for centuries cannot change. That is why we absolutely reject this new doctrine which demands an agnostic civil society as if it were a liberty of man in religious matters when, at the most, it should be a tolerance on the part of civil authorities and can never be a natural right. (Abp. Lefebvre, Econe, May 22, 1987).

Quote:...That’s what makes our opposition [ to current Rome ], and that’s why we cannot get along. This is not primarily the issue of the Mass , because the Mass is just one consequence of the fact that they wanted to get closer to Protestantism and thus transform worship, sacraments, catechism, etc. The real fundamental opposition is the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ! “Oportet Illum regnare,” St. Paul tells us, “He must Reign!” They say: “No!” We say: “Yes!” with all the Popes! ( Abp. Lefebvre, “Fideliter” p. 70, 1993).

Quote:It is not surprising that we have not come to an understanding with Rome. That will not be possible as long as Rome does not return to the Faith in the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ! [...] We are in opposition on a point of the Catholic Faith! (Abp. Lefebvre, Conference at Sierre, Nov., 27, 1988, Fideliter, no. 68, p. 12).

Quote:We are not saying that the New Mass is heretical, nor that it is invalid, but we refuse to say that it is legitimate, that it is perfectly orthodox (Communicantes, August, 1985).

Quote:If we move into canonical language, as is the case here, we see that there is no difference in the meanings of “legitimate” and “licit” because the liceity of a sacramental act is based on the “legitimacy” of the liturgical law which promulgates it. Thus, one time admitting, as Bishop Fellay has done, that the New Rites have been “legitimately promulgated,” thereby implies that the laws which have “promulgated” them are good, because in Canon Law, for a law to be legitimate, it must be good! And if their promulgation is “legitimate,” nothing prevents their celebration from being licit and good as well [...] All the traditional communities who have rejoined Modernist Rome have passed that way...They began by recognizing the “legitimacy” of the promulgation of the New Rites, then their superiors did not hesitate to concelebrate the New Mass with the Pope, as Dom Gerard, Bishop Rifan, Fr. Wach (Institute of Christ the King), and other have done publicly!.... So, when will Bp. Fellay concelebrate the New Rite with the Pope, if he asks him to do so? (p. 57, no. 7).

• Abolish the ambiguities.
  

• Condemn the Doctrinal Declaration of April 15, 2012 and the “Six Conditions” & return to the principle of the General Chapter Decision of 2006 ( No practical/canonical agreement without first the Doctrinal agreement!).
  

• Hold the position of Abp. Lefebvre, our Founder: No discussions with Rome until Rome returns to Tradition (in accord with the Papal condemnations of Modernism & Liberalism) and proclaims the Kingship of Christ.
  

• No deals with Rome “until we have a perfectly Catholic Pope.”
  

Quote:Archbishop Lefebvre transmitted all that he had received; all the heritage of Fr. LeFloch, from the French Seminary in Rome, all his experience - he left all that to the Society, and it still works, but on condition that we continue the same spirit of combat! It is out of the question of laying down our arms in the middle of the battle. We are not going to look for a treaty while the war is raging, with Assisi III or IV, with the beatification of a false “Blessed” Pope John Paul II; and with Benedict XVI’s continuous demand to accept the Council and the Reforms and the Magisterium after the Council ( Bp. Tissier de Mallerais, Conference at the Gastines Priory in France, September 16, 2012).

Quote:SSPX Bishop Bernard Fellay ordained on January 6 three priests in the U.S. seminary, Father Philip Mujic, Father Mikali Del Rosario, and Father James Hewko.

In his homily he criticised the liturgy changes leading to the 1962 Missal. “Already in the reform of ‘62, that is under John XXIII, a lot of elements of this feast [of the Epiphany] have been... We could say they have degraded the feast. They have taken away its vigil, they have taken away its octave, they have made it a lower feast than Christmas.”

Fellay is the former superior general of the Society of St Pius X who, during his tenure, strictly forbad the use of missals prior to 1962.

However, Gloria.tv knows that some SSPX priests celebrate with older missals without the "official" knowledge of their superiors. [Video in original link.]

A message from Australia:

Please remind everyone about ...

• IN REPARATION FOR THE SINS COMMITTED AGAINST THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
  
• THE CONSECRATION OF RUSSIA TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY AS REQUESTED BY OUR LADY AT FATIMA
  

Pope Francis in Epiphany homily scolds traditional Catholics attached to ‘dead language’



Pope Francis delivered his comments in his Epiphany homily, January 6, in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Quote:Therefore take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of justice, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. In all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one. And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God).

Video Description: 

Dr. Malone is the man who started our great vaccine war. Three decades ago his work was critical to the creation of modern mRNA vaccines. Today, he’s possibly the single-most influential voice criticizing the forced use of the vaccines he helped invent. Malone went onto Joe Rogan’s show. He asked a very relevant question: “If I’m not qualified to talk about this, then who is?” But you know how it really is. He got silenced for going against “the experts,” even though he’s one of the world’s premier experts on mRNA vaccines himself.

Quote:

28 December 2021

Dear Parents,

Early this year, we learned of the imminent transfer of our long-time principal and prior, Fr François Laisney, to an assignment in France as soon as his replacement, Fr Pierre Chrissement, would arrive. Due to borders, visas, and other exigencies, Fr Laisney remained and has managed the school and parish in very difficult circuмstances. A significant part of his priestly life has involved Whanganui, and we owe a deep debt of gratitude as he moves on to his new assignment in January.

To facilitate that, Fr Daniel Themann, our District Superior, has decided that the role of Pastor/Prior will be separated from that of Principal of the school. This is frequently done in our schools in the United States and elsewhere, such as Manila and Tynong, so it is not a unique system. As I am the only priest who is a registered teacher, I will be taking up this second role as Acting Principal, at first under Fr Laisney while we transition things, and then under Fr McNamara, who will take up the role of prior/pastor until Fr Chrissement arrives, possibly mid-year 2022. We are also hoping to have another Australian priest, Fr Todd Stephens, join us as soon as possible, and he would take up my present role as Dean of the Boys’ School, with an aim towards following the same teacher registration programme I did and being registered as a teacher in New Zealand.

Seeing how much effort and work Fr Laisney constantly offers, is humbling, so both Fr McNamara and I will depend on your assistance and support in trying to fill his shoes.

Given the uncertainty that this introduces, Fr Themann and I thought it appropriate that I write and detail for you what is planned for the next year, and explain a bit of why we plan this.


Planning for the 2022 Academic Year

This past year has ended with some tumult especially with vaccination mandates for educational staff. Divisions over choices made there have shown unfortunate fissures in the parish and school, including a great deal of assumptions. The priests have emphasised the fraternal Charity needed to stay unified in our supernatural goal. We recognise that faithful will take different prudential decisions on the vaccines or the education of their children, but I will echo that same point Fr Laisney has made many times: we must avoid making impassioned, rash statements and judgements about the prudential decisions others take. We must avoid saying or suggesting by words or actions that others are guilty of sin or “compromised” by the prudential decisions they make. Each must make the best moral decision possible given the situation in which he finds himself and his family, without judging others by his own opinion.

Concretely, though this affects the planning for the school year next year.

Government mandates require the Board of Trustees/Principal to maintain a register of all staff who interact personally with students and record their vaccination status vis-à-vis COVID-19. Those who the register shows as not vaccinated cannot work with students in person, or even in a place where they regularly come in contact with students during school hours.

I wish to make very clear that it is not our will to enforce unjust mandates. If we do this, it is only because we see no reasonable alternative. We would rather find some means to avoid this, and where exceptions or alternatives exist and can be legally and reasonably pursued, we will pursue them, as Catholics, even in the great persecutions, have always done. Nevertheless, when presented with outwardly enforcing unjust mandates, we must—as far as possible— [color=#7101d]avoid the greater evil of losing the apostolate that is our school[/color]. To abandon 27 years of work and sacrifice to build a traditional Catholic school over a matter that is not one of Faith, is not reasonable. To do this simply because of an unjust mandate means handing a great victory to the enemies of the Church in losing access to traditional Catholic education, perhaps somewhat permanently.

None of the staff, religious or priests in the school are advocates of the vaccine. Some staff have chosen, begrudgingly, to accept the vaccine to continue teaching and do so as a virtuous sacrifice. Some have decided this is a line they are unwilling to cross, and if they do so mindful of the Catholic doctrines and principles of morality, they also can draw this line virtuously. Others may find ways to obtain exemptions, thus appearing to comply, and could also act virtuously. Each of these groups, however, could act sinfully by lacking Charity towards others, making judgements, or speaking and acting in a condemnatory manner towards others. These are matters of conscience. Nevertheless, those choices do have external impacts, especially on those whom we are legally permitted to have on-premises at the school.

The Boys’ college and Primary school seem to have sufficient staff to continue operating as they have for the past number of years. A reduced staff, though, will impose significant burdens on us, and so we would ask your patience and generosity. In particular, while we already expect you will assist us, we would beg you to be especially diligent to ensure your children stay focused on their studies, respectful of their teachers and the priests, well-disciplined, that homework and proper study take priority over games, entertainment, sport, or other extracurricular activities. This would be a great assistance and relief if the children come well-prepared and well-disciplined to class.


Vaccine Mandates for Students

Many families have expressed fear that vaccination mandates will be expanded to include students. In some cases, this has prompted some families to consider withdrawing their children.

Such mandates for children in education are an outside possibility, but remain only a possibility. The probability of this continues to decrease. Vaccines are now approved for ages 5–12, but in late November, the Ministry of Education revoked the mandate to keep a vaccine register for children, and top officials spoke in strong terms contrary to such a mandate, saying all children have a right to education no matter vaccination status. On 21 Dec, 2021, the COVID-19 minister said mandates for children were not in the works. We are prudently hopeful no mandate is forthcoming, but if it does happen, we will cross that bridge at that time, without any will of enforcing an unjust mandate and spending every effort to still provide a proper education for your children.


The Girls’ College

As you will note, the Girls’ college is not listed above. This is a question nagging many since while it is an SSPX school, it is also entirely staffed by the Dominican Sisters. Their assistance in teaching is the only way we can afford to offer education at a reasonable tuition for all schools. They provide at least six full-time teachers without salary. The stipend which the sisters receive amounts to only about one-third of the cost of hiring lay staff for those positions. The Sisters have provided years of unwavering and invaluable support of our school.

The Sisters are a group of consecrated religious. Their vocation involves a contemplative life, but also the work of education. Few of the laity can understand the exigencies of religious life, and the importance of unity in such a community. Unity is extremely important, else the whole foundation is risked, so on divisive issues, time is needed to figure out what to do. This is why such institutions, like the Church herself, naturally move extremely slowly.

On the matter of vaccinations, if in our parish we have rifts forming over the issue of vaccination, the superiors in the convent have to take even more prudent care to ensure that there is not division among the Sisters, and with the uncertainty of further legal requirements, and fear of parents pulling children out of school over the possibilities of future mandates, the Sisters have not had sufficient time to consider what they can do without great disturbance to their religious life. Thus, the Sisters have made no decision on what to do as of yet. In speaking with parents, many have the impression 3 that the Sisters have made a decision contrary to the priests and lay staff. Rather, they are withholding a decision for now while considering what to do. De facto, the result is that they cannot be listed as vaccinated or exempt on our register, and so could not engage in face-to-face teaching.

There are several solutions to this problem. Some have suggested that lay staff be hired to replace the Sisters, but this would not be an appropriate reaction to 20 years of excellent support which makes the other schools financially viable. Such a solution would cause immense disruption and division, the large number of good Catholic teachers are not available, and further, it is simply not affordable without the Sisters.

Another solution is to shut the girls’ school entirely and have the girls rely on home schooling curricula, but again, this is extremely disruptive, and should the school reopen, returning to our curriculum would be disastrously difficult.

The solution Mother General proposes is instead a temporary solution while the convent considers what to do. Mother assures me that their intention is to make a decision soon, and they would expect to reassess during the first half of the year. If exemptions or other solutions were found, they are not unwilling to begin the year as normal, and certainly we are going to work towards this if we can.

This temporary solution would be to keep the girls enrolled in our school and run a correspondence programme to begin the year, as was done during the 2020 lockdown. Added to this would be extracurricular meetings and activities to supplement the learning off-campus at a parochial level, but not part of school. Study groups might be possible, and the Sisters’ would assist in organising these and finding venues. Packets would be provided weekly.

Neither I, nor Fr Themann, nor Mother General see this as an ideal solution. Nevertheless, among the options considered, it seems the best to maintain stability and continuity, and minimise disruptions.

The Sisters assure me that this would not be online teaching, so screen time would not be an issue, nor conflicting use of computers, or the need to purchase equipment. Instead of multiple curricula which do not match the programme in our school, the Sister’s temporary solution keeps the girls on our rolls studying materials that, once in-person teaching resumes, match what they would study in class, and be by the same teachers who would teach them then.

While I will admit that initially, I was not in favour of such a proposition, and still hope to find a solution to begin the year normally, the Sisters’ planning so far does provide a workable stop-gap and even a possibility for the international boarding girls to continue in some fashion.

We will announce soon an open house for parents to discuss these plans with the Sisters and get details, likely after the Sisters’ retreat and women’s retreat.


Parents withdrawing children

In the breach, however, fear of further mandates and concerns over other matters have prompted the withdrawal of several children from the school in order to, instead, seek an exemption for home schooling or some similar family cooperative. We have previously endorsed home schooling when there is a serious reason to do so, but naturally, the Church’s practice has been to encourage proper Catholic schools. Our venerable founder, Msgr Lefebvre, put this task of schooling in our statues just after seminaries, which were the most important work of the SSPX.

As such, those parents who fear what may come to pass, I would urge them to reflect on whether this fear justifies withdrawing students immediately, or if the possibility they fear is likely. I would also urge them to obtain all the facts, for it does seem some are acting on misinformation about home education, deadlines for exemptions for this, what is permitted, whether vaccine mandates apply, or such matters.

There might be long-term consequences for a child’s education to be shifted out of a structured programme to home school, only later to be put back in the school environment having missed out on the curriculum that is followed in that school. That can disrupt a child’s educational progress significantly.

There is also the issue of re-enrolment, should a child be officially withdrawn. We cannot guarantee that children who do not begin the year will be permitted to enrol midway through the year, and any withdrawn student would legally need to go through the whole process of re-enrolment, this might require tests to determine their progress and if they could be placed into their previous class. As such, I ask you to carefully consider if withdrawal is prudent, and if it will serve the formation of your children before you act.

Should you have legitimate and significant concerns, please come and speak to me about these before seeking exemption for home school or withdrawing your child.


Discussing COVID and controversy

A great deal of the division in the school and parish comes from discussing complex and controversial subjects around children. If these subjects are difficult for the developed and wellformed reason we adults should have, they are incredibly difficult for the children.

Sadly, during this last school year, children heard a great deal about the controversies surrounding COVID-19. Discussion around even Primary children was commonplace. The source may have been home, staff or other students. Imprudently, some teachers discussed vaccination with students. Also, some parents seem to have suggested to their children to distrust the priests and teachers over the issue of vaccination. Thus, we had, at one point, children telling peers they should refuse to go to school, or to not follow the teachers or priests, or various hyperbole. All of this discussion puts children, who do not possess the tools and developed reason, in the centre of a controversy they cannot solve and can cause great damage to their formation, especially their spiritual lives.

I would, therefore, urge you to not discuss the controversy over these matters around your children. Give them the confidence that you will take care of them and have their best interest at heart. If there is difficulty with other adults, discuss with those adults and leave the children to deal with problems which more directly affect their salvation, such as their duty of state, discipline, respect for authority, homework, staying peaceable at home, etc.


Conclusion

No matter what we do, this next year will be challenging for the school and parish. If we all try to act with charity, and foster patience, we can minimise the disruptions and maintain our school as the only traditional Catholic school in New Zealand. Seeing the sacrifices made and work done also may foster many vocations, a fruit we sorely need from our schools.

Msgr Lefebvre said in 1987, “[t]he future of the Catholic Church and her mission lies in teaching, especially in schools run by priests and religious who preach by word and example,” adding that “[f]or society to be converted, we need Catholic schools.” In 1982 he wrote, “We need Catholic schools where young people will learn to love the Liturgy, Latin and chant, and where they will be formed in a manly and Christian fashion by sacrificing themselves for the love of Jesus Christ under the care and guidance of their heavenly Mother.” We hope to provide you and your children the best Catholic schools we can, especially with the chance to have the perennial Liturgy of the Church given them and learn the sacrificial spirit of Our Lord, even in these challenging and trying circuмstances.

In the face of all of these challenges, we beg your assistance, trust, and your support, especially supernaturally. Be assured we will do whatever we can to support you and your children.

Sincerely in Our Lord,
Fr. Ian Andrew Palko, FSSPX
Acting Principal

St Dominic’s College
PO Box 7123
Whanganui 4500 New Zealand
+64 6-281 3976
i.palko@sspx.org.nz

Quote:

Holy Rosary Crusade of Reparation
“Do What I tell you and you will have peace”

Inspired by recent developments in Austria, where a group of faithful are organising weekly, public recitations of the Rosary, a devotion which is rapidly spreading throughout the country (https://oesterreich-betet.at), we wanted to do something similar in the UK.

The Austrian faithful have an encouraging example in their predecessors of the 1950s. Post war Austria was divided amongst the four allied nations and suffered especially in the Soviet controlled area with brutal repressions.

A Fransciscan priest, Father Petrus Pavlicek, was deeply troubled by the situation and sought his refuge in prayer at the National Marian Shrine in Mariazell in 1946, where, in an inspiration, he heard the words: “Do what I tell you and you will have peace.” He saw this in line with the message of Fatima from 1917 where Our Lady encouraged the 3 shepherd children to repent, do penance and pray, especially the daily rosary, as it was only Our Lady who was able to solve all the problems the world was facing.

From 1947-1955 Fr Petrus organised public rosary processions, encouraged his faithful to say thedaily rosary and attend yearly candle lit processions in Vienna. The Chancellors of Austria, Leopold Figl, and later on, Julius Raab, joined in those public processions and urged the faithful to storm heaven with their prayers to free Austria from the allied nations, especially the Soviets. In 1955 their mission was successful and Austria was able to sign the Austrian State Treaty. Austria was the only post World War II country where the Soviets retreated without bloodshed and at such an early stage. Nobody could quite understand how and why this happened.

Theresa Neuman, a German stigmatist, when asked why the Soviets left Austria, replied “Verily,verily, it was the rosaries of the Austrian people.”

Inspired by this event, we want to seek Our Lady’s help and protection also in our current crisis. Our heavenly mother won’t abandon us if we honour her publicly. Let us ask her for our protection with all the confidence we have.

Video