Madness! Bishop Rifan of Campos, Brazil defends Traditionis Custodes

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Madness! Old Rite Bishop DEFENDS Traditionis Custodes

gloria.tv | August 10, 2021


Bishop Fernando Rifan, the head of the Old Rite Apostolic Administration in Campos, Brazil, commented in a recent homily (video here) on Francis’ Traditionis custodes.

He said that he replied to Francis' never published consultation on the Roman Rite, that there were "no problems" within his jurisdiction.

However, Rifan identified two "enemies" of the Roman Mass. His first "enemy" are progressive conformists who hate the Roman Mass because it expresses the Catholic doctrine of the Sacrifice of Mass.

In order to place himself opportunistically in the "middle," he invented a "second enemy" whom he called “radical traditionalists” and insulted as “stubborn” [=determined] and “quarrelsome” [=convinced]. He insinuated that this imaginary enemy “uses the Mass in order to criticise Vatican II, the local bishop, and the whole Church” - as if such criticism were not legitimate.

“Everyone knows there are radicals on the Internet, and this also harms the Mass in the old form, because they end up using it to create problems in the Church.” Rifan didn't explain how forbidding the Roman Rite Francis addressed this "problem."

He mentioned a meeting with Francis in Rome when Francis told him that “I’m only against exploiting the Mass in the old way, when they use it to attack the Church, the Pope and the Council.” Rifan hurried to echo Francis, “So do I.”

For Rifan, Traditionis custodes doesn't abolish but only "regulate" the Roman Mass. He presents the outlandish theory that it affects only those who “were doing it wrong” and will have to get permission of the bishops now. He thus condemned ALL priests of the Church across the board, because TC affects them all.

In October 2017, Rifan told the laity not to wait for the shepherds, to speak out, and to protest - exactly what happens now in reaction to TC.

[Emphasis mine.]

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Some of you may recall that Bishop Rifan, the successor of Bishop Castro de Mayer in Campos Brazil, (in)famously made an agreement with Rome in the early 2000's. It was strongly condemned by the SSPX at that time.

In the following excerpt from Fr. Hewko's 2012 'Open Letter to Bishop Fellay, Society Priests, Religious, and Faithful', Father reminds the SSPX that they are on the same road: 

Your Excellency, please return to your former preaching of the “Truth in charity!” When you once openly warned the priests of Campos, Brazil not to make a practical agreement with Modernist Rome. You once traced the fall of Campos under Bishop Rifan, and a similar pattern is now engulfing our dear Society!  You once said:  “For the time being, however, things are not yet at that point (i.e. Rome’s conversion to Tradition) and to foster illusions would be deadly for the SSPX, as we can see, when we follow the turn of events in Campos.” (Bishop Fellay’s Letter to Friends and Benefactors #63, Jan. 6, 2003).

We can see, dear friends, once an agreement with Rome is made, it NEVER results in a 'conversion within' of modernist Rome. It simply begins a years-long succession of one capitulation after another to modernist Rome. In his comments about Traditionis Custodes, Bishop Rifan has provided yet another example of the truth of what Archbishop Lefebvre wisely noted many times. For example,

“Thus those who were with us and were working with us for the rights of Our Lord, for the salvation of souls, are now saying, "So long as they grant us the old Mass, we can shake hands with Rome, no problem." But we are seeing how it works out. They are in an impossible situation. Impossible. One cannot both shake hands with modernists and keep following Tradition. Not possible. Not possible.” (Two Years After the Consecrations, September 6, 1990)