Fr. Hewko: 2014 Open Letter to SSPX Priests - Unfurl the Catholic Banner

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Fr. David Hewko - Unfurl the Catholic Banner! Open Letter to SSPX Priests September 25th, 2014

Two years ago, the Doctrinal Declaration (April 15, 2012) which compromised on major points of DOCTRINE and signed by Bishop Fellay was sent to Rome with the hopes of an agreement. As of Bishop Fellay's meeting on September 21, 2014 (as reported by Della Sala Stampa of the Vatican Press) it is glaringly evident that the "full reconciliation" or agreement is decidedly established, the only question is when.

Fr. Valan Raja Kumar, SSPX-MC, put it simply: "The SSPX died two years ago (2012); now (2014) they are discussing the burial place and time." Catholic Tradition is tottering to its fall! The betrayal of the SSPX Superiors to Our Lord Jesus Christ, God and King, has been consummated. The evidence is clear. It is an established fact. Dress it up in terms of "prudence," "practical negotiations," "unilateral recognition of tolerance," etc., the fact is obvious to all who have eyes to see, the old SSPX is essentially over.

As an appeal to all the priests of the Society of St. Pius X and all the faithful as well, have the resounding words of Archbishop Lefebvre been forgotten so soon? Has the combat for Catholic Tradition crumbled to the new version of "Trad-Ecumenism" with the liberal Catholic positions such as St. Peter's, Ecclesia Dei, Una Voce, etc., etc.? Have the SSPX priests agreed to trade in their boxing gloves for ballerina slippers; traded the "sword of the spirit" for the "fables" of Liberal Catholicism; the defense of the true Christ the King for "religious freedom within the Conciliar Church"? (cf. 1st Condition for Agreement with Rome, 2012).

Whatever happened to the stand of Abp. Lefebvre? "It seems to me, my dear brethren, that I am hearing the voices of all these Popes--since Gregory XVI, Pius IX, Leo XIII, St. Pius X, Benedict XV, Pius XI, Pius XII--telling us: 'Please, we beseech you, what are you going to do with our teachings, with our preaching, with the Catholic Faith? Are you going to abandon it? Are you going to let it disappear from the earth? Please, please continue to keep this treasure which we have given you! Do not abandon the faithful, do not abandon the [Catholic] Church! Continue the [Catholic] Church! Indeed, since the Council, what we [popes] condemned in the past the present authorities have embraced and are professing! How is it possible? We have condemned them: Liberalism, Communism, Socialism, Modernism, Sillonism.'

"All the errors which we [popes] have condemned are now professed, adopted and supported by the authorities of the [Conciliar] Church. Is this possible? Unless you do something to continue this Tradition of the Church which we [popes] have given you, all of it shall disappear. Souls will be lost!" (Abp. Lefebvre, Consecration Sermon, June 30, 1988).

Indeed, all of Catholic Tradition will be "swamped" and "come to naught" (Abp. Lefebvre) when Tradition puts itself under these Modernist authorities.

How long will the watch dogs (i.e. priests) be silent while the SSPX Superiors submit Our Lord's flock to the wolves? Obedience to such a cooperation is a grave sin! Now is the last hour to escape this trap and turn from the Conciliar Church's snare. Unfurl the Catholic banner and proclaim the Truth against this apostate age!

"The Truth needs no disguise," said St. Pius X, "our flag must be unfurled; only by being straightforward and open can we do a little good, resisted no doubt by our enemies, but respected by them." (St. Pius X, October 20, 1912 Letter to Fr. Ciceri).

Let us hold high the great Declaration of 1974 that doesn't pretend to excuse Vatican II or "accept 95% of it," or "simply wish its correction." NO! NO! NO! "Even if all its acts are not formally heretical," said the Archbishop about the Council, "it comes from heresy and results in heresy!" (cf. 1974 Declaration).

"This fight between the Church and the Liberals and Modernism is the fight over Vatican II. It is as simple as that! and the consequences are far reaching. "The more one analyzes the documents of Vatican II, and the more one analyzes their interpretation by the authorities of the Church, the more one realizes that what is at stake are not merely superficial errors, a few mistakes, ecumenism, religious liberty, collegiality, a certain Liberalism, but rather a wholesale perversion of the mind, a whole new philosophy based on modern philosophy, on subjectivism." (Abp. Lefebvre, Econe Address, Sept. 6, 1990, Seven months before his death).

Let us SSPX priests stand by the clear words of Abp. Lefebvre which resound like a trumpet over the battlefield of doctrine: "The only attitude of fidelity to the Church and to Catholic doctrine, is a categorical refusal to accept the reform!" (Abp. Lefebvre, 1974 Declaration). And how close should we get to Modern Rome? "It is, therefore, a strict duty for every priest wanting to remain Catholic to separate himself from the Conciliar Church for as long as it does not rediscover the Tradition of the Church and of the Catholic Faith!" (Abp. Lefebvre, Spiritual Journey, p. 13).

This position has been abandoned by Bp. Fellay and all those now following the path of Operation Suicide. They no longer heed the urgent warning: "It is dangerous to put oneself into the hands of Conciliar Bishops and Modernist Rome! It is the greatest danger threatening our people!" (Abp. Lefebvre, Fideliter, July-August 1989). [cf. See 5th Condition]. In the June 2014 Letter of Dom Tomas Aquinas, OSB, he repeats Abp. Lefebvre's emphasis that the heart of the fight of Catholic Tradition is not firstly the Mass, but Christ's Kingship!

"It is this point, where our opposition lies and the reason why there is no possibility of an agreement. The question is not so much about the Mass, because the Mass is just one consequence of the fact that they wanted to get closer to Protestantism, and thus changing the worship, Sacraments, Catechism, etc. "The real, fundamental opposition is against the Reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ! 'Oportet Illum regnare!' St. Paul tells us Our Lord came to reign. They [Modernist Rome] say 'No!' We say: 'Yes!' with all its consequences!" (Abp. Lefebvre, Fideliter No. 70, 1993).

Dom Bruno, OSB explains the history of the fall and compromise of the Benedictine Monastery of Le Barroux (cf. The Recusant, issue #19, August 2014) while a handful of priests thought to stay and "fight from within." These priests and monks opposed the Liberal direction towards an agreement with Modernist Rome and vowed they would never say the New Mass. Eventually, they did because of the pressure, "unity" placed above the Truth, "personalities" of superiors put above unchanging principles, and they all fell to the new Liberalism and New Mass!

"That was what Fr. De Blignieres did too. He has changed completely. He who had written an entire volume condemning Religious Liberty, he now writes in favor of Religious Liberty! That's not being serious. One cannot rely anymore on men like that, who have understood nothing of the doctrinal question." (Abp. Lefebvre, Fideliter, No. 79, 1991).

Finally, please read the recent Letter of Dom Rafael, OSB dated September 15, 2014. In it, he quotes Bp. De Castro Mayer's insistence that the virtue of Faith, being the foundation of all supernatural life, has to be uncompromising. Any tolerance for error opens the door to all error and heresy! He also quotes the great Cardinal Pie of Poitiers saying: "Battles are won or lost at the DOCTRINAL LEVEL. The error of the French Catholics was to wait and see what the consequences of the French Revolution would be, before reacting, before fighting back against these errors."

So now, it is criminal to wait until the practical agreement between the SSPX and the Conciliar Church is "fully reconciled" before rising up against this toleration of false doctrines. It is putting the practical agreement above Christ the King, above His Divinity, above His Honor, His Doctrine, His Catholic Church! This is the heart of the whole crisis: Our Lord Jesus Christ is GOD. Christ is KING. "Every spirit that dissolveth Jesus is not of God: and this is Antichrist." (I Jn. 4:3). Vatican II dissolves the Divinity and Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ in its very documents!

Therefore, Vatican II is of the spirit of the Antichrist. Now, --the Doctrinal Declaration (April 15, 2012). --the General Chapter Statement (July 14, 2012). --the Six Conditions for the Agreement (July 17, 2012). --the Letter of Bp. Fellay and 2 Assistants to the 3 Bishops (April 14, 2012). --the CNS Interview (May 11, 2012). --the DICI Interview (June 8, 2012). --the La Liberte Interview (May 11, 2001). --the Meeting with Cardinal Muller (September 21, 2014). --the expulsion of Bp. Williamson and numerous priests, the silences and punitive transfers since 2012. All the above proves that the SSPX leaders are now willing to accept Vatican II "in the light of Tradition," the New Mass as "legitimately promulgated," the heresy of Religious Liberty of the Council as "limited, very limited" and "reconcilable with the Magisterium," the New Code, the New Profession of Faith (1989), all of which constitute the "30 pieces of silver" for the Agreement with Modernist Rome.

Agreement or no agreement, these concessions dissolve Our Lord Jesus Christ. The "30 pieces" was paid and never rejected. Only one option remains for any Traditional Catholic priest: It is to openly oppose this Modernism and Operation Suicide of reconciliation with the Conciliar Church. Finally, we have the model before us, and how we should act: "If my work is of God, He will guard it and use it for the good of His Church. Our Lord has promised us, the gates of Hell shall not prevail against her. "This is why I persist, and if you wish to know the real reason for my persistence, it is this. At the hour of my death, when Our Lord asks me: 'What have you done with your episcopate? What have you done with your episcopal and priestly grace?' I do not want to hear from His lips the terrible words: 'You have helped to destroy the Church along with the rest of them." (Abp. Lefebvre, Open Letter to Confused Catholics, p. 163).

O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Crusher of all heresies, pray for us!

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Fr. Hewko's above letter may be found in The Recusant, Issue 21 (October 2014).