ELEISON COMMENTS~NOVEMBER 29th 2013-FATHER RIOULT I

Number CCCXXXIII November 29 2013

FATHER RIOULT I

Why was there not an uprising amongst priests of the Society of St Pius X when their leaders' loss of grip on Catholic doctrine and subsequent betrayal of Archbishop Lefebvre's work became absolutely clear from March of last year onwards ? Fr. Olivier Rioult, trail-blazer of the "Resistance" in France, gave several good reasons last month in an interview accessible in French on pelagiusasturiensis.wordpress.com. The following summary is freely adapted from the original text:--

Basically, original sin: Once the original fight for Tradition in the 1970's and '80's had succeeded in guaranteeing the survival of the essentials of the Faith, Traditionalists sat back on their laurels to enjoy their cosy enclaves, and they settled into a comfortable routine which they are now reluctant to lose. They have lost the spirit of fighting for the Faith.

Secondly, that particular form of original sin which is liberalism: Over the last ten years Society leaders have given the lead in weakening the fight against liberalism, error and immodesty. But to cease swimming against the current is to drift backwards, and a number of SSPX priests -- by no means all -- have grown weaker in their convictions and their preaching.

Thirdly, activism: some colleagues can also let themselves be run off their feet by their priestly tasks, leaving themselves no time or inclination to read or study. Turning into mere administrators and communicators, they weaken their convictions and preaching.

Fourthly, Bishop Fellay's trickery: for years his double-talk deceived everybody except a small minority of clear-sighted souls who could absolutely not get a hearing. Only last year did his mask come off with the March "Cor Unum" and with his reply of April 14 to the three bishops. The great majority of Traditionalists he had put to sleep (as he is now doing again).

Fifthly, fear of the unknown: when the whole world around you is going mad, and you find an enclave of sanity, and then that enclave also begins to go mad, it requires unusual strength of character to face up to the reality and not prefer some illusion or other, and of illusions there are plenty ! Thus many priests realize that they are living through a drama calling for some crucifying decisions, but they lack the necessary fortitude to launch into the unknown.

And last but not least, bad leaders: of course there have always been liberals within the SSPX as within the mainstream Church, but for as long as the leaders hold firm, these can be held in check. However, when in the mainstream Church John XXIII and Paul VI favoured their liberalism, the result was a tidal wave , and now that SSPX leaders have turned liberal, liberalism is sweeping through the Society as it would never have done under good leaders, true leaders.

These reasons given by Fr Rioult are all true, but none of them are stronger than that Faith which is "our victory over the world" (I Jn.V, 4). Indeed one might say that all the reasons come down to the lack of a strong enough Faith on the part of the priests, because they are living in a world in which the grip on Truth of every soul alive has been loosened, and if Truth is not true, how can Faith be true ?

Then what is the simplest way to strengthen one's grip on Truth, as we absolutely need to do in today’s crazy circumstances ? In my opinion:--

"Watch and pray, watch and pray,
Fifteen Mysteries every day".

Kyrie eleison.

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Permalink Reply by Dawn Marie on November 30, 2013 at 9:47am

Yes but all the blame can not be put on Bp. Fellay. It also falls heavily on those trads who care little for Heaven or who care even less for becoming saints. That is the key element here. Too many trads in the SSPX became complacent long ago. As Fr Libietis used to say over and over again, they don't want to do what it takes to become a saint, they just want their Mass on Sunday and their beer and barbecues every other day of the week and leave them alone after that.

He would give sermons close to 45 minutes long and certain parishioners spent years writing, calling the District House in KC because they wanted him to give 20 minute sermons. He was apparently interfering with their after Church fun time.

They eventually got their way and Father was transferred. From last I heard not a few days ago the parish has lost it's spirituality. The once thriving school which had almost 100 students and growing is now down to 21 and the families who wanted only their Mass on Sunday and no priest to bother them got their wish. The priest sent to them is one suffering from his own maladies and he can not give them anything more than just the Mass on Sunday.

Bp. Fellay would never have fallen as he did if the people below him had been stronger on the Faith and if they had been praying and sacrificing for the priests as they should have. Their strength in the Faith would have held him up and kept satan's allurements and confusions at bay.

Archbishop Lefebvre had said, he believed that if the people had been praying and sacrificing for their priests and bishops and Church as they should have VatII would never have happened.

The SSPX in this regard is no different, I do believe.

Now we have fallen priests and bishops, dissension, division etc...all the marks of the devil, all the fruit of his handiwork in the Society's quest to reunify with an unconverted Rome.