Translator's note: I want to thank Non Possumus for finding this quote from Archbishop Lefebvre. Cited from: COSPEC 073 B (11 de Diciembre de 1979)
Translated to English by Br. Raymund de Pennafort, T.O.P. Original French and Spanish translations follow. Please include all notes in the sharing of this article.
"I still have some considerations to make about precisely what the judgment is that we should make regarding those who say this New Mass and those who attend the New Mass. Is there not also a need to have a reasonable judgment which corresponds to the pastoral care that we must have regarding the souls who still do not realize the error that they could be committing?
"It is not just the fact of the attendance or celebration of the New Mass. It's true that in many other cases where the fault is objectively grave and subjectively it is not because ultimately the conditions of a grave moral culpability do not exist; it is necessary that there is serious matter, knowledge, and full consent. We admit that there is serious matter (materia grave) and that there is full consent. But if there is no knowledge, no knowledge of the seriousness of the sin, then the person is not aware of the grave matter (materia grave). They do not commit a subjective sin.
"They commit an objective sin, but not a subjective sin. I think that people who are accustomed to utter profanities or repeat blasphemies without realizing that it is blasphemy do not know it. They repeat what they hear in their environment, vulgar things to which is associated the name of God, and they are not aware of it -well, one can point it out. They can understand it, but then they could be committing an objectively serious offense but subjectively not be guilty.
Therefore you should not judge all people. You must know how to examine each case. It's precisely the role of the confessor; he must examine, he must be informed... Sometimes, in certain cases, we might even think that it is not always very pastoral to point it out to some people ... If for example we are aware that these people, if we point out the error that they are committing, these people will continue to do it [attend the New Mass-translator] ... it is sometimes necessary to proceed prudently in order to open their eyes to tell them what to do and not always be harsh in the way we act regarding souls. Souls are delicate objects that we cannot mistreat. When we say "you commit a grave sin", "you will go to hell", etc., we take a chance of doing more damage to a soul by mistreating it than by making it understand things gently. Rather than making one understand, explain it them, open their eyes about the error being committed. It is a pastoral question, I would say, but it is necessary to be a shepherd to these people as well and not condemn them immediately."
