Operation Survival

Letter from the District Superior, Rev. Robert Brucciani, July 2018

My dear brethren,

From 11–21 July, 40 major superiors and "ancients" of the Society will meet at the Seminary of St. Pius X, Ecône to elect a new Superior General and his two assistants and to discuss the workings of the Society, whether it has been true to its statutes and what changes need to be made for contemporary circumstances. It is not overly dramatic to say that this General Chapter is the most important in the Society's history.

The challenges

The New World Order is manifesting itself by an escalating aggressive secularism, aimed at destroying the last vestiges of Christianity, and in the not too distant future, the Society will most certainly become a public target. The post-conciliar church is in accelerating disintegration as its prelates refuse to admit what is blindingly obvious to everyone else: that the fruits of the Second Vatican Council are putrid. Within the Society, the last six years have been unsettling on account of overtures made by the same Roman authorities which some members considered as heralding an opportunity to evangelise Rome while others regarded as a nefarious plot to lure the Society into a trap.

Much depends upon the outcome of this General Chapter. The Society is in need of spiritual and organisational renewal. It must find internal unity and revitalise its members to work towards the formation of holy Catholic priests, both renewing the old ones and giving birth to the new; for it is through the restoration of the Catholic priesthood that our founder, Archbishop Lefebvre, saw the crisis of the Church being resolved and he founded the Society of St. Pius X for precisely this reason.

You have a part

You, my dear faithful, have a part to play in this drama. It is no longer possible to simply find shelter in a “tradi-safe-zone” while doing nothing to combat the social and moral disaster that unfolds around you. You need to actively participate in Catholic action, whether it be spiritual, corporal or political. You will not keep your faith if you try to have the best of both worlds: by fitting in with the world and then creeping off to satisfy religious obligations at the least inconvenience. The Catholic faith and its practices should be the driving force of everything you do. Your first allegiance is always to Christ and His Church.

It is more important than ever that you give your full support to the Society too. The Society alone is in a position to speak freely about Catholic tradition. The Society's existence alone is the reason why the Ecclesia Dei communities are allowed to exist. The Ecclesia Dei Commission was erected in opposition to the Society and the moment the Society disappears or is neutralised, it will be open season on the Fraternity of St. Peter, the Institute of Christ the King and all the rest.

It is indeed a blessing that we have not fallen into Satan's trap of making these communities, who are closest to us, our worst enemies, as is often the case for groups who exist on the periphery. They are good and holy people and, for the most part, our differences are not in the domain of faith, but of prudence and fortitude. But again, unless you help the Society flourish by your prayers and your temporal assistance, the whole traditional movement will fall.

Déjà vu

In this edition of Ite Missa Est, we cast our minds back to the episcopal consecrations that happened 30 years ago, on 30 June 1988. This event will be regarded as a pivotal point in Church history by future historians who will wonder how the churchmen of our time could have made such an error of judgement as to embrace the world in an attempt to save souls. The episcopal consecrations of 1988 was a planting of the banner of Catholic tradition in a world where everything was being swept away in a tidal wave of liberalism.

The crisis in the Church is the same today as it was then. The only difference is the cumulative effect of 30 more years of revolution. Archbishop Lefebvre's Letter to Confused Catholics is as fresh and relevant today as it was then. Please read it again and you will see. Read also the sermon of Archbishop Lefebvre at the episcopal consecrations that follows this editorial. It could have been written for 2018. Our bishops are aging and the work, by the grace of God, is expanding. It will not be long before the new Superior General finds himself in the same position as Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988.

Call to arms

This General Chapter is of historical import. We invoke the Blessed Virgin Mary as our Patroness. We call upon the six hundred members of the Militia Immaculatae in this District to pray especially for the successful outcome of the General Chapter and we beg the prayers of all our faithful.

May God bless you all.

In Jesu et Maria,

Rev. Robert Brucciani

View also Sermon of the Episcopal Consecrations, 1988

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