Paradigms to order

Letter from the District Superior, Rev. Robert Brucciani, March 2020

My Dear Faithful,

In recent editions of Ite Missa Est, we have traced the demise of Christendom by assaults from without—the Protestant Reformation, Rationalism, Atheism, Liberalism, Egoism. We have then shown how the structure of the Church has been inverted since the Second Vatican Council because its mission is no longer to teach, govern and sanctify, but to listen to the world. In this edition of Ite Missa Est, we present an abridged text of a discourse given by the Superior General, Don Davide Pagliarani, which describes the changes in theology that attempt to legitimise the effective apostasy of the hierarchy.

It is a difficult text to understand, because post Vatican II theology is evolving by steps and each successive iteration or paradigm is increasingly unintelligible. Each new take on the Catholic Religion is more mysterious and ambiguous than the last, not because it approaches the heart of revealed mysteries which are beyond reason, but because it tries more boldly to appropriate the Catholic Religion to a purpose which is radically alien to it.

The Paradigms

The first paradigm of the new religion, unveiled at the Second Vatican Council, ignores the distinction between the natural and supernatural order, bringing God down to the level of men. The words “justification”, “supernatural” and “sanctifying grace”, for example, are not used once in the Declaration, Dignitatis Humanae. Furthermore, the first paragraph of the same document infers that the law is no longer determined by the order of creation and revelation (ie. the natural law and the divine [revealed] law), but by the individual conscience.

In consequence, given the Objective Redemption wrought by Christ, no elevation of a soul to the supernatural order is deemed necessary for the justification (i.e. Subjective Redemption) of the individual soul, no membership of the Church is really necessary, no sacraments necessary, no particular religion necessary: you can be saved in any religion or none at all so long as you follow your conscience.

The second paradigm—championed by Pope John Paul II—holds that man was indeed redeemed by Christ, not by the fruits of the Passion being applied to individual souls at the moment of their conversion (cf. Catholic Tradition), neither by man following his conscience (cf. Dignitatis Humanae), but by the Incarnation, which sanctified all humanity whether individuals knew it or not (cf. Redemptor Hominis). In other words, men are already redeemed: the objective and subjective redemption happened at the Incarnation—no conversion is necessary for Heaven. Again, the word “justification” which literally means “being put right with God” does not appear once in the encyclical.

The latest paradigm of Pope Francis is the most radical. By the Incarnation, God joined Himself to all creation—not just to men. Redemption, therefore, is no longer about welcoming the grace of conversion and living in conformity with God’s laws so that we may unite ourselves to Him for all eternity in heaven (cf. Catholic Tradition), neither is it about following one’s conscience (cf. Dignitatis Humanae), neither is it something to celebrate as having already happened (cf. Redemptor Hominis); Redemption is about converting ourselves to serve this deified earth. We are called to “ecological conversion” which is defined as the realisation, by means of an “encounter with Christ”, that we have a vocation to protect God’s creation (§216–221).

While it is true that we must respect creatures, the clear impression given to the reader is that a conversio ad creaturas (which, strangely enough, is St. Thomas’ definition of sin) is more important than a conversio ad Deum. This disordered love of the earth is particularly dangerous, not only because it appears to put earth in the place heaven, but because it encourages the belief that man is actually a threat to the new heaven. Such a belief is but a step away from the barbaric nihilism of the culture of death.

The Purpose

The increasing ambiguity and mystery of each successive paradigm indicates that they are less an attempt to better illuminate man’s path to his beatitude, and more an exercise in theological violence to bend the Church to a new purpose. There is no longer a need for grace, no longer a need for conversion, no longer a need for law, no longer a need for heaven. We now have a church fit for the New World Order. It is diabolical genius.

The Solution

This year, the Society of St. Pius X celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. Our history reflects in part the struggles of the mortal condition of its members, in part the nefarious assaults from without, but, by the grace of God, the Society has been faithful to her mission of combating the crisis in the Church by forming priests who both teach the Catholic Faith in season and out of season and sanctify souls by the administration of the sacraments.

It is important for our brother priests and faithful to appreciate the role that the Society has played in the crisis. Where would we be now if Archbishop Lefebvre had not taken a courageous stand against an entire hierarchy who were wittingly or unwittingly working for the destruction of the visible Church? Where would we be now if hundreds of young men had not joined her ranks to fight what appears to be the biggest battle in the history of the Church? Even today, the Society, together with her affiliated communities, is the only organised ecclesiastical body who is able and willing to denounce the project of destruction that plays itself out. She is the only ecclesiastical body that has not compromised in one way or another with the revolution.

Help us

As the crisis deepens and the forces of evil become stronger and bolder, our Society needs your support more than ever before. As I have said before, Catholics must not look to the Society as a petrol station for sacraments. They must attach themselves to her chapels as they would to a parish; they must participate in her ecclesiastical life to deepen their faith by catechetical instruction, by beautifying her liturgy, by their care for her chapels, by helping her apostolate, by joining her ranks as members of her Third Order. They must raise up their children to be priests and religious in her. They must send their children to her schools if they are not able to educate them at home.

The new paradigms-to-order will pass away; Catholic orthodoxy, by the grace of God, by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, will remain. We are all on the frontline now and we need you to join the spiritual fight. Crowns are all stacked neatly and waiting for souls to claim them!

Please accept my wishes for a fervent Lent and truly happy Easter.

In Jesu et Maria,

Rev. Robert Brucciani