by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
Yes, at least 150 priests from the secular clergy and religious orders recently published a courageous guide in Paris with clarifications and advice for French Catholics facing strong progressive attacks.
Many of the signatories are theology and canon law experts, nearly all actively engaged in healing souls as parish priests or chaplains. Priests from the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, England, Canada, Algeria, and Dahomey have signed their names to support this valuable guide. I notice names from Argentina and one from Brazil. Even a brave priest in Yugoslavia, oppressed by Tito’s regime, signed this honorable list. The booklet also contains strong praise from the renowned French archbishop, Most Rev. Marcel Lefèbvre.
The Guide’s purpose is clearly stated on its cover subtitle: “Given the Church’s Planned Destruction, 150 Priests Recall the Essential Principles of Christian Life.” What is the goal of this sinister plan of destruction, according to the Guide? It is to secretly introduce a “New Religion” into the Church (exactly as Fr. Joseph Comblin advocates). In fact, the 150 priests explicitly mention a “New Religion,” which “spreads its devastation everywhere” while trying to lead Catholics astray. How many things this plot, “New Religion,” and “Great Heresy” (as the Guide calls it) remind us of!
Let’s quickly review the itinerary in this helpful little brochure.
It begins by recommending devotions I defended in 1943 in my book In Defense of Catholic Action, as left-wing religious circles were cunningly opposing them: the Rosary, meditations on the Passion, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and visits to the Blessed Sacrament. The errors of the “New Religion” that the 150 Fathers formally denounce come into light as we browse its pages. Let me mention a few:
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One should pray without showing outward signs of adoration. For example, one should avoid even a simple genuflection before or after receiving Communion.
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Latin must be entirely removed from the Mass. Opposing this error, the Guide recalls the strong words of the Council of Trent: “If anyone says that the Mass must be celebrated only in the vernacular, let him be anathema” (Sess. XXII, Can. 9);
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The faithful must respond aloud during Mass, and no one has the right to remain silent during the Holy Sacrifice.
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One must sing and cannot remain silent on the way to the Eucharistic table.
The Guide is practical, condemns incorrect maxims, and recommends appropriate attitudes. For instance, in churches where such errors hinder the faithful’s genuine freedom, they “are dispensed from giving alms” to support worship.
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I am asking for the readers’ permission to quote this important point from the Guide:
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If the faithful feel shocked during a Mass or religious service by unacceptable, revolutionary, or impious statements, or by rhythms that are inappropriate or blasphemous for the sacred space, they must protest or withdraw openly. It is better to miss Mass, even on Easter Sunday, than to be complicit in what dishonors God. In this extreme case, the faithful should make up for missing Mass with private prayers.
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The faithful who have been disturbed in their faith, and even more so scandalized by some preachers’ homilies, have a duty in those parishes to attend Mass only after the homily. It is each person’s responsibility to protect their faith and that of their children at all costs.
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No one is required to attend a Mass that, for theological reasons, is likely invalid.