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| Opinion: Leo’s Neutralization Strategy for Tradition |
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Posted by: Stone - 4 hours ago - Forum: General Commentary
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Leo’s Neutralization Strategy for Tradition
How Rome corrals the old Mass into reservations, flatters the SSPX with parchment, and uses a domesticated trad media class to keep everyone calm
while Leo quietly finishes the revolution
![[Image: https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.ama...x2048.jpeg]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/%24s_!SoNR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F668dc26b-130d-406e-a6f2-e3ce0bf4e3e1_1638x2048.jpeg)
Chris Jackson via Hiraeth in Exile [slightly adapted, emphasis mine]| Dec 08, 2025
If you want to know how the post-conciliar Church really works, stop reading pious slogans and look at the map.
On one side you have the official conciliar Church: territorial dioceses, episcopal conferences, synods, dicasteries, the whole bureaucratic edifice humming along on synodality, religious liberty, ecumenism, and anthropocentric liturgy.
On the other, you have fenced-off enclaves where the pre-conciliar faith is allowed to survive as a kind of ethnic minority culture: a parish basement here, a rented gym there, a country chapel, an independent monastery, a scattering of SSPX priories. Old vestments, old devotions, young families, lots of lace and incense. Spiritually serious, politically harmless.
That is not an accident. It is policy.
And the two key instruments of that policy are, right now, the SSPX and what might be called Trad Inc: the professional media class that makes its living narrating “the crisis” without ever quite drawing the conclusions that would threaten the system it depends on.
The current pontificate has understood both tools perfectly.
The Reservations
Start with the map.
In diocese after diocese, the pattern is the same. Parish Latin Masses are strangled, moved to inconvenient times, or shut down entirely. Traditional communities are pushed off parish property into “non-parochial” status. Young priests are warned away from learning the old rite. Catechesis, marriage prep, sacramental life in the typical territorial parish remain thoroughly Novus Ordo and thoroughly conciliar.
At the very same time, the regime bends over backward not to appear “anti-trad.”
There are indulgences for pilgrimages. There are sympathetic words about “the wealth of the Latin tradition.” There are carefully staged images of big outdoor Masses with solemn-looking youth and banners. And now, even an official papal blessing for a Society chapel in a diocese that is busy strangling diocesan TLMs.
If you wanted to build a system where Tradition continues to exist but never again exercises decisive influence over parish life, seminaries, or episcopal appointments, this is exactly the map you would draw.
You create reservations.
You allow the old Mass to be celebrated in clearly delimited spaces – chapels, oratories, personal parishes, “missions” – and you make sure everyone understands that these are exceptions. They are not normative for the Catholic life of the territory. They are not to shape diocesan policy, school curricula, or the formation of priests.
You tell the natives they should be grateful for these enclaves. You call them “a gift to the Church.” You send a parchment now and then. You might even show up at Chartres for five minutes to smile and wave.
But you never, ever allow the old religion back into the beating heart of Catholic ordinary life.
That is the first part of the game.
Licensed Opposition
Where does the SSPX fit into Rome’s strategy?
For decades Rome treated them as radioactive. Now, slowly, they are treated as a tolerated, even useful, anomaly.
Confession faculties granted “for the Year of Mercy,” then made permanent.
Marriages quietly regularized through diocesan delegations.
Pilgrimages to Rome during Jubilee years, public recitations of the Creed, a cordial nod here and there from curial officials.
And now, for at least one chapel, a lovely parchment blessing from the papal almoner, all calligraphy and Marian language, ready to frame and hang in the vestibule.
Meanwhile, the official line still calls their status “irregular.” The ambiguity is never resolved. The doctrinal questions about Vatican II, religious liberty, ecumenism, and the new ecclesiology are never honestly faced.
What you get instead is a very modern Roman solution: licensed opposition.
The Society is allowed to operate, to grow, to administer sacraments, to build schools. They are even allowed to criticize the crisis in strong terms – within limits. But they are kept outside the ordinary structures, forever slightly off-center, forever canonically abnormal, forever one step away from being painted as “divisive” if they overstep.
From Rome’s point of view this is ideal.
The SSPX absorbs a huge percentage of serious, angry traditionalists: the men and women who might otherwise stay in diocesan parishes and cause real trouble. They provide sacramental cover for consciences battered by the Novus Ordo. They keep large families busy building parallel parish life instead of mounting open revolt against synodal nonsense.
Most importantly, they anchor Tradition in a place that can be both respected and dismissed.
When the regime wants to look generous, it points to pilgrimages and blessings and faculties. When it wants to discipline, it points to “irregular status” and “problems with full communion.”
Licensed opposition: loud enough to vent steam, weak enough to never threaten the boiler.
The Business Of Hope
All of this would be much harder to pull off without a compliant commentary class.
The post-conciliar Church needs a certain type of “traditional” spokesman: someone who knows enough of the old faith to speak your language, but is ultimately committed to preserving the papalist, conciliar story at all costs.
Enter Trad Inc.
The timelines inside Trad Inc are not identical.
Some of the old-guard papers have been attacking Vatican II, religious liberty, and the post-conciliar popes since the seventies. They opposed Paul VI and John Paul II and Benedict from the right long before Francis ever waved at Pachamama.
Others only discovered their spine under Francis. Late-Francis books, podcasts, and YouTube channels were built almost entirely on the premise that this pontificate had finally made the crisis undeniable. ‘I fought Francis’ became an identity and a business plan.
Then there are the respectable conservative projects that drifted into traditional territory because Francis made their old talking points impossible. They tip-toed from ‘The Council is great’ to ‘The Council is misunderstood’ to ‘Something has gone deeply wrong in Rome,’ and occasionally let the mask slip further than they ever intended.
The strange thing is not that these streams exist. The strange thing is that all three have converged on the same posture once Leo took the chair.
The old critics of Vatican II have gone oddly quiet. The Francis-era firebrands who told you to name the problem at the top now urge patience, strategy, and ‘not rushing to judgment.’ The conservative converts to trad resistance are already talking themselves back into the warm bath of papalist optimism.
Why?
Because if they describe Leo with the same clarity they once applied to Francis, the logic of their own position will drag them somewhere they have sworn never to go. If Leo calmly continues the same Bergoglian project they spent a decade calling suicidal, then the problem is not a single personality but the entire new direction of the synodal Church.
At that point you are one step away from conclusions they have spent their careers anathematizing.
So the story must change. Leo becomes the exception, the reset, the ‘unknown quantity’ who must be handled gently for the sake of unity and strategy. The murder weapon is left in the room. You are just not allowed to say whose fingerprints are on it anymore.
The “Strategist” Reflex
Inside Trad Inc there is a very common reflex you can hear almost word for word across different platforms.
When the topic is bishops, dicasteries, nuns with rainbow flags, media hoaxes, or globalist regimes, the tone is blunt and even mocking. The gloves come off. Names are named. Quotes are read aloud. The audience is told to wake up, to question everything, to remember that the modern order is a war on Christ and that we must never trust regime narratives again.
When the topic shifts to Leo, the rhetoric suddenly becomes cloudy.
Now it is all about prudence, balance, strategy, not being “predictable,” avoiding “extremes on both sides,” and “keeping hope alive.” Viewers are told that it would be foolish to rush to judgment, that we do not know how much is really him, that the Vatican apparatus is doing insane things and “we will see in the coming months” what Leo himself really thinks. Concrete criticism of appointments, documents, or homilies is replaced with abstractions about “Rome,” “the apparatus,” “the revolution,” and nameless “bad actors around the pope.”
To justify this double standard, a whole narrative of “smart resistance” has grown up.
Some commentators present themselves as operating behind enemy lines, with contacts in Rome, private conversations with sympathetic clergy, secret plans and delicate negotiations. They talk about saints in disguise, secret missions, and long games. The implication is that they cannot speak as plainly as the rest of us, because they are playing a more sophisticated game: building pilgrimages, staying in the room with power, maneuvering in ways the simple laity cannot understand.
On top of that, a moral framework is supplied. Aristotle and Aquinas are drafted to explain that virtue lives in the middle between cowardice and recklessness. Applied to the crisis, this “middle” always seems to mean exactly this: you may flay bishops, dicasteries, politicians, and media elites in the harshest possible terms, but you must not say plainly that the man whose name sits on every decree bears personal responsibility for what is happening. Sound familiar?
Once you accept that framing, every concrete refusal to lay responsibility at Leo’s feet turns into tactical genius and moral virtue.
You can blast Fernández or Roche as if they somehow floated into their jobs from nowhere. You can rage against diocesan bishops who strangle the TLM as if Leo did not choose to retain the document they are using. You can deplore synodal nonsense as if it were a rogue committee. You can expose supposed controlled opposition in secular politics while never recognizing the controlled opposition dynamic inside the Church itself.
But say out loud that the man who appoints, promotes, signs, and confirms all of this is morally responsible, and suddenly you are told you are being a reckless, divisive, naïve, “internet radical,” lacking in strategy and virtue.
The net effect is simple. At the very moment when the post-conciliar papacy most needs frank examination, it is wrapped in a cloud of “prudential silence” and “virtuous caution,” and the faithful are told that anything more direct would be a failure of both prudence and charity.
Soft Gatekeeping
“Sorry Trads, criticizing Leo is banned. The Cardinal out front shoulda told ya.”
The same media world is also very good at policing its own borders.
On the surface, the message is unity. We are warned against tribalism, circular firing squads, and “shooting right.” Emotional stories about counterrevolutionary heroes in France or Mexico are held up as examples of Catholics who suffered together, not sniped at each other online. Viewers are told that charity comes first, that fellow believers are brothers in arms, and that the real enemy is out there.
Behind all that, the range of permitted speech quietly contracts.
Trad Inc will happily feature critiques that stay within the post–Vatican II frame. You can denounce abortion laws, gender ideology, media lies, the political establishment, episcopal cowardice, and even certain dicasteries. You can buy the books, go on the pilgrimages, share the documentaries, and feel very much part of a besieged remnant.
Start asking whether Leo has taught novelties that collide with prior magisterium and the tone shifts. Start saying aloud that Leo’s own homilies, appointments, and signatures form a continuous line with Francis and you are suddenly accused of “attacking allies,” lacking prudence, harming unity, or “doing the revolution’s work.”
Writers who question Leo’s new post-Bergoglian Church are rarely engaged on the level of argument. Their theses are flattened into a few loaded phrases: “no hope,” “fake church,” “internet radicalism,” “sede stuff.” Once the label is attached, their claims can be safely ignored. Their existence becomes a morality tale about how not to be “reckless.”
No one has to say “do not cross this line” for everyone to grasp that certain lines are dangerous to cross.
Criticize “Rome” and “the Vatican” in vague terms and you will be applauded. Question media narratives, political hoaxes, and secular controlled opposition and you will be cheered. Point out that the same dynamic is at work in the way Leo’s pontificate is sold to traditionalists, and suddenly you are told to stop tearing down “brothers in arms” and making war on your own side.
This is not open censorship in the classic sense; it is a managed culture of critique, in which the acceptable range of outrage is curated by people whose livelihoods and access depend on never quite connecting the dots. The louder the slogans about unity and charity become, the narrower the space for frank speech grows. The more the faithful are urged to avoid “online drama,” the more they are nudged back into trusting the very narratives that keep them anesthetized about what is happening under Leo. The result is a managed remnant, agitated enough to stay engaged, hopeful enough to keep donating, and carefully discouraged from drawing the conclusions that would force a break with the post-Bergoglian script.
What Needs Saying
The point of naming this pattern is to make explicit what the regime and its favored commentators would much prefer to leave implicit.
Rome’s current strategy is not to exterminate Tradition. It is to confine it.
The SSPX is being courted not because the revolution has softened, but because the revolution has learned how to use its opposition.
The professional trad commentary class has largely accepted its role as colonial officer: soothing, channeling, and defanging the very outrage that once gave it a reason to exist.
If any of that is true, then the first act of resistance is very simple.
Stop letting other people tell you which truths are “prudent” to say out loud.
Stop outsourcing your conscience to men whose careers depend on never quite connecting the dots.
Stop mistaking romantic talk about Cristeros and Campion for real confrontation with the crisis in front of us.
At a minimum, refuse to participate in the fiction that “the Vatican” and “Rome” and “the apparatus” are doing one thing while the man whose name sits on every decree is doing another.
There is no strategy in pretending that Leo’s pen is guided by someone else. There is only delay.
The reservations are real. The colonial officers are real. The licensed opposition is real.
But so is the faith.
The old Mass does not exist to give us aesthetic refuge under occupation. It exists to renew the sacrifice of Calvary and to form men and women who will, in whatever state of life they occupy, speak the truth plainly, whatever it costs.
The revolution has had half a century of men skilled at keeping their cards close to the vest. What it fears now are Catholics who have decided that, finally, someone has to put the cards face up on the table.
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| Sorrowful Heart of Mary Newsletter - Advent 2025 |
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Posted by: Stone - Yesterday, 09:51 AM - Forum: Sorrowful Heart of Mary
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Advent 2025
Dear Little Flock,
The Divine Heart of Jesus desires to reign through the Immaculate Heart of His Virgin Mother! He chose to come to us from the days of eternity through Her. He chose to be nursed, lovingly handled, and bathed in Her motherly hands. He worked His first public miracle of the wine at Cana through Her humble appeal. He worked the triumph of the Redemption of the human race with Her constantly by His side. She, the valiant Woman of the Book of Genesis and the Apocalypse stood at the foot of the pillar of the scourging, stretched out Her helpless hands as He stumbled on the way to Calvary, and remained transfixed, weeping and standing, at the foot of the Cross!
Truly, She is the Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of all graces! This is God’s Will! He deliberately desires Her participatory role to issue-in the Age of the Triumph of Her Immaculate Heart! Through Her Immaculate Heart He wants His Divine Heart honored, expiated, and loved by all nations!
At the hour of His Passion and Death, the whole world witnessed the old structure of the Synagogue rejecting its true Messiah, led by the chief priests, the Pharisees, High Priest and Elders of the Temple. Meanwhile, the flame of Faith and true belief kept burning in the Heart of Mary. After the Resurrection, She rekindled this fire in the hearts and minds of the Apostles and Christ Himself came to console, rebuke and strengthen their lost Faith in Him.
The then disbelieving structure contrasted remarkably with the few believing faithful, who professed the Divinity of Christ. As is the case now, the disbelieving structure of the Church contrasts with the Catholic Faith believed and professed integrally by all those who wholeheartedly adhere to Tradition. Did not St. Pius X foretell that the true friends of the people are not the innovators of new doctrines, nor the Liberal utopians ever promoting change to fit the apostate modern world, but the men attached to Catholic Tradition?
Let us gather around the “Tower of David”, the “Refuge of Sinners”, the new “Ark of the Covenant”, Our Blessed Mother! and stand humbly, firmly, and confidently under Her mantle! Please pray for the six seminarians testing their vocation at the Oratory of the Sorrowful Heart of Mary here in New Hampshire. The Rule of Life follows the one of Abp. Lefebvre for seminaries. On top of classes and a regimented schedule, they find themselves loading wood, feeding two woodstoves, shoveling snow, and studying Latin declensions between all of this!
They’re under no illusions as to the demands of the priesthood in this apostate age; how they must be ready to sacrifice for souls, study, pray, smile, pray, and study! All our hopes are to maintain the position of Abp. Lefebvre in the face of apostate Rome, to hold high the True Catholic Doctrine, and defend Christ the King at all costs!
Our Lady at Quito, Ecuador foretold a time when “all will seem paralyzed” due to the influence of the Masonic Lodges. Can we not say that this situation applies today? What more do the enemies of Christ desire, and the Modernist parasites within, than for traditional priests to accept the errors of Vatican II and give in on the New Mass? What more can they dream of than bishops with traditional vestments, offering the Tridentine Mass, but silent as mute dogs? Their silence contributes just as much to the destruction of the Church as the vocal Modernists spreading their poison everywhere.
Let us offer our Advent and Christmas Rosaries that the Sacred Heart of Our Lord touch the lips of some good-hearted traditional bishop to proclaim Jesus Christ Crucified, to defend His Royal Dignity and Rights, and consequently condemn the errors of Vatican II, the New Mass, and the Ecumenical Catechisms & Bibles. Abp. Lefebvre warned that any deals made with Modernist Rome will mean our reduction to silence. This would be a criminal silence that betrays the Truth and our Good Shepherd’s sheep of His pasture! How our days seem more paralyzed than ever!
May the Immaculate Heart of Mary step in soon! May She overthrow the Dragon once again and crush the head of the ancient serpent! She’s done it many times in history, She will do it again! Come quickly, Blessed Mother! The wine has run dry, tell thy Son again on our behalf, “They have no wine!” Persevere courageously in the Battle for the Holy Faith!
In Christ the King,
Fr. David Hewko
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| Trump honors Our Lady on Feast of the Immaculate Conception |
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Posted by: Stone - 12-09-2025, 11:53 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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While President Trump is NOT Catholic and can hardly be expected to act as such, it might be a sign of some future mercy from Heaven for our country that as it's leader, he honors, however weakly, Our Blessed Mother. This is more than is being done by most leaders of formerly Catholic countries, particularly in Europe. We know that the least act of honor given to Our Lady never goes unrewarded by Her Divine Son.
Trump honors Our Lady on Feast of the Immaculate Conception
'For nearly 250 years, Mary has played a distinct role in our great American story,' the president said in an official White House statement.
![[Image: Untitled.png]](https://www.lifesitenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Untitled.png)
President Donald Trump
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Dec 8, 2025
(LifeSiteNews) — Today on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, President Donald Trump released a remarkable, unprecedented official White House statement honoring “the faith, humility, and love of Mary, mother of Jesus” and her “freedom from original sin as the mother of God.”
The president concludes his statement with the Hail Mary prayer.
LifeSiteNews presents President Trump’s message in its entirety:
Presidential Message on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Today, I recognize every American celebrating December 8 as a Holy Day honoring the faith, humility, and love of Mary, mother of Jesus and one of the greatest figures in the Bible.
On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Catholics celebrate what they believe to be Mary’s freedom from original sin as the mother of God. She first entered recorded history as a young woman when, according to Holy Scripture, the Angel Gabriel greeted her in the village of Nazareth with news of a miracle: “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you,” announcing that “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”
In one of the most profound and consequential acts of history, Mary heroically accepted God’s will with trust and humility: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Mary’s decision forever altered the course of humanity. Nine months later, God became man when Mary gave birth to a son, Jesus, who would go on to offer his life on the Cross for the redemption of sins and the salvation of the world.
For nearly 250 years, Mary has played a distinct role in our great American story. In 1792, less than a decade after the end of the Revolutionary War, Bishop John Carroll – the first Catholic bishop in the United States and cousin of signer of the Declaration of Independence Charles Carroll – consecrated our young Nation to the mother of Christ. Less than a quarter-century later, Catholics attributed General Andrew Jackson’s stunning victory over the British in the climactic Battle of New Orleans to Mary. Every year, Catholics celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving in New Orleans on January 8 in memory of Mary’s assistance in saving the city.
Over the ages, American legends like Elizabeth Ann Seton, Frances Xavier Cabrini, and Fulton Sheen, who spent their lives glorifying God in service to others, have held a deep devotion to Mary. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, located in the heart of our Nation’s Capital, honors Mary as the largest church in North America. The timeless hymn “Ave Maria” remains beloved by countless citizens. She has inspired the establishment of countless churches, hospitals, and schools. Nearly 50 American colleges and universities bear Mary’s name. And, just days from now, on December 12, Catholics in the United States and Mexico will celebrate the steadfast devotion to Mary that originated in the heart of Mexico – a place now home to the beautiful Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe – in 1531. As we approach 250 years of glorious American Independence, we acknowledge and give thanks, with total gratitude, for Mary’s role in advancing peace, hope, and love in America and beyond our shores.
More than a century ago, in the midst of World War I, Pope Benedict XV, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, commissioned and dedicated a majestic statue of Mary, Queen of Peace, bearing the infant Christ with an olive branch so that the Christian faithful would be encouraged to look to her example of peace by praying for a stop to the horrific slaughter. Just a few months later, World War I ended. Today, we look to Mary once again for inspiration and encouragement as we pray for an end to war and for a new and lasting era of peace, prosperity, and harmony in Europe and throughout the world.
In her honor, and on a day so special to our Catholic citizens, we remember the sacred words that have brought aid, comfort, and support to generations of American believers in times of need:
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
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| Excerpt: Interview with Fr. Schmidberger [December 2025] |
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Posted by: Stone - 12-09-2025, 11:45 AM - Forum: The New-Conciliar SSPX
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Computer-translated from the German:
Excerpt from a longer Interview with Fr. Schmidberger by Corrigenda [December 8, 2025]:
Question: You spoke earlier about the more than 700 priests. Only bishops can ordain priests, right?
Fr. Schmidberger: Only a bishop can ordain a priest.
The Society of St. Pius X still has two bishops, Bernard Fellay and Alfonso de Galarreta. If the brotherhood is to exist, there must be more bishops in the next few years, because without bishops there are no priests.
That's right, that's why we have this coming up sometime soon. I don't say when, and I don't say to what extent. But episcopal ordinations are coming up at some point.
How is that supposed to work where the brotherhood is not regulated by canon law?
A bishop has two functions: he holds the office of ordination on the one hand and jurisdiction on the other. The latter are the diocesan bishops, who often have one or more auxiliary bishops at their side. If bishops were to be ordained here one day, it will be as it was in 1988. Auxiliary bishops are ordained, i.e. bishops who have no jurisdiction, i.e. no command authority, but who are primarily there for priestly ordinations, to administer confirmation, to consecrate churches and chalices, and so on.
Both bishops are approaching seventy. The ordinations would therefore have to be carried out in the coming years.
It is thought of, but I cannot say when that will take place and how many bishops will actually be consecrated. But yes, that will be the big challenge in the near future. The [SSPX] will have to talk to Rome here, that is an essential point, because in a normal situation bishops cannot be consecrated without the permission of the Pope.
Is there any chance of being fully incorporated into the Church under Pope Leo XIV?
We consider ourselves fully in the Church. Whether there will be legal recognition is something the future alone can tell. Exploring this is the task of the Superior General of the [SSPX] and his Council. In any case, synodality as it is understood today is not a good prerequisite.
![[Image: pater-schmidberger-bei-einer-papst-audie...k=akEGYTAH]](https://www.corrigenda.online/sites/default/files/styles/16_10_8_10_col_xl/public/2025-12/pater-schmidberger-bei-einer-papst-audienz-2005-in-rom-mit-benedikt-xvi.jpg.webp?h=efd05f9e&itok=akEGYTAH)
Father Schmidberger at a papal audience with Benedict XVI in 2005.
© Sarto Publishing |
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| Leo XIV Grants Apostolic Blessing to FSSPX Chapel in Charlotte |
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Posted by: Stone - 12-08-2025, 10:24 AM - Forum: The New-Conciliar SSPX
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Leo XIV Grants Apostolic Blessing to FSSPX Chapel in Charlotte
![[Image: mrltaxp9b2va7nnnbgb85jkqpvvsx1dalyvi4dg?...1765256395]](https://seedus6826.gloriatv.net/storage1/mrltaxp9b2va7nnnbgb85jkqpvvsx1dalyvi4dg?secure=oT6Ns3ShlaxkFd94ZGQbLw&expires=1765256395)
gloria.tv | December 8, 2025
Pope Leo XIV granted an Apostolic Blessing to Fr John Bourbeau FSSPX and the faithful of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) at Saint Anthony of Padua Chapel in Mount Holly, North Carolina.
The blessing commemorates the 25th anniversary of the chapel’s founding. The Vatican document is dated November 18 and signed by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski.
The chapel is in the Charlotte area. Many Catholics gather there for Mass because Bishop Michael Martin of Charlotte curtailed most celebrations of the Mass in the Roman [Latin] rite in diocesan parishes. He now permits the Roman rite only in a single diocesan chapel with capacity for approximately 350 people.
St. Anthony’s community was formed in the early 1980s and spent 19 years worshipping in various temporary locations, including a private residence, a rented floor of a bank building, and facilities of the Junior League of Charlotte.
In 2000, community members identified a church building for sale. The first Mass in the new chapel took place on August 22, 2000.
Due to continued growth, the FSSPX leadership recently authorized a search for new property on which to build a larger church.
+ + +
Archbishop Lefebvre on favors from an unconverted Rome:
“For fifteen years we dialogued to try to put the tradition back in its place of honour, in that place in the Church which it has by right. We ran up against a continual refusal. What Rome grants in favour of this tradition at present is nothing but a purely political gesture, a piece of diplomacy so as to force people into compromise. But it is not a conviction of the benefits of Tradition.” (Fideliter No. 79, January-February 1991)
“When they say they [Dom Gerard and the Fraternity of St. Peter] don’t have to give anything up, that’s false. They have given up the ability to oppose Rome. They cannot say anything anymore. They must remain silent given the favours that have been granted them. It is now impossible for them to expose the errors of the Conciliar Church. Softly, softly they adhere, even be it only by their Profession of Faith that is requested by Cardinal Ratzinger. I think Dom Gérard is about to publish a small book written by one of his monks on Religious Liberty and which will try to justify it. From the point of view of ideas, they begin to slide ever so slowly and end up by admitting the false ideas of the Council, because Rome has granted them some favours of Tradition. It’s a very dangerous situation” (Fideliter No. 79, January-February 1991)
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| Archbishop Lefebvre’s first visit to Australia [Article reprint from 1973] |
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Posted by: Stone - 12-08-2025, 10:16 AM - Forum: Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
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Archbishop Lefebvre’s first visit to Australia
Pax Orbis | December 7, 2025
This is the first article in our series on the history of Tradition in Australia, and it covers Archbishop Lefebvre ‘s 1973 visit. His Grace made several trips to Australia prior to the arrival of the Society of Saint Pius X in August, 1982. This account comes from the traditional newspaper, ‘Catholic,’ and is reproduced here by kind permission.
[NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, photographs were kindly supplied by the Pravidur family. The dates of the photographs have not yet been established, and may represent a later visit. Please email Kathy at [email=pax@paxorbis,org]pax@paxorbis,org[/email] if you can identify churches or individuals shown in the photographs or can shed some light on the dates. ]
His Grace, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre first visited Australia in 1973. His visit at this tumultuous time in the Church was an inspiration to the Hero Priests who refused to adopt the novelties of the Second Vatican Council.
Recounted here is the World Trends report of Msgr Lefebvre’s visit to Melbourne. But first, a word about World Trends. The editor of this, before its time magazine, was French/Australian Yves Dupont. Mr Dupont had served in the French Foreign Legion and had been awarded the Croix de Guerre for his service. He was an extremely perceptive layman who began his publication circa 1964. He also began selling Catholic books under the name Tenet Books.
It is interesting to note that Mr Dupont’s book selling venture started at much the same time as did Tom Nelson’s TAN Books and Publishers in USA. Yves sold TAN books and even wrote one titled Catholic Prophecy. Prior to 1973 His Grace Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre was not well known in Australia.
It is true to say that Tradition also was rather fragmented. Many despondent priests were in a certain sense, “doing their own thing” in trying to maintain what they had been ordained to do.
From 1958 until the promulgation of the Novus Ordo Missae, the New Mass, to be adopted in November 1969, they had been subjected, as were the laity, to continual change. A small number of priests became more or less independent of the mainstream Church. It is those priests whom the Compiler of this History has chosen to describe as the Hero Priests.
Many had chosen to continue in the timeless practices of the Church and were serving small and scattered groups of like-minded laity. They had no Bishop to look to for leadership, other than to a limited extent, Bishop Stewart of Sandhurst.
Gradually the work of Archbishop Lefebvre became known and at last there was a small degree of unity. Msgr Lefebvre did not seek any kind of leadership of these individual priests; he was simply prepared to provide those functions that only a Bishop can provide.
The Latin Mass Society of Australia had invited Msgr Lefebvre to visit Australia. His visit happened to coincide with the Fortieth International Eucharistic Congress which took place in Melbourne in January/February 1973. World Trends described the Congress as “Spiritually, it was a dismal failure.” It featured a multitude of the then new Concelebrated Masses. It also featured a pagan ritual dance by Australian Aborigines.
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Australia’s first Aboriginal liturgy, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, 24 February 1973. Photo from the Archives of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.
Fortunately at that time, Mr Ernie Dingo had not yet invented his Aboriginal “Smoking Ceremony”. That came later and had its first really public performance at the beatification by Pope John Paul II of Blessed Mary of the Cross at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in 1986.
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A ritual dance purported to express the Last Supper. Photo from the Archives of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.
Below is the verbatim World Trends report of the visit of Msgr Lefebvre’s visit to Melbourne in February 1973.
The Arrival of Archbishop Lefebvre in Australia
On Saturday the 17th of February, 1973, His Grace Archbishop Lefebvre arrived at Tullamarine International Airport by a Qantas flight from London. He was scheduled to arrive at 9.55 am., but due to various delays he eventually arrived at 11.25 am. Coincidentally, he had travelled from London in the company of His Eminence Cardinal Slimyi, the Exarch of the Ukrainian Byzantine Rite of the Catholic Church. A good crowd of members, their families and friends had waited patiently for His Grace’s arrival.
After he was released from Customs, where, thanks to the kindness of a Customs Official, Mr Yves Dupont was admitted and was able to identify him, His Grace was immediately driven to the home of the General President, where he lunched with the Victorian Committee and Spiritual Director.
After a brief period of rest His Grace was ready to say his first Mass in this country. At 4 pm precisely he began a votive Mass of Our Lady for the members of the Committee.
Thus, his first Mass in Australia was rather a private one indeed, but none the less a very moving experience for the small congregation present. The atmosphere of this first Low Mass was one of intense awe and devotion, anyone present, hardly even being aware of the presence of anyone else.
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Archbishop Lefebvre in Australia
After our first meeting with His Grace, it was quickly realised that he was a man of quite witty humour, with an unusually saintly expression on his face. His hand gestures during conversation were reminiscent of our late Archbishop Mannix. He was obviously quite at ease with his Australian hosts. Many were surprised by his remarkably good English.
His first Mass over, he was then taken to the Presbytery at Our Lady of Lourdes, Armadale, where he was received by his host for the week, the Reverend Father Opie, Parish Priest. We then left His Grace in the care of Fr. Opie and the Committee proceeded with preparations for the events of the following day.
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Our Lady of Lourdes, Armadale, present day. IMAGE SOURCE
Sunday, 18th February, 1973
As Septuagesima Sunday dawned over Melbourne, it was already obvious that a hot day with infamous northerly winds was in store. After several of our Committee members started this day by attendance at a private Mass, celebrated by our Spiritual Director, we were ready for the greater celebrations to come.
The sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, Armadale, was prepared in accordance with the requirements of a Solemn Pontifical High Mass at the Faldstool. The Celebrant was His Grace the archbishop, Fr. J. Opie P.P., Deacon, Fr. J. Stockdale, Sub-deacon, Fr. A. Cummins, CSSR, the Assistant Priest.
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Archbishop Lefebvre in Australia
At 12 noon precisely, the procession of sacred ministers left the sacristy to enter the church by the east side door, whilst the choir sang “Ecce Sacerdos.” The choir paused whilst His Grace received the bowl and hissop in preparation for the Asperges ceremony, which was performed by His Grace as the procession made its way up the centre aisle.
The precious mitre, studded with jewels, the golden crozier held in the purple-gloved right hand of the Archbishop glittered in the
light of the nave of the church as the sacred ministers filed slowly towards the sanctuary, the Archbishop bringing up the rear.
After the usual genuflection, the Mass began with the prayers at the foot of the altar, with Psalm 42 recited in full. The sight of the Archbishop flanked at his left by Deacon and Sub-deacon, and on his right by the Assistant Priest and Master of Ceremonies, brought back many happy memories of the glorious days of liturgical security, which were characterised by regular celebrations of Pontifical Masses of this kind.
After the incensing of the altar, the Archbishop proceeded to the Faldstool to sit whilst the choir sang the Kyrie. And so the Mass continued, with the Sub-deacon chanting the Epistle and later the Deacon proclaiming the Gospel, whilst the Archbishop, crozier in hand, stood at the faldstool facing towards the lectern. Then followed the Credo, with an excellent performance by the choir.
After washing his hands at the faldstool, the Archbishop ascended the altar, and turning away from the congregation toward the Almighty, he proceeded with the first part of the Holy Sacrifice, the Offertory. The sight of the sub-deacon taking the humeral veil on his shoulders and than receiving the paten from the deacon, to retain it right through the Canon, was indicative of the complete intactness of the Tridentine High Mass.
The Sanctus bell brought the whole congregation to their knees. The Canon commenced whilst the choir continued the singing of the Sanctus. Intense silence prevailed after the warning bell, whilst the Archbishop pronounced silently the words of Consecration, in the form unchanged since the fourth century, to effect the complete change of the Host and Wine into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and so to complete yet another renewal of the Sacrifice of Calvary.
After this, the choir took up the singing of the Benedictus. As the Mass continued on through the Pater Noster and Agnus Dei, the Domine Non Sum Dignus bell brought the congregation to attention in preparation for Holy Communion.
The Archbishop distributed Holy Communion reciting the full, unchanged formula for the administration of the Sacrament. After Holy Communion, the Post-Communion prayer ended, and then the Archbishop gave the full Pontifical blessing.
After the reading of the Last Gospel, all genuflected and the procession left the sanctuary as the choir sang O Salutaris Hostia. As the Archbishop walked slowly down the aisle, people, seat by seat, knelt to receive his individual blessing.
After Mass members lunched in the parish hall in company with the members of the Bendigo choir. After the Archbishop had lunched in the Presbytery, and taken time to recover from the ordeal of the High Mass (because of the intense heat), he came to the hall to meet his new Australian friends. The afternoon drew to a close with Solemn Pontifical Benediction at 4.30 pm.
It was some time later before the loyal band of workers were able to make their way home from Armadale. After such a wonderfully holy and glorious day our members were justifiably elated, but nevertheless a little weary. As the sun went down, leaving Melbourne with a warm but pleasant twilight, the Committee proceeded with the organisation of the remainder of the programme.
Monday, 19th February
During the morning and afternoon His Grace kindly gave his time for private interviews with some of our members. On this day His Grace celebrated a Low Mass at 6.30 pm. at Our Lady of Lebanon, Carlton, a church of the Maronite rite. This Mass was a votive Mass of the Most Blessed Trinity.
The altar in this church is in the traditional Roman style and is a magnificent work of art. Above the throne over the Tabernacle stands a large statue of Our Lady, with a spherical base, symbolising Our Lady’s dominion over the world. Our members greatly appreciated the tranquillity of a Low Mass, enabling a true and real participation, that is, a spiritual one. Even the Leonine prayers for the conversion of Russia were recited in Latin, with the congregation ably responding to the Ave Maria and Salve Regina.
After Mass, the Archbishop and members were entertained in the Presbytery by the Parish Priest, the Rt. Rev. Mgr. El Koury. Our thanks to Msgr. El Koury and the Lebanese community for giving us their church for the Mass, and also their kind hospitality afterwards.
Tuesday, 20th February
After a quiet morning at Armadale, His Grace was taken to Mornington to visit Bishop Stewart of Sandhurst and Bishop Brennan of Toowoomba, who were on holiday. The Archbishop had long been wanting to meet the two most conservative members of the Australian hierarchy. A very cordial atmosphere prevailed during the afternoon, and a number of important issues affecting the Catholic Church were discussed by the three prelates.
After a pleasant cross-country drive through Frankston and Dandenong, Ferntree Gully was reached about 6 pm. The parish priest, Rev. Fr. C. J. Cummings, was well prepared to receive His Grace and proudly showed him around the spacious grounds of the church and school. On this day, Mass was at 7.30 pm. and it was a votive Mass of St. John the Baptist, in honour of the title saint of the Ferntree Gully parish.
After Mass, the ladies of the parish entertained members and other visitors over supper in the parish hall. Our thanks to Fr. Cummings and the ladies of the parish for making the evening a pleasant one indeed.
His Grace remarked that the setting of the church and also the township of Ferntree Gully, nestled at the foot of the Dandenong Ranges, reminded him of the Swiss Alps which tower above the Archbishop’s home in Fribourg.
Wednesday, 21st February
After a quiet morning at Armadale, His Grace left Melbourne by car in the early afternoon for his visit to the diocese of Sandhurst. After a pleasant and leisurely journey via the Mclvor Highway, Bendigo was reached about 5.30 pm., where the Vicar-general of the diocese, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. F.P. de Campo was awaiting the arrival of his distinguished guest.
At 7.30 pm. His Grace was celebrant of a Solemn Pontifical High Mass, which on this occasion was a Votive Mass of the Holy Ghost. It was a full Solemn Pontifical High Mass at the throne. His Lordship, Bishop Stewart, kindly gave His Grace the use of the throne for the Mass, enabling it to be celebrated in its fullest possible solemnity. This was a very generous gesture of Bishop Stewart, for he could not have bestowed a greater honour on his guest Archbishop.
After the Mass His Grace remarked to the President, that Bendigo would be the only diocese in the world where he could expect to be received with such gracious respect.
The archbishop was also greatly impressed with the liturgical exactness of the sacred ministers and the fervour of the congregation. His Grace further remarked that it was fifteen years since he had celebrated a Mass with such solemnity.
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St. Kilian’s Church, Bendigo, present day SOURCE
This Mass was celebrated in St. Kilian’s Church in Bendigo city, as the cathedral was unfortunately not available, owing to its undergoing the final stages of completion.
Although the nave of the cathedral had been built and opened in 1900, it was more than half a century later before the work of completing the cathedral was commenced. The completion of the transepts, and sanctuary area will mark the achievement of one of the greatest examples of Gothic architecture in the Southern hemisphere. It is believed that this Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo may well be the last work of Gothic architecture in the world to be completed. It is certainly a fine tribute to the age which inspired what can rightly be termed as a climax of man’s architectural ability.
St. Killian’s Church, where the Archbishop celebrated Mass, is in itself a historic and interesting building. Together with St. Laborius, Eaglehawk, St. Killian’s was first started during the gold-rush of 1851, and like most other features of Bendigo, was largely built by the gold-diggers.
St. Killian’s has the distinction of being the largest wooden church in Australia, surpassing even some of the larger wooden churches seen in Queensland. The exterior and interior are both maintained in a manner which is certainly a credit to the people of Bendigo.
The high altar, flanked by angel statues, is of carved wood with red curtains at the back of the egrediens. White painted and outlined in gold and jewelled patterns, it is magnificently resplendent under the electric light. The sanctuary of this, like other churches in the diocese of Sandhurst, has not undergone the desecration, nor has its altar undergone the desecration that so many churches have suffered in other dioceses.
The sanctuary is not impeded by a “Table Altar”, hence, no special preparations were required. It may be of interest to know that on the feasts of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost each year, there is a Latin High Mass in Bendigo.
We wish to extend our sincere thanks to His Lordship, Bishop Stewart, for making possible the visit to his diocese and also to Msgr. De Campo for his wonderful work in organising such a gratifying display of the traditional Catholic liturgy. The ladies of St. Killian’s receive our thanks for their kindness to us in the hall after Mass. The packed church indicated the interest of the people of the Sandhurst diocese, many of whom travelled a long way to attend the Mass.
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Archbishop Lefebvre in Australia
For our own members travelling from Melbourne for the occasion, we were all re-vitalised by the refreshing liturgical atmosphere, which is so welcome after the stifling heat of liturgical chaos and degradation now so common in most dioceses of Australia.
Thursday, 22nd February
His Grace stayed overnight at Bethlehem Hospital in Bendigo. In the morning, the Vicar-general, Mgr. De Campo, played host to His Grace, taking him to see many points of interest around the city. Thanks to Mgr. De Campo, His Grace saw more of the city of Bendigo than he was able to see in the city of Melbourne, as our programme proved to be a full and demanding one.
Mass on this day was at 7.30 pm at St. Peter’s Church, Clayton. Being one of the newer churches of the Archdiocese, St. Peter’s is built in the contemporary style. Not surprisingly the sanctuary was not designed for the celebration of the Tridentine Mass.
The parish priest, Rev. Fr. Pickering, kindly agreed to the adaptation of the altar for this Mass. A carload of equipment was required, including a full size house door, which was used as the altar. Despite the improvising necessary, the Mass was celebrated with full dignity and reverence. The Rosary was recited by members after the Mass.
After the Mass, on the way home by car, His Grace remarked to the President, that he had to come all the way to Australia to be forced to say Mass, not on some undignified Communion Table, but in fact on a door. His Grace also remarked that little did he expect the President of a Una Voce Association to be the person responsible for his having to say Mass on a door! This is just another example of the keen wit, which was characteristic of His Grace during his stay in Australia.
Friday, 23rd February
This was a day of devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was the focal point of our campaign of reparation for the insults hurled on His Divine Majesty by the human race and, of late, by many of His own priests and bishops. His Grace celebrated a votive Mass of the Sacred Heart at 11.30 am. Following the Mass, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament commenced at 12.30 pm.
Many people came a long way to Armadale for this occasion, and several were seen to remain before the Blessed Sacrament exposed all through the afternoon. At 5.30 pm. our Spiritual Director celebrated a votive Mass of the Blessed Sacrament during the course of Exposition. The special solemnity of Mass in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed was reminiscent to many of the regular customs in St. Francis’ church in the city before the advent of liturgical upheaval.
At 7.30 pm our Spiritual Director commenced the Holy Hour of Reparation to the Sacred Heart. Father was careful to include the Acts of Reparation and Consecration as well as the Litany.
His Grace the Archbishop presided in the sanctuary during the Holy Hour. The sermon brought home to the congregation present the earnest need for the whole human race to lighten the burden of the Cross on the shoulders of Our Divine Lord. The Holy Hour concluded with Pontifical Benediction at 8.30 pm. The closing hymn, “Faith of our Fathers”, was sung by the whole congregation.
It was reminiscent of the strong feeling of faith which was once so commonly felt after parish missions. As one meditated over this Holy Hour, one could hardly help recalling that once, nearly every Melbourne parish honoured the Sacred Heart on First Fridays, by a regular Holy Hour.
Saturday, 24th February
This day was dedicated to devotion to Our Blessed Mother. His Grace the Archbishop celebrated Mass at 2.30 pm. Following the Mass our spiritual director conducted a full programme of Marian devotions. The devotions were interspersed with hymns to our Blessed Lady. The general form of Marian devotions was already fairly well known to our local members, having been a regular feature of First Saturdays in Melbourne over the last six months. It was hoped to have a Marian procession, but unfortunately, such was precluded by the confined space in the church and its immediate surroundings. A renewal of Baptismal promises and a Profession of Faith were part of the afternoon’s ceremonies. The day concluded with Pontifical Benediction.
During the evening, His Grace spent more time with individual members, listening intently to their many and varied problems and counselling wisely in return. He portrayed himself as a true spiritual shepherd over his flock of the faithful.
Sunday, 25th February
Sexagesima Sunday, the final of the Society’s programme, O Salutaris Hostia, Melbourne enjoyed a cool, pleasant morning for this wonderful climax to a week of prayer and devotion. His Grace the Archbishop celebrated Solemn Pontifical High Mass at 10.30 am. at Our Lady of Lourdes, Armadale. The deacon was Rev. Fr. Pickering P.P., sub-deacon Rev. Fr. Pulvermacher, O.F.M., the Assistant Priest Rev. Fr. D. Ross O.S.B., and Fr. E. Perez, O.S.B. was in the sanctuary. The Gregorian choir from Bendigo again favoured us by coming down to Melbourne to sing at the Mass.
After Mass members and friends partook of lunch in the parish hall. We were pleased again to be able to entertain the visiting choir members. After luncheon the Victorian Branch Chairman, Mr Tom Ward, called the hall to attention as His Grace the Archbishop entered the room. The National Executive of the Society, comprising of the General President, Mr. M. Foley, the Vice-president, Mr. K. McManus, and the assistant General Secretary, Mr. M, McDonall, presided ever the gathering. An apology for the unavoidable absence of the General Secretary, Mr. Carleton and the Treasurer, Miss L. Rossbotham was put forward. The President welcomed His Grace the Archbishop to the gathering and handed over to him to address the meeting. His Grace gave the following address:
Quote:“My Dear Brethren,
At the close of this week of prayer with you and especially in offering the Divine Sacrifice of Jesus Christ Our Lord on the Altar, I would like to give you a few words of encouragement as St. Paul to the Faithful of Caesarea and Miletus when he said; “Vigitate et memoria retinentes…” (Watch, therefore and remember the counsels which I have given you…) – So spoke St. Paul.
Here is now my advice to you, my dear Brethren.
First of all, keep the Faith without any compromise and pray daily to preserve the Faith, reciting the Rosary in the family or in a group.
Secondly, deepen your Faith by reading the Gospel and above all the Catechism of the Council of Trent, the Catechism of St. Pius X., the Catechism of Cardinal Gasparri or the Baltimore Catechism.
Thirdly, attend a Tridentine Mass and receive Holy Communion wherever possible. If not, attend a Mass in which the priest says the Consecration in Latin, or in one of the Oriental Catholic rites.
Finally, gather in groups around those priests who have remained good and faithful; and together, pray, organise the defence of the Faith and try especially to strengthen the faith of your children.
All this must be done with patience, with confidence in God and without bitterness. Our work is primarily to construct more than to fight. This was the way followed by all the true faithful during the persecutions. Let us remember the Catholics of Japan who suffered for many centuries.
Let us remember the Catholics of South America and the Catholics, including priests, behind the Iron Curtain. Another very important work is the training of true priests, priests strong in the interior life, the spiritual life, firm on doctrine, faithful in their teaching to the traditional magisterium of the Church and the traditional liturgy and sacraments. This is what I am endeavouring to achieve in Switzerland through the Society of St. Pius X in my Seminary of Econe, where I now have sixty-five Seminarians of eight different countries; and, please God, I will have, next October, two or three from your own beloved Australia.
The Foundation for Nuns is provided for in the statutes and, with the help of God, I hope to open this foundation next October and God alone knows, perhaps with one Australian postulant.
What is the future of this Society? Well, I think that the experience accrued in the long history of the Church shows that the most important thing for each one of us is to accomplish God’s will within the lifespan allotted to us.
As for the future, God alone knows. But the aim of the Society of St. Pius X is pastoral work, the work of the priest, assisted by brothers and nuns, following the only way of true sanctification, namely Jesus Christ Our Lord crucified upon the Cross. The Cross of Calvary and the Sacrifice of the Mass provides the only answer to the problems of our souls whatever they may be. Without Calvary, and without the Sacrifice of the Mass as the continuation of Calvary, there is no opening for the sanctification of priests, no substance for the religious life, no support for the Christian life in general. Without Calvary and the Mass there is no answer to human suffering, no justice possible, no peace possible.
That is the reason why we must preserve the true Sacrifice of the Mass, for the Mass is the corner-stone of the Church; indeed the very heart of the Church. Such is the spirituality of our Society, and I recommend to your prayers our Society of Priests, our Society of Nuns, and especially that we may have many Australian vocations.
I will take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to the President of the “O Salutaris Hostia” Committee, to those who have assisted him and to the Bishops and Priests who have so kindly helped in making possible this week of prayer.
God bless you all by the intercession of His Holy Mother, Amen.”
The afternoon concluded with Solemn Pontifical Benediction by His Grace the Archbishop. Fr J Opie was the deacon and Fr Ross O.S.B. the sub-deacon. The Bendigo choir and congregation combined in singing the Latin Benediction. The closing hymn “O Sweet Sacrament Divine” was in line with the theme of the week’s program – devotion and reparation to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.Thus ended the last liturgical celebration of what had been and outstanding week for the Society. (The Latin Mass Society.)
At the kind invitation of local members, Mr and Mrs Ned Hardiman and family, His Grace the Archbishop and all members and friends made their way to the Hardimans home in Essendon, where there was a Farewell tea for His Grace. After being with us for over a week, His Grace was now due to leave us.
The short time at the Hardimans home was a very enjoyable one indeed, and as always, a very cordial atmosphere prevailed. After the meal was over His Grace the Archbishop left for Tullamarine Airport, where he was to leave by a T.A.A. flight at 7.40pm.
A large gathering of members were present to say farewell to His Grace, and, judging by the expression of joy on the faces of those present, every aspect of the week had been an outstanding success. Cameras flashed to His Grace, accompanied by the General President, and Assistant General Secretary, boarded the plane for Sydney.
Only one hour after leaving Melbourne His Grace the Archbishop landed at Mascot Airport in Sydney, where a rousing welcome from a number of Sydney members tock place.
After leaving the airport His Grace the Archbishop, in the company of the General Secretary, proceeded direct to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he imparted the Pontifical Blessing on Michael Massey, son of Leo and Marcia Massey, who was seriously ill and was to undergo a major operation the following morning.
Thus, after a very full and eventful day, His Grace was able to proceed to Ashfield where he would spend the night.
On Monday morning the General President and General Secretary farwelled His Grace the Archbishop at Mascot, where he left for Parkes. He was on his way to visit his sister, a Carmelite nun, whom he had not seen for some 25 years. Thus one side effect of the wonderful help and consolation he had been to us, was to enable him to visit his own sister, whom time and distance had separated as each had pursued God’s vocation in life.
Conclusion
Without the help of many priests, this inspiring week of Traditional Masses and ceremonies would not have been possible. However, our special thanks go to Rev. Fr. Opie for accomodating His Grace so kindly during his stay with us in Melbourne.
The members of the Latin Mass Society who helped so much in so many different ways, whether by assistance in organisation or generous donations were repaid in full by the truly uplifting experience of meeting and knowing this courageous Archbishop. But his visit was only a beginning; surely the fruits will follow. Inspired by his example we must all work that much harder to expand our membership in every State.
We pray that, with the help of Almighty God, and the intercession of His Blessed Mother, we may all follow the lead of His Grace to be constructive, so that more and more clergy and laity will become aware of the stealthy heresy which is overcoming the Church, and that the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church will once again emerge in all its reverence, true to its doctrines and as immovable as the rock on which it was founded.
So ends the account of the first major support from the Society of Saint Pius X to Tradition in Australia. It can be noted here that soon after the visit, Mr Gerard Hogan went to Switzerland to study for the priesthood, and Miss Janine Ward went to Europe to join the Sisters of the SSPX. At the time, Msgr Lefebvre had compiled the Statutes for the Sisters, but they had not yet been formed.
Soon there was a foundation, the first Superior was Mother Mary Gabriel, a natural sister of Msgr Lefebvre. Janine Ward from Melbourne was the first nun to join the Sisters of the SSPX directly, without coming from another Order. She took the name Sister Mary Michael.
‘Catholic’ was a traditional newspaper printed in country Victoria, Australia from 1982 to 2000. Its founders were Don McClean and his late wife, Andrina. Among its contributors was the famous defender of tradition, Michael Davies.
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