The Catholic Trumpet: Lessons from the Vendée for Today’s Resistance

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Lessons from the Vendée for Today’s Resistance

The Catholic Trumpet [slightly adapted] | September 3, 2024

During the French Revolution, the Church faced a ruthless assault. In 1790, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy forced priests into a schismatic allegiance, splitting them into “jurors” who swore allegiance to the state and “refractory priests” who remained faithful to Rome. The latter were persecuted, exiled, and often executed. This period witnessed the rise of a clandestine “Church of the Catacombs,” where faithful priests and laity risked their lives to preserve the True Faith amidst a hostile environment.

Today, we find ourselves in a similarly dire situation within the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). The doctrinal compromises of recent SSPX leadership echo the betrayal of the “jurors” during the French Revolution. The 2012 Doctrinal Declaration, which sought to align the SSPX with modernist Rome, represents a grave departure from Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre’s steadfast opposition to the errors of Vatican II. Just as the priests of the Vendée resisted the schism imposed by the Revolutionary government, so too must we resist the doctrinal errors and compromises that threaten to undermine the SSPX’s mission.

The so-called “Fake Resistance,” which claims to uphold traditional values while engaging in compromises, mirrors the duplicity of the Revolutionary jurors. Their attempts to reconcile with modernist principles and their failure to uphold the unchanging truths of the Catholic Faith betray the very spirit of true resistance.

In light of these betrayals, the faithful are called to persevere in the spirit of the Vendée martyrs. As those heroic souls defended their faith against overwhelming odds, so must we remain vigilant and unyielding in our defense of the Catholic tradition. We must reject false resistance and continue to uphold the true teachings of the Church, preserving the legacy of Archbishop Lefebvre and the unadulterated faith of our forebears.

Echoes of Faith: The Vendée Martyrs

Many priests who remained true to Rome were exiled or forced into hiding, clandestinely ministering to their flock. Thus emerged the “Church of the Catacombs,” where Mass was celebrated and sacraments administered in barns, basements, castle moats, and the woods. The faithful, alongside their priests, understood the peril of their situation; yet they chose death over the denial of Christ and His Holy Church.

As the Republic advanced with relentless fury, it sought to eradicate any vestige of Christianity from French society. The “god of Reason” was enthroned in the cathedral of Paris, and Christian names were systematically replaced with secular designations. Religious education was outlawed, and the Julian calendar was supplanted with a Republican one, eliminating the sacred seven-day week and displacing Sunday as the day of rest, the Lord’s Day. The days of the week were stripped of any reference to Saints, instead named after animals, plants, and tools of labor. Religious feast days were supplanted by Republican celebrations, while churches were desecrated and bell towers removed.

In September 1792, the systematic massacre of priests commenced, with citizens being incentivized to betray them; a bounty was offered for the denouncement of clergy.

In response to this tyranny, movements sprang forth across France, including the Vendée, rising as a new crusade to defend the rights of God. One venerable Vendéen recalled, “Despite our outrage, we did nothing as long as they left us with our priests and churches. But upon witnessing their evils against God, we rose to defend Him.”

The faith was deeply rooted among the Vendéens, particularly following the Monfortian missions, which instilled in their hearts a profound love for the Cross, the Blessed Sacrament, and the Rosary. When the Revolution unleashed its hatred toward Christ upon society and the Church, the people bravely rose to defend their beloved faith, even at the cost of martyrdom. Armed not with weapons but with the beads of their Rosaries, some battalions recited it three times daily.

Faced with Republican cannons, these noble souls had only their staffs. Against gunfire, they wielded sickles! Lacking military uniforms, they were united by a singular emblem: the Sacred Heart embroidered in red on their chests and the initials of Jesus Christ the King adorning their caps.

The Republican army, driven by hellish rage, descended upon the Vendée. The orders from Paris were clear: exterminate the Vendée and transform it into a vast cemetery, serving as a grim warning to all of France. The so-called “infernal columns” lived up to their name, marching into the Vendée and unleashing horror and death, slaughtering the population indiscriminately. General Westermann, infamously known as the butcher of the Vendée, recounted the atrocities following the battle of Savenay in December 1793, where 6,000 Vendée prisoners were brutally exterminated: “Following orders, I crushed children under horses, slaughtered women... I did not take a single prisoner... I exterminated them all.” A staggering three hundred thousand men, women, and children fell victim to this reign of terror. Accounts of extreme cruelty abound, such as those by General Amey in Mortagne, who roasted Vendéens and their children alive in bread ovens to ensure they “did not light the way for more bandits.” More than twenty drowning posts were established along the Loire, with three thousand women cast into the waters in Pont-au-Baux alone.

With generous hearts, the Vendéens charged into battle, offering themselves as living sacrifices. Some donned their finest attire, as if for a wedding, confident that beyond death, the Heart of Jesus would be their only homeland.

Conclusion

The plight of the Vendée during the French Revolution serves as a poignant reminder of the need for unwavering fidelity to Christ and His Church amidst adversity. The compromises and doctrinal deviations within the SSPX today parallel the historical schism of the “jurors.” The so-called “Fake Resistance” that engages in half-measures and compromises cannot be allowed to dilute the true Catholic Faith. The faithful must follow the example of the Vendéen martyrs, holding fast to the unchanging truths of the Church and rejecting any attempts to reconcile with modernist errors. In this battle for the purity of the Faith, let us move forward with courage and conviction, ever vigilant and steadfast in our resistance against the tide of modernism.