Sad Christmas for Franciscans of the Immaculate -- Three More Mass Locations Closed Down Just Before Christmas

(Rome) The joy of Christmas 2013 has brought another sad note for the Franciscans of the Immaculate. Shortly before the Solemnity, the Apostolic Commissioner, Father Fidenzio Volpi OFM Cap  has closed up three more branches of the Order. Many Traditional Mass locations in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite were connected to the closings. The  faithful were faced with this fact just before the holidays, that they would be without priests and  Mass locations for Christmas.

Of the convents that were closed, one held two Marian shrines, that of Our Lady della Rovere in San Bartolomeo al Mare on the Italian Riviera and that of Our Lady of Pontelungo in Albenga and at the Church of Saint Leonard of Porto Maurizio in Imperia. The reason used by  the Apostolic Commissioner was that the Franciscans of the Immaculate have a missionary charism, which is why they should also be active in the mission and is displacing the brothers to the Third World countries. The papal commissioner has already directed the closure of other convents and the exile of leading religious representatives (see separate reports After Rebuilding the Desolation Follows - Commissioner Disbands Convents of the Franciscans of the Immaculate on and The Road to Exile - Purge of Franciscans of the Immaculata ).

All three branches and Mass sites were located in the diocese of Albenga-Imperia in Liguria. The diocese is led by Bishop Mario Oliveri, a traditional diocesan bishop, like Bishop Dominique Rey in the nearby French Diocese of Frejus-Toulon on the Cote d'Azur, who promotes the establishment of old and biritual communities and gives them the task of the care of souls.

The closure of the three religious houses by the papal commissioner came after Bishop Oliveri gave permission for the brothers to live in his diocese, also supporting them in continuing to be able to celebrate in the traditional Rite. The Bishop drew particular attention to the pastoral care of the faithful at the three  Mass sites. "Messa in Latino" refers to a "retaliatory action" against the bishop, if he "had dared to defend the Franciscans of the Immaculate."

Bishop Oliveri in 2008 was the world's first diocesan bishop, after the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, of Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate a Pontifical Mass from the throne. Seven Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate took their solemn profession in the Co-Cathedral of Imperia  before the bishop.

"The Commissioner and some brothers collaborating with him, have imposed a climate of intimidation and fear  in the Order," says a Catholic from Albenga in a letter to Libertà e Persona . "In dealing with the Franciscans of the Immaculate itself, there is little sense of 'mercy' and 'justice' and  even less 'brotherly love'. And what can we  ordinary believers do? We pray. But we should also write Pope Francis write personal, because only he can put an end to this destruction of this thriving Order ".

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Santuario della Rovere NS / Santuario NS di Pontelungo

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

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"We Demand the Dismissal of Father Volpi as Commissioner of the Franciscans of the Immaculata"

(Rome) A group of Catholic lay associations and websites have started a petition: They demand the dismissal of Father Fidenzio Volpi from his post as authorized Apostolic Commissioner for the Franciscans of the Immaculate. Anyone who wants to support this appeal to the Congregation of Religious  and for informing  Pope Francis, this website  by well-known, traditional historian Roberto de Mattei  is available here do Corrispondenza Romana (first name, last name, e-mail app) . Below is the text for signature collection.

Petition to Demand Resignation

by Roberto de Mattei

We demand the resignation of Father Fidenzio Volpi from his job as political Commissioner of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. In the short period of just five months, Father Volpi has shattered the Order,  resulting in internal chaos and suffering,  externally causing scandal among the faithful, criticism in the media, and discomfort caused astonishment in the ecclesiastical world. It does not matter to know whether Father Volpi is the author or only the exporter of the destruction plan. One thing is certain though, if the plan is not stopped, the consequences will be devastating, and to prevent the calamity yet added to new disaster, Father Volpi must be dismissed.

According to the decree of last 11 July,  the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate was placed under provisional administration, and Father Volpi began with the help of a small band of subcommisars, among them Father Alfonso Bruno and Prof. Mario Castellano, to lay with his ax to the Order. He forbade the celebration of the Holy Mass and the Divine Office in the manner provided in the Motu proprio for the Extraordinary Form, he dismissed the whole Order leadership, starting with Father Stefano Maria Manelli, who since then is under house arrest, without then having been given to him the reasons why he dissmissed one by one the most loyal collaborators of Father Manelli and sent them every which way, personalities of intellectual and moral greatness, he transferred their duties to dissident brothers who lack  preparation and experience, he threattened and punished the brothers, who petitioned  to the Holy See and refused to withdraw them; and finally he closed the Order's own seminary on 8 December 2013, during the Solemnity of the Order,  and suspended all priests and deaconal ordinations;  he imposed an interdict against all publications of religious publishing house Editrice Casa Mariana and forbade their distribution in  the Order churches and chapels supervised by the order; he expanded his personal war to the SFO [Tertiaries] and the laity, who are connected to the Order, by forbidding all the activities of MIM (Mission Immaculate Mediatrix) and TOFI (Third Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception); he threatened the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, who adhere to the traditional ERte to also have them put under provisional administration and withdrew the two female religious branches, the missionary branch of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and the contemplative branch of the Poor Clares of the Immaculate Conception from the spiritual care of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception, and now finally, he has demanded of all Franciscans of the Immaculate a "Modernist Oath" to the Novus Ordo Missae and the Second Vatican Council (see the letter of Father Fidenzio Volpi from December 8, 2013 ). ¹

Father  Volpi has accused every critic of being against the pope. who has challenged him.  But is his rather tyrannical rule, which in its hardness is unprecedented in the history of the Church and directly contradicts the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, is  it in itself not an open contradiction to Pope Francis as well, who admonished to avoid any authoritarianism towards friend and enemy, to practice mercy and gentleness?

Even the Vatican expert Marco Tosatti has noticed it and wrote on 4 December, "What these poor religious men supposed to have done?  Have  they speculated money, sexually abused minors or maintained an immoral lifestyle? None of that. "Truth is that Father Volpi, of his own accord or on behalf of third parties, wants to "normalize" the Franciscans of the Immaculate"  in which he wants to  make them equal to other declining Orders. To achieve this, it is necessary to convert their spiritual and moral charism, to destroy their internal discipline, stifling the recovery of the traditional rite, to open the Order of corruption by the world as it is - with disastrous results - which is what he and his Capuchin Order have done.

Paul VI. recalled religious with the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelica testificatio of 29 June 1971, that they are committed to their superiors against obedience, except in that "something is ordered, which is contrary to God's laws or the constitutions of the institute clearly or certainly lead to a major disadvantage - in such cases the duty of obedience is void." Should Father Volpi not be dismissed, a crisis of conscience for religious men and women will inevitably open up, who want to preserve the charism of the Franciscans of the Immaculate and fidelity to the tradition of the Church.

Translation: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Corrispondenza Romana

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

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Attack Against Franciscans of the Immaculate Because "Crypto-Lefebvrian, Anyways Traditional"

(Rome) The Apostolic Commissioner, the Capuchin Father Fidenzio Volpi OFM Cap from the Congregation of Religious, with the approval of Pope Francis, instead of the Order leadership, with sole decision-making power at the head of the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate set (FI),  has given the real reason for the drastic intervention in the life of the Order for the first time.

The progressive Vaticanist Mario Tosatti had published a few days ago in the daily newspaper La Stampa a letter from a member of the Third Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, in which the radical approach of the Commissioner has been criticized (see separate report "Unrestricted War" against the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception? The Unspeakable "Blemish" ). The interventions affect not only the male religious branch, but also the Third Order, which was completely paralyzed by Father Volpi.

"Total War" Against the Franciscans of the Immaculata? The Unspeakable "Blemish"

(Rome) No other order has suffered such dramatic consequences on  the change of pontificate in late winter 2013  as  the Franciscans of the Immaculate. In July,  the Order  was placed under provisional administration by order of the Congregation for Religious  with papal approval.  Although the Order actually exactly corresponds to what Pope Francis wishes, namely evangelical poverty, missionary zeal and new evangelization, of which the  Franciscans of the Immaculate are one of  the only orders, against which the new pope has proceed with drastic measures. 

So dramatically that even a progressive Vatican expert like Marco Tosatti has now asked what should have these poor friars have only arranged, yes, done wrong, to deserve such a harsh punishment?  He could not fine an answer because he could not find a "crime", with which to  burden them. He therefore published a letter that describes the radicality with which the Order is being rebuilt. The question remains: Why did you destroy a thriving Order?

Young, Poor, Missionary and Evangelizing, but with a "Blemish" ...

The answer is in fact to look at a whole different level and observe the punished innocently. It  immediately arives at the level of intrigue. As  a cold as well as brutal coup by a minority in the Order. This was possible but only because this minority has been heard by the  Congregation for Religious  and in his  turn heard by the Pope. The Order had a major "flaw."  The "flaw" was that under the leadership and guidance of Pope Benedict XVI. they rediscovered the traditional rite and implemented it internally within the Order. The pastoral care of the Order was bi-ritual, internally it was old ritual. All in perfect accordance with the applicable rules and the canon law.

The Order is one of the few orders that have numerous vocations and can be described as a flourishing religious family in both the male and the female branches. The cons discovery of the liturgical riches of the Church makes the Franciscans of the Immaculate more to a unique phenomenon in the Catholic Church. Franciscan, missionary, flourishing and altrituell. Was unique to the Franciscans of the Immaculate, that a New Order was changing  to the Old Rite. It was a  combination that didn't only win  the Order  friends in the Vatican. With the rediscovery of the ancient liturgy,  the Order began to intensively study  the Second Vatican Council and of its examination and interpretation took place, working  in the light of the ever valid tradition.

The Order  Followed Benedict XVI. and discovered the Old Rite

A "flaw",  which was all the more serious,  because the Order had numerous vocations. A "blemish",  that certain  church circles of  little friendliness  and probably envious, did not dare to criticize under Pope Benedict XVI.. All the more uninhibited and with incredible haste they struck after his resignation. And Pope Francis gave them leave. For none of the other  orders  were effected in the change of  pontificate  more dramatically  than for the Franciscans of the Immaculate.

Let us hear so what Marco Tosatti wrote in the newspaper   La Stampa  on Wednesday:

"We received a letter from a layman who is close to the Franciscans of the Immaculate, a small Order, which is under an acting manager  (a highly debatable matter), and he complained of a special hardness posed by the new management. Based on many years of experience, we know of the cruelty in dealing with fellow brothers in church circles toward those other circles inferior to nothing. But just as Pope Francis, who signed the provisional administration, demanded in his interview with the chief editor of the Civilta  Cattolica  an attitude of Compassion 'and softness'. He was as  one of those in the Church, who entered the field hospital after a battle  and said, I see clearly that what the Church needs today is the ability to heal wounds,'  because, 'Nevertheless, there are people weary of authoritarianism '.

Each reader should decide for themselves whether in fact the  authoritarianism plays a role in the  Franciscans of the Immaculate  and arrogance among the Sisters.   What  have these  poor men done? Have they speculated in money, sexually abused minors or maintained an immoral lifestyle? So here's the letter. "

Letter from a layman who is close to the Franciscans of the Immaculate

Little is known about how things went on after the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate was placed under provisional administration. Therefore, a brief summary is necessary. 

After Father Stefano Maria Manelli, the worthy and pious founder of the Franciscans of the Immaculate (FI) was placed under charges that he had led the brothers away from their founding charism, without explaining this to date, of which the father is said to have concretely carried anyone away; then, the priests' celebration of the old rite was prohibited, a ban that applies to this day, and has been followed in the Order with absolute and faithful obedience; after which the brothers, who are faithful to the charism of the founding fathers, were hastily charged in summary proceedings and removed, and all those brothers who support the "new" line were promoted in the various monasteries around the world,  then  without a visible reason, the General Procurator Father Apollonio, Director of the Theological Seminary and Guardian of the Cloister Roma-Boccea was dismissed and sent to Portugal, as the Order's Superior of Florence was dismissed and sent to Austria;  then Father Settimio Manelli and Father Siano, were dismissed as Rector and Vice Rector of the Order Seminary and sent to Africa; then they were replaced by  two brothers of the "new" line, one of which does not even have  a degree; then Father Budani, who was in the middle of completing his studies of the canon law to end overnight and without possibility of completing his studies was sent to Africa; then, after Founder Father Stefano Manelli was deposed as Superior General and exiled and even though he has met all instructions and guaranteed absolute obedience, even his closest relatives are forbidden to visit him, and it is forbidden to make phone or receive phone calls and any contact with the outside world is denied to him ... after all, now it's the Apostolic Commissioner, the Capuchin Father,  Fidenzio Volpi, with the assistance of Father Alfonso Bruno, who is the new powerful man in the Order, and it's all-out war against the laity who are in continuing connection to the Order. 

By a letter dated 27 November, he forbade any activity of the lay members of the Mission Immaculate Mediatrix (MIM) and the Third Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate (Tofi). He refused that the Tertiaries to wear their robes. 

Is it resolving alleged internal difficulties claimed f a thriving religious community with such incredible hardness and such Stalinist purges? Or  its charisma be destroyed instead, which was not only able to arouse increasing number of vocations and to attract and expand the Order on all continents, but was, until yesterday, praised and promoted by the highest ecclesiastical authorities. Just think that the now outlawed Father Manelli and Father Lanzetta, were once welcome until a few months ago by cardinals and bishops and were welcome in the columns of the Osservatore Romano Publications were even open to them.

Text: La Stampa / Giuseppe Nardi
image: Franciscans of the Immaculate
Link to Katholisches....
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Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos to Una Voce: "Pope Francis Has no Intention to Limit the Old Rite"

(Rome), Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos took part in the Annual General Meeting of the International Federation Una Voce  (FIUV) in Rome. In his speech he referred to  the Franciscans of the Immaculate . The Cardinal tried to appease the case  of the traditional Franciscan Order, which was triggered by a radical intervention of  the Congregation of Religious in July,  and said Pope Francis would  only insist on the Novus Ordo " because of internal disagreements" as Catholic World News reported.

The former Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy and former President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei assured that Pope Francis has absolutely no intention to limit the celebration of Mass in the extraordinary form of the Roman rite. The cardinal is quoted as saying to Una Voce delegates: "I met Francis Pope recently and he told me that he has no problems with the old rite nor problems with groups and associations such as yours, which are promoting it."

As to questions by the FIUV delegates to the tensions surrounding the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate the cardinal told them that the Pope this order only because of the persistence of internal disputes  over  the new rite, but not because of an unfavorable opinion of the traditional liturgy.

The elected at the AGM FIUV new chairman, the Attorney James Bogle said: "We are very grateful to His Eminence Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, His Eminence Cardinal Brandmüller, and to Archbishop Pozzo for taking part in our General Assembly of the International Federation Una Voce". Opposite CWN Bogle said: "We are very pleased with the way the celebration of the traditional Mass is now going worldwide. We are obviously very grateful to Benedict XVI and also our present Pope Francis for all the support that they have given us in our right to worship in the traditional Roman rite."

A video offers a glimpse into images in the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, previously, evangelizing, missionary alternately, with the traditional rite and with numerous vocations. As to how the further development after the intervention of the Congregation of Religions and Pope Francis will be, it remains to be seen.



Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Bild: FIUV
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

The Way to Exile -- Purge Against Franciscans of the Immaculate

(Florence) The dismantling of the Franciscans of the Immaculate continues. Two of the best known members of the order, Father Serafino Lanzetta Mary and Father Paolo Maria Siano were discharged from their previous tasks. Coordinamento Toscano formed in the wake of Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum is speaking of "purge" and "exile". Father Lanzettta was transferred to Austria, Father Siano to Africa.

Father and Father Paolo Serafino are among the most prominent participants in the discussion initiated by Benedict XVI. in the discussion of the Second Vatican Council and its interpretation. Both participated in the apostolate in lengthy and notable lecturing activity. Father Serafino M. Lanzetta participated as speaker at annual conferences for all Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum and he himself organized such meetings in the context of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. Father Paolo M. Siano is a renowned Church Historian. Recently on the 10th of September, he presented his latest book in Rome about Freemasonry ( see separate report ). He dealt extensively with the spiritual roots and positions of the Lodges and their incompatibility with the Catholic faith. Similarly, the harmful influence of the Lodges and their fight against the Catholic Church.

Request to be Allowed to Continue to Celebrate the Old Rite as a Dividing Line?

With the approval of Pope Francis, the Congregation of Religious had placed the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate under provisional administration of the Holy See last July. From the 11th of August all the priests of the Order are prohibited from celebrating the Traditional Rite. Everyone must seek a special permit, which allows a precise filing of each individual. Father Serafino and Father Paolo immediately sought the special permission and therefore were not presented the desired page. The Apostolic Commissioner granted permission, but with conditions.

Father Serafino is a young priest and promising theologian. His most recent book release includes Iuxta Modum, in which he mentions tradition as the only possible interpretation of the Second Vatican Council. Together with the Founder and Superior General, Father Manelli, he oversaw the publication of several conference proceedings of the Order, on topics such as Hell and The Second Vatican Council: a Pastoral Council. Historical-philosophical-theological Analysis. Under Pope Benedict XVI. he was welcome author in L'Osservatore Romano . In 2011 he was among those who warned against the "Spirit of Assisi".

The Famous Moral Theologian and Confessor Father Lanzetta to Austria

Father Lanzetta is mainly known, however, for his pastoral zeal, his devotion to Mary, and his work as a confessor. He has now been removed as pastor of Ognissanti in Florence, a Parish of the Order and one of their most important religious centers and has to also had to give up his teaching as a moral theologian at the Seminary of Mary Mediatrix. Originally it was effective immediately on the 4th of October that he was to leave Florence. Because of a bureaucratic settlement he may stay until the 21st of October. As an exile he was assigned to Kitzbühel in Tyrol, where is the only monastery of the Order in the German speaking area. In the absence of German language skills for a confessor a double turning point.

The Church Historian and Freemason Expert Father Siano Banished to Africa

Father Paolo M. Siano, whose recent publications on Freemasonry, as expected, could not remain without response, was transferred to Africa.

When the news became known on traditional internet sites in Italy, there was a flood of comments in which believers disappointed, appalled and disgusted feel of the procedure against the Franciscans of the Immaculate. Many commentators questioned the frequent calls to "Mercy" by Francis Pope and point towards the fact that the action against the Order has his endorsement and he even refused the Order the opportunity to file a protest. As Chiesa e Postconcilio (Post-Conciliar Church) states:

"Probably Pope Francis sees in the Franciscans of the Immaculate what he has called Pelagian. In the strange diction and liturgical 'sensibility' of the Pope it is probably: the Franciscans of the Immaculate celebrate the Old Mass, so they are nostalgic, because why else would you need the old, where the new is available, that which is exactly suitable, as Franciscans of the Immaculate deal intensively with the causes of the Church crisis, arranged on the coat tails of Benedict XVI and also suitably make heard their criticism of the Second Vatican Council but that is an 'ideological struggle' and that he does not understand. It is strange and painful just how one-sided is the perception of the Pope."

Text: Giuseppe
Nardi Image: Corsia dei Servi/SAT2000 (screenshot)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

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Leader of the Dissidents Appointed General Secretary of the Franciscans of the Immaculate

(Rome) The Apostolic Commissioner for the Franciscans of the Immaculate has appointed Father Alfonso Bruno as the new Secretary General of the Order. With this he has completed the first step toward rebuilding the traditional Order, as the historian Roberto de Mattei feared he would, as the decision of the Congregation of Religion became known to the faithful and growing Order placed under the coming under provisional administration.

Father Fidenzio Volpi, OFM Cap was the Commissioner appointed by the Holy See, with the sole power of decision, made Father Alfonso Bruno to his right hand and highest representative of the Order on the 5th of September. The new Secretary General immediately sent a statement to all the brothers of the Order, as he announced himself, that it is the responsibility of the Secretary, the Commissioner to help "the members of the Order and to the outside" help, "to handle all correspondence sent by the Apostolic Commissione, to publish all of the minutes of meetings set by the Apostolic Commissioner, to manage the General Archives of the Order and to update the statistics. The General Secretary shall act as the sole spokesman of the Order during the period of provisional administration."

The Neapolitan Father Alfonso Bruno is 44 years old. Until July 2013, he was the head of the media office of the Order and was mainly related to some incidents there. He was responsible of his website of the Order Mediatrice.net which published some dubious articles by Mario Castellano, where it praised the government of Mario Monti and the Eurokratenstaat EU. The same Castellano is close to Father Bruno, was known elsewhere through his articles in favor of Islam and for the construction of mosques in Europe.

While the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception actively supported March for Life in Italy and marched in it as an Order, Mediatrice.net was deathly silent in both 2012 and 2013.

The website recently published an exuberant praise of the Jesuit Paolo Dall'Oglio, who was kidnapped on 27 July 2013 by Islamists in Syria. Dall'Oglio, was murdered by Jihadists according to the report of an Arabic website on the 12th of August, but could be neither officially confirmed nor denounced accordingly, was active until his abduction in a dubious "inter-religious" role in Syria. First of all because of his self-confession as "Catholic and Muslim." Secondly, because of his call to the Syrian rebels to use chemical weapons against Assad's government soldiers.

Father Alfonso Bruno is Known for His Aversion to Traditional Catholics and the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception

Father Bruno controls the Facebook page of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. There he mainly made known the fact that he himself gladly engaged in contradiction with the general attitude of the Order. Just as the provisional government of the Order was known, not a day went by without the media-savvy religious man to publish photos of himself in all possible variations from the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.

His aversion traditional Catholics is also known to be raised against the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, the female religious branch, which he accused of an "intransigent" attitude. [I hope so.] It was he who,by misleading information to journalists, reported on the provisional government of the Order, which was known only to him, trying to steer in a certain direction against the Order's direction and against the Old Mass.

Father Alfonso Bruno is regarded as the real head of the then six-member dissident group who turned to the Congregation of Religious and then apparently was offered a welcome opportunity to intervene against the religious leadership. On 30 August, the most recent meeting between the Commissioner and the Apostolic Order took place with the displaced leadership. With the appointment of Father Alfonso Bruno as General Secretary and spokesman of the Order, it appears to be entering into what de Mattei predicted, that the Commissioner is according the antagonists of tradition in the Order and delivering the administration of the Order by the provisional government of the dissidents.

The leniency of the Founder with his ambitious pupil is taking a heavy toll. The picture shows Father Alfonso Bruno, who sat at the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, with Pope Francis. The change of pontificate seems to have delivered the decisive prerequisite for the action against the Order.

"The Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception, commencing with Father Manelli, run the risk of finding themselves outside of their Order," said Corrispondenza Romana.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi image: Facebook Franciscans of the Immaculate

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com AMGD Link to katholisches....

Parish of Ognissanti of the Franciscans of the Immaculate in Florence: Regular Mass on Sundays

(Florence) The Parish of Ognissanti (All Saints), supervised by the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Florence has announced "the good news" that starting Sunday, 1 September, the celebration of the Holy Mass in the traditional Rite will resume and take place daily at the usually assigned times. The Congregation of Religious had forbidden the Old Mass with its decree since 11 August.

The parish of Ognissanti, Florence is one of the spiritual centers of the Order. Pastor is Father Serafino Lanzetta FI is one of the well-known figures of the Catholic tradition in Italy. He was significantly involved in the discussion about the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council in recent years. Father Lanzetta represents how the hermeneutics of continuity of Pope Benedict XVI. reads the Council in the light of the Church's tradition. This reading makes a criticism of Vatican II possible and sometimes necessary. He is also one of the critics of Freemasonry, which he accuses of exerting influence on the Catholic Church and desires to gain further influence.

Father Lanzetta was one of the first to set up an application to the Congregation of Religious' Apostolic Commissioner, who immediately ordered the traditional Rite to continue to be celebrated.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
 Image: Wikicommons
 Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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Sint ut sunt, aut non sint -- A Franciscan Abolished the Jesuits. Will a Jesuit Abolish the Franciscans of the Immaculate?

(Rome) The well-known historian Roberto de Mattei concerns himself again in a recent essay about the tradition-bound order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception, which was made ​​by the Roman religious congregation under provisional administration and its priests since 11 August, is prohibited from the celebration of the traditional rite. De Mattei sees parallels to the suppression of the Jesuits in the second half of the 18th Century. A Franciscan Pope on the throne then abolished the Jesuit Order. Will the Jesuit Pope on the papal throne now abolish a Franciscan order? Actually, says de Mattei, then you wanted the Jesuits only "reform" in order to make them "harmless". Instead, it was abolished, which had ultimately been better for the Order. Now the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception are to be "reformed" to destroy her charism and adapt them to the "normal" order.

Sint ut sunt, aut non sint

By Roberto de Mattei

"Sint ut sunt aut non sint" (leave them as they are or not at all) is a phrase that the historian Lorenzo Ricci, the 18th Superior General of the Jesuits, uttered at the proposal submitted to the Society of Jesus to "reform" to reflect the needs of the world. He wrote that in the second half of the 18th Century, the Jesuits were the bulwark on which the attacks of the external and internal enemies of the Church were broken. The external enemies were led by enlightened Parti Philosophique, the internal were distributed under the names Gallican, regalism, Febronianism of the state church and in various heretical movements, all of which claimed the church subordinate to the absolutist states.

The Jesuits, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, vigorously defended the primacy of the Pope of Rome, with which they were bound by their fourth vow. The absolute rulers, influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment, had begun with the expulsion of the Jesuits from their realms by accusing it of wanting to overthrow the social order. However, that was not enough. It was necessary to rebuild the entire Order. As the Superior General of the Jesuits, however, resisted, he should be removed by abolishing, but this only a pope could do.

The opportunity presented itself when on the second of February, 1769, Clement XIII. died. The historian Ludwig von Pastor, in his 16th Volume of the History of the Popes (Herder, 1932) described the machinations with detailed documents during and after the conclave held in the first three months over 179 rounds till the 14th of May when the Franciscan Lorenzo Ganganelli was elected with the name of Clement XIV.. The new pope was elected under the condition that he would dissolve the Society of Jesus. Although the formal promise was not written down, because that would have involved the offense of simony, which Cardinal Ganganelli had promised to the ambassadors of the Bourbon royal courts. The Holy Spirit was also at this conclave, the cardinals met but hardly the divine grace, when their choice, was a prelate, whom Pastor describes as a "weak and ambitious character", who "aspired to the tiara."

On 21 July 1773, Pope Clement XIV dissolved with the Breve Dominus ac Redemptor, the Society of Jesus, which at that time was around 23,000 members in 42 provinces. "This brief of 21 July 1773," writes Pastor, "represents the clearest victory of the Enlightenment and of monarchical absolutism over the Church and Her leader." Father Lorenzo Ricci was arrested and imprisoned in Castel Sant'Angelo, where at 24 he Died November 1775. Clement XIV went to him on 22 September 1774 a year after the abolition of the Order, who was already facing death. The Society of Jesus was smashed and scattered, however, but survived in Russia, where Catherine the Great refused to enact the letter of dissolution exequatur. The Jesuits of White Russia were accused of disobedience and rebellion against the Pope. They did, however, assure the continuity of the Order, while former Jesuits in other countries pushed forward the creation of new religious congregations in the Ignatian spirit.

When the French Revolution of 1789 broke out, and the Church began a dramatic era which even saw the invasion of Rome by the Jacobins and the deportation of two successors of Clement XIV., Pius VI. and Pius VII.. The resistance against the revolution was at this time carried out, especially by a secret organization, the Association "Christian friends" that Swiss Nikolaus Albert von Diesbach (especially Diesbach) founded in Turin with former Jesuits.

After 40 years, Pius VII. with the Constitution Sollicitudo Omnium Ecclesiarum Breve of the 7th of August 1814 finally withdrew the breve of the 21st of July 1773 and ordered the full restoration of the Society of Jesus in the world, since it was a "heavy burden of guilt before God," to continue to suppress such courageous and capable rowers in very stormy time the nave of the Church, as Pastor remarked.

A Pope of the Franciscan Order, Clement XIV. had abolished the Jesuits in 1773. Will the Jesuit Pope Francis in 2013 abolish a Franciscan Order or, even worse, "reform" it? The Franciscans of the Immaculate have no such glorious past, such as the Jesuits, but their case has some similarities to that of the Society of St. Ignatius. Above all, it is a symptomatic manifestation of the deep crisis in which the Catholic Church is today.

Founded in 1970 by Father Stefano Maria Manelli, the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate live a life of repentance and the Gospel. They have distinguished themselves since their inception by their fidelity to the traditional faith and moral teaching. The Motu Proprio, Pope Benedict XVI. restored the traditional Roman rite again returned to the Church, they asked for the opportunity to live this love of tradition on a liturgical level. Father Manelli has never imposed the Vetus Ordo but recommended to his brothers, to make their ordinations in recent years in the Old Rite by leading church dignitaries on the line of "renewal in continuity" of Benedict XVI..

From the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSA), today presided over by Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, depends on religious men and women from who have fully or partially abandoned the habit and live in moral laxity and doctrinal relativism without being called to order by the competent authority in any way. The Franciscans of the Immaculate are a cornerstone of the opposition, which explains the desire of CICLSA to "normalize" and adapt to the prevailing standards of religious life. The presence of a small group of "dissident" brothers offered an opportunity to the Congregation to intervene by sending a visitor,  Monsignor Vito Angelo Todisco,  on the 5th of July, 2012..  Bishop Todisco  arranged on 11 July 2013, with CICLSA, solely on the basis of a captious questionnaire where the brothers were not interviewed directly, the provisional government of the Order with an absolutely unlawful decree including an interdict against celebrating the traditional Mass.

In the coming days and weeks we will know the plans of the Commissioner, Fidenzio Volpi, better, but their rough lines can already be guessed: isolate the Founder Father Manelli, to isolate him from the General Council of traditional brothers loyal to him, to isolate the "traditionalist" brothers in the periphery, and hand the leadership of the order to the dissidents; entrust the novitiates to Fathers are not in suspicion of "traditionalist"; sterilization of publications and the Franciscan writings that deal with within the Church of "controversial" topics, including: avoidance of Marian "maximalism," one "covered" rigor in moral teaching and especially any criticism, be it ever so respectful, of the Second Vatican Council, plus opening of the Order to the "ecumenical dialogue" with other religions; restriction of Vetus Ordo to special exceptions in short, the destruction the identity of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception, which is even worse than their removal.

If that's the "Reform", then a separation of the two souls is desirable than that they currently coexist in the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception: on the one hand, the brothers who interpret the Second Vatican Council in the light of the Church's tradition and in this spirit have rediscovered the traditional Roman rite in all its truth and beauty, and on the other hand, those who want to reinterpret the charism of their order in the light of a conciliar progressivism. The worst thing is the confusion and identity crisis. The true guarantor of the identity of the Franciscans of the Immaculate today can therefore be none other than its founder, Father Stefano Maria Manelli, on whom falls all the responsibility of final decisions. The only one who can repeat the words, as has already happened in history: Sint ut sunt aut non sint.

Text: Corrispondenza Romana
 Introduction / Translation (From Italian to German): Giuseppe Nardi Image: Corrisdenza Romana
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com AMGD

Link to katholisches...

"A Minority Doesn't Want the Old Mass Any Longer" -- Franciscans of the Immaculate and Roman Opponents of the Vetus Ordo

Edit: many want them to go quietly into the oblivion shared by those religious orders that have not remained true to the vision of their founders, but they don't intend on going quietly.

(Rome) Following the exposure of Vatican Insider as the mouthpiece of the rebel group in the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, it is aptly trying to limit the damage for the sake of balance. This includes an interview with the only official spokesperson of the Order, Father Procurator General Alessandro Maria Apollonio. Father Apollonio expressly rejects the attempts to reduce the provisional government of the Order by the Congregation of Religious to "internal tensions" that have nothing to do with the traditional Roman Rite.

From the interview it appears that there is a small minority in the Order, which is known to be led by Father Alfonso M. Bruno, but that this alone would not have been able to be effective. The input of six brothers in the Order to the Vatican Congregation offered but others obviously can find, against better judgment, a welcome pretext to act against the Order.

The interview also reveals a certain weakness of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, whose significance seems limited. The Commission had previously approved the procedure of the General Council of the Order with the introduction of Vetus Ordo. However, this official confirmation had no relevance for the Congregation of Religious.

Some things the matter of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, are so fundamentally different, the two questions are reminiscent of the final stages of officially frozen unification talks between the Society of St. Pius X., and the Holy See. The Superior General of the SSPX, Bishop Bernard Fellay, spoke in the fall of 2012 that "signals" had come from Rome, which made ​​an agreement seem possible. Indeed, such was already virtually certain at Easter 2012. But then everything changed. The "conflicting signals" were interpreted as a synonym for a power struggle back in Rome back ( see separate report ).

Some seem to suggest that the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate constituted an example to be directed against the Old Mass. Still unclear are the exact relationships, such as whether it would deter other orders, also to discover for themselves the traditional form of the Roman Rite, or whether the examples were even targeted against Ecclesia Dei communities. In tradition-bound circles, the scope of the attack quickly organized a protest that has been recognized and grown, which does not seem to have unimpressed Rome.

The interview was conducted by the Vatican expert Andrea Tornielli.

Why was an Apostolic Visitation of the Institute approved by authorities in the Vatican?

Because it was demanded by a minority among the brethren who no longer share the leadership of Founding Father and General Minister and the desire to promote the Vetus Ordo next to the Novus Ordo in the institution, as required by the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum and the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae.

How important was the question of the old Missal in connection with the apostolic visitation?

It had great importance because said group of brothers accused the founding father to have imposed the Vetus Ordo on the entire institution. The accusation is absolutely false, but it was believed, and all our attempts to convince the proper authorities that it is false, were to no avail. Meanwhile, the false assertion by various media and news agencies became more widespread to cause serious damage to the reputation of our founding father and the institute.

Websites related to tradition interpreted the message of the provisional administration and the decision to stop the use of the old Missal's permission, as undermining the Motu Proprio of Benedict XVI. Do you share this view? How do you comment on the appropriate decision?

Father Lombardi has clarified that the measures do not undermine us regarding the Motu Proprio. However, we are waiting for an authentic interpretation of the liturgical rules of the Holy See that affect us. Indeed, it is not clear, for example, who the "competent authorities" are, of which the above authorizations may be granted: the Commissioner, the Congregation of Religious, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, the local bishop, one or the other or all together?

We hope that this is a temporary disciplinary action, and that we will, as soon as possible, again allowed to celebrate in the Vetus Ordo, as we have always done, and that without the current restrictions that rob us of that, even though the Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum and the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae have higher universal force.

In the corrections to our articles you have always stressed that the use of the old Missal was not exclusive and that all decisions were made in accordance with the provisions of the Motu Proprio. Is it true that the Ecclesia Dei Commission had asked the Franciscans of the Immaculate to exercise prudence in the Apostolic Visitation, regarding the manner in which the use of the old Missal will continue?

Yes, and we have acted with utmost restraint and in complete respect of our particular law, which confers the General Chapter "the highest authority in the Institute" (Constitutions, § 81). It was just the most recent General Chapter in 2008, which stipulated that the General Council (i.e. Father Stefano M. Manelli and his five consultants) to create a detailed protocol for the introduction of Vetus Ordo in our communities. This introduction was performed with the letter dated 21 November 2011. The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei was invited in advance as a precaution d to examine the letter, and they realized that it was equivalent to the mens Holy Father Benedict XVI. This official assessment took into account in any way for the further development of our affairs. The thing seems inexplicable to us and it hurts us a lot. We have confidence in our cause the heavenly Advocate, Queen of the Seraphic Order.

Interview: Vatican insider
Introduction / Translation: Giuseppe Nardi
 Image: Corsiadeiservi
Translation: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMGD


Link to katholisches...

Lex Dubia Non Obligat -- Against an Unjust Law and Legal Positivism Which Has Penetrated the Church

(Rome) The historian Roberto de Mattei is concerned with the sources of law and the legal hierarchy of Church law and the obligation that every Church Law must have its basis in the divine law. On the other hand, says de Mattei, is legal positivism which ignores this central principle, penetrating into the Church. The most recent example is the decree by the Congregation of Religious, which places the order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate under provisional administration and abolishes the celebration of the Old Mass on the 11th of August. Resistance against the positivist thinking undermining the Church's understanding of the law is permissible, says de Mattei. The principle that an unjust law obligates no obedience, could even go so far as to draw excommunication upon himself, rather than to engage in a false obedience. This had already been taught by Saint Thomas Aquinas and all great canonists.

Lex Dubia non Obligat

By Roberto de Mattei

The case of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception church brings a canonical, moral and spiritual issues back on the agenda, which often arrested in the post-Conciliar years and occasionally "exploded": the problem of obedience to an unjust law. A law can be unjust not only when it violates the law of God and nature, but even if it hurts a canon law of a higher rank in the legal hierarchy. This is the case with the decree of 11 July 2013, by the Congregation for Consecrated Life , putting the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception under provisional administration.

The violation of the law is not in the provisional administration, but in the part of the decree, that claims to force the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate to waive the celebration of the Holy Mass according to the traditional Roman Rite. In addition to the Bull Quo Primum of St. Pius V (1570) there is the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI. (2007), and thus a universal Church law that gives every priest the right to:

Accordingly, it is allowed, according the sacrifice of the Mass of Blessed John XXIII. promulgated in 1962 and never abolished typical edition of the Roman Missal, to celebrate the Extraordinary Form of the Liturgy of the Church.

Article 2 of the Motu Proprio clarifies that it neither requires permission from the the Holy See nor from his superior when the Mass is celebrated sine populo.

Article 3 adds that it is not just the individual priest, but Communities of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life - whether pontifical or diocesan right, is allowed in the Convention or, in its own oratory community's Mass to keep the celebration of the Holy Mass according to the edition of the Roman Missal that was promulgated in 1962.

If an individual community or an entire Institute or a whole society wants to commit such celebrations often, usually or always, it is the responsibility of superiors, to decide according to the norm of law, and according to the laws and particular statutes. In this case there is no need to invoke the divine and natural law, it is sufficient that the Church as the legal source. An eminent jurist like Pedro Lombardia (1930-1986) recalled that Canon 135, paragraph 2 of the new Code of Canon Law which establishes the principle of legitimate legislation in the sense that the legislative power is to be exercised in the manner prescribed in the right way, especially the canons 7-22, the title of the codex form, which is devoted to the ecclesiastical laws.

The Codex recalls that the universal or general laws of the Church are those which were promulgated by publication in the official gazette Acta Apostolicae Sedis (Can. 8), in Can. 12, § 1 states: General Laws require all those for whom they are adopted; Can. 18 states that laws which impose a penalty or restrict the free exercise of rights, or contain an exception to the Act, are subject to strict interpretation, Can. 20 adds: A subsequent law raises a former wholly or partly on when it says this explicitly or opposed to it directly or is the whole matter of the earlier law assigns comprehensive , and finally sets Can. 21 states: In doubt, the revocation of a previous law is not presumed, but later laws are to be set in relation to earlier and to bring with them as far as possible in line.

Canon 135 finally determined the basic principle of the hierarchy: A lower legislator cannot validly issue a law contrary to higher law. Not even a Pope can abolish the act of another pope, except in the prescribed form. The unassailable rule in moral and legal states is that a law of a higher source that affects an area larger and of more universal significance, has title to a superior rule of law, has priority (Regis Jolive, 1959).

According to Canon 14 for the canonical standard to be mandatory, may not be the object of legal doubt ( dubium juris ). If there is a lack of legal certainty, the axiom applies: lex dubia non obligat. If there is a doubt, the honor of God and the salvation of souls will have precedence over any actual consequences that may follow from an act at the personal level. The new Code of Canon Law Canon recalls the past that the Church always has in mind the salus suprema lex animarum (Can. 1752). Saint Thomas Aquinas already taught this when he was in his Quaestiones quodlibetales , explaining that the purpose of canon law aims for the peace of the Church and the salvation of souls (12, q. 16, a 2) and all the great canonists have followed him in this.

The Cardinal Julian Herranz, president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts in a speech delivered on the 6th of April 2000 spoke on the salus animarum as a principle of canon law, he recalled that this is the highest principle of ecclesiastical legislation. But that requires basic considerations ahead that are missing in the debate, because often the moral and metaphysical foundation of law is forgotten.

Today there is a purely legalistic and formalistic conception which tends to see the law as a mere instrument in the hands of those who have power (Don Arturo Cattaneo, 2011). According to the legal positivism, which has infiltrated into the Church, what is considered correct, is issued by the authority. In reality, this is jus divinum is the basis for legal expressions and demands the primacy of jus in front of Lex. The principles of legal positivism distort the foundations and replaced legal validity of the jus through the application of the Lex. The law can is only seen the will of the rulers and not the reflection of the divine law, according to which God is creator and foundation of every law. He is the living and eternal law, absolute principle any law (jus divinum, ed. Juan Ignacio Arrieta, 2010).

For this reason, in a conflict between human and divine law, God and not the people is to be obeyed (Acts 5:29). The obedience is owed ​​to superiors because they represent the authority of God, and they represent, because they keep the divine law and apply it. St. Thomas Aquinas affirms that it is better to fall into the current excommunication and exile to foreign lands where the earthly arm of the Church does not reach, than to obey an unjust command: ille debits potius excommunicatione, sustinere (...) vel in alias regiones remotas fugere (Summa Theologiae, Suppl, q. 45, a 4, 3 Upper).

Obedience is not only a formal procedure that causes us to submit to human authority. It is primarily a virtue that leads us on the path of perfection. Not who vested interests, obeying from fear or submissive human attachment is not really obedient, but who chooses the true obedience which is a compound of the human will with the divine will. For the love of God, we must be prepared to obey this highest act of His law and His will, to detach ourselves from the bonds of false obedience, poses the risk to let us lose faith. Unfortunately, today a false sense of obedience is common that sometimes borders on sycophancy and in which the fear of human authority is provided through the divine truth.

The resistance to unlawful commands is sometimes a duty to God and to our neighbor, the need for exemplary acts of metaphysical and moral stolidity. The Franciscans of the Immaculate had obtained from Benedict XVI. the extraordinary goods of traditional, falsely "Tridentine" so-called Mass, accepted and celebrated again today by thousands of priests lawfully throughout the world. There is no better way to express their gratitude to Benedict XVI. and at the same time to express their protest against the injustice done to them, than to continue to celebrate in the serenity of a clear conscience, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the traditional Roman Rite. No law can force their conscience. Maybe only few will do this, but compliance to prevent greater evil, will not help to avert the storm that goes beyond their Order and the Church.

Text: Corrispondenza Romana

translation: Giuseppe Nardi

Image: Corrispondenza Romana

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com AMGD Link to katholisches...

Franciscans of the Immaculate: Great Show of Solidarity --- Two Roman Reactions

Edit: also, the Vatican website has finally made Summorum Pontificum available in various languages.  So that's another positive indicator.

(Vatican) The appeal of the famous traditional historian Roberto de Mattei, was followed by a large wave of solidarity for the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. Within a week, 3515 letters of support and protest were received in Rome. This violent reaction was not counted on in Rome.  De Mattei interprets two Roman events as a direct response to this welling of solidarity. It is not excluded that the decree will be withdrawn or amended says de Mattei.

The protest against the decree of the Congregation was expressed with letters. They represent an appeal to Pope Francis to reverse the massive intervention of the Congregation under the direction of Cardinal Prefect Joao Braz de Aviz against the exemplary Order. This was announced by Professor Roberto de Mattei on the traditional Internet news service known as Corrispondenza Romana. The initiative was begun by the well-known historian, to address the initiative to the competent Vatican authorities to protest with letters of support for the canonically recognized Franciscans of the Immaculate founded by Father Manelli and Fr Pellettieri in 1990, against the unequal treatment of the Old Mass for the New Mass and the violation of Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI..

The letters were all sent within the week between the 1st and 8th of August. The letters were addressed to Cardinal Braz de Aviz also the Secretary of the Congregation of Religious, Archbishop Carballo, Prefect of the Congregation, Curial Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Vice-President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei , Augustine di Noia and the administrator appointed by the Congregation of Religious, the Apostolic Commissioner for the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception, Father Fidenzio Volpi. Roberto de Mattei noted that the decree of the Congregation of Religious was "an unjust act", in violation of any applicable Church laws.

De Mattei was very satisfied with the spontaneous international solidarity from many countries including Germany, Austria and Switzerland. De Mattei sees two events in Rome directly related to the appeal for solidarity and so many numerous in-depth responses. The first event is the opinion of Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi SJ of 2 August. In Rome we have seen after the protest, that the reactions were more severe than expected. The first measure was therefore, calm down. Father Lombardi stated officially that the decree did not intend to disagree with the provisions of Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI..

That allows us to assume, says de Mattei, that the decree may be withdrawn or amended. That the Franciscans of the Immaculate have banned the celebration in the Old Rite and nullifies the Order, is clearly contrary to the Motu Proprio. Currently, the situation should calm down again, then clarity will rule.

The second reaction de Mattei perceives is the appointment of Curial Archbishop Guido Pozzo, Secretary of the Commission Ecclesia Dei, on the 3rd of August. An unexpected return after Pozzo had taken another job at the Curia until the fall of 2012. De Mattei sees reshuffle as the strengthening of the Commission, and thus a clear indication that the Commission should not be abolished. De Mattei himself had raised the question on July 30th about the intention of the decree against the Franciscans of the Immaculate and asked whether it abolished the Motu Proprio and the Commission should be abandoned. De Mattei interpreted the two Roman reactions of the 2nd and 3rd of August as a signal that Pope Francis neither wants to abolish the motu proprio nor dissolve the Commission Ecclesia Dei, "That is because of the strong reaction of the traditional circles" against the decree, says de Mattei.

The provisional government of the Order goes back to an apostolic visitation by Monsignor Vito Angelo Todisco, who was not known as a friend of the Order nor the tradition. On the basis of a "tendentious" report to Rome, where an "alleged survey" played a central role rolling in the hard treatment against the Order. While Father Alfonso Maria Bruno has a central role, he is the only Franciscan Friar of the Immaculate Conception, who is himself happily opposed to religious discipline is in the picture, which would convince anyone who is on the Facebook page of the Order, which page Alfonso Bruno is the administrator. It was he who tried to steer journalists to misleading information, reporting in a specific direction against the Order's Leadership and against the Old Mass.

Neo-Commissar Father Volpi has just returned from vacation.  It was now to be seen, says de Mattei, whether Father Volpi is driven by the same prejudices against the Order and the Old Mass as Archbishop Todisco.  The historian is convinced that a progressive separation of the rebel group within the Order will be inevitable. Leading the group of rebels is Father Alfonso Bruno, Angelo Geiger and Angelo Gaeta. This part could have all been easier if he had correctly left the Order. Instead, the whole Order was drawn into the conflict. It may also be that - as with any conflict - there is a "gray zone" that keeps watch to be on the winning side. "In the end, the truth always wins," says the historian de Mattei.

It has been shown in all cases that a rapid and decisive response by Traditional circles can get things moving, if the persistence needed is available.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Corrispondenza Romana
Trans: vekron99@hotmail.com
AMGD

Roberto de Mattei: Flood of Protest Letters to the Vatican for Franciscans of the Immaculata

(Rome) After the crackdown on the Franciscans of the Immaculate became known, the historian Roberto de Mattei called for a petition for the benefit of the Order and to defend the Old Mass to the prefect of the religious congregation Cardinal Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation Curia, Archbishop Mueller, Vice President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei Curia, Archbishop Di Noia OP and the Apostolic Commissioner for the Order, Father Fidenzio Volpi OFM Cap. In just the first 24 hours there were more than a thousand protests and petitions. These are also only those of which de Mattei was aware.

The Order itself has asked in obedience to the Roman and encouraged ecclesiastical discipline in the collections of signatures. However, this does not prevent believers from expressing their opinion in respect and moderate language to the Roman authorities.

The tenor of the letter to Rome, received in Italian, English, German, French, Spanish and other languages, is: The Decree of the provisional administration of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception "constitutes an unjust act in regard to this religious Institute, whose honour it diminishes, but above all it represents a violation of the universal laws of the Church, in particular of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum of July 7th 2007 of Benedict XVI, which has never been abrogated and which grants, to every priest, the freedom to celebrate the Mass according to the “extraordinary” form. This objective lesion of the right cannot but concern all those who believe and love the liturgical tradition of the Church and, also in the same spirit, who fight in defense of life, of the family, of the pontifical Magisterium and of Christian Civilisation," says Professor de Mattei. "This infringement concerns all those who believe in and love the liturgical tradition of the Church," says the historian.

His Eminence João Braz de Aviz Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life Piazza Pio XII 3 00193 Roma
 Email: civcsva.pref @ ccscrlife.va

S.Ex. Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Palazzo del Sant'Uffizio 00120 Città del Vaticano
 E-mail: cdf@cfaith.va

S.Ex. Archbishop Augustine Di Noia OP Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei Piazza del Sant'Uffizio 11 00193 Roma
Email: eccdei@ecclsdei.va

There is also the possibility of the patch directly in several languages ​​to use in writing Professor de Mattei to use ( see here ). An indicator for the further development  will be  seen in what course the careers of the agitators in the Order and the Vatican take.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
 Image: Franciscans of the Immaculate

"They Knowingly Lie" -- Franciscans of the Immaculate Defend Themselvesin Official Statement

(Rome), the Franciscans of the Immaculate seem to have caught on after a first moment of shock. The Order has now responded with two official clarifications to a number of false reports that were apparently and deliberately circulated in connection with the decree of the Congregation of Religious. Both explanations are directed against Vatican Insider . The Order has precisely recognized, that this news platform are some Vaticanists, from which emanated the article with false reports. "They are lying and know that they are lying," said Messa in Latino about the behavior of some journalists. Unaudited reports were adopted by Catholic media and broadly disseminated. In recent days, it has been repeatedly claimed that it was not about the Old Mass in the whole thing. In reality, it is first and foremost on the Old Mass.

Vatican Insider as a Smoke Screen against the Franciscans of the Immaculate and the Old Mass

Even the report of the commissarate over the Order of Alessandro Speciale on July 30th was a smoke screen. Speciale reported on the actions of the Congregation of Religious, but also mixed a number of false reports in the article that were to serve to justify the extraordinary measures. For this purpose, he presented a supposed "spokesman of the Order," which he had cited in detail, thus giving the false impression that these were official statements. In reality, it was a leading representative of the "rebellious, progressive minority" (Roberto de Mattei). The statements of the alleged "speaker" was a single ignition out of smoke grenades, which were taken as stated by many Catholic media.

The supposed "spokesman" justified the Roman intervention allegedly because the order had been "exploited" as a "mediator" in the unification talks between the Holy See ands the SSPX (lie 1). He also described the ominous internal "poll" (lie 2) as the first in circulation, and even an "overwhelming majority" (lie 3) of the members of the order report that they would reject an "exclusive" celebration (lie 4) Tridentine Mass "especially in pastoral care in the parishes."

So it went on 2 August at Vatican Insider with the article about the unconvincing attempt by Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi to placate in the matter of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. This time the article was no longer marked by name.

Slanderous allegations against the founder of the Order and the Old Mass

The statement by Father Lombardi was clearly then apparently much for the order. Franciscan Sister of the Immaculate contemplative branch . Now the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception have a first official clarification. That an order which is under provisional control, is not necessarily a given. The Order concluded with the statement that the only speaker of the order continues to be Father General Alessandro Apollonio alone. This is a finding which clearly goes against the false statements of the alleged "speaker" spread by the media.

In the declaration of the order states that the product of Vatican insider "includes defamatory statements against our Founding Father Stefano Maria Manelli, assertions that we must reject. The article also contains false or inaccurate information. "

The Premise for the Decision is "not the truth"

Vatican Insider claimed that the "decision of Pope Bergoglio" was justified by the fact that the "Father General Stefano Manelli has forced all communities of the Franciscans of the Immaculate to exclusively say the extraordinary form of the Roman rite in the liturgy."

In contrast, the official statement of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception says: "This is not true. It is our duty to respond to the best of our knowledge and belief, Father Stefano has never imposed exclusive use of the Old Rite on all communities. "Rather, he celebrates himself in both forms of the Roman rite. It is important to know that the official explanation that, before, during and after the Apostolic Visitation (July 2012-July 2013) as well as today, that the Old Mass was used following a promotion by the Father General with the General Council was "completely legitimate" and advanced "the Vetus Ordo in Respect to the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum (2007), in respect of the decisions of our General Chapter of 2008 and in respect of the instruction Universae Ecclesiae (2011)".

By letter dated 21 November 2011 (Protocol 77/2011) was transmitted by the Secretary-General on behalf of the General Council to all branches of the order some guidelines for use of Vetus Ordo (no rules, therefore they represented also no compulsion).

"Even after that some communities have preferred to continue the New Rite instead of the Old Rite. There was apparently therefore no compulsion exerted by Father Manelli. "Some brothers have, however, criticized the letter," said the order in its statement. "Some brothers" apparently already felt the possibility of celebration of the Old Rite went too far and were intriguing against Rome.

Ecclesia Dei Confirmed the Internal Promotion of the Old Mass in Accordance with Benedict XVI.

In the official statement of the order it said, "For this reason we have asked the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei for clarification, in the letter of 14 April 2012, Prot 39/2911L, the compliance of the letter Prot 77/2011 with the "mens" of the Holy Father Benedict XVI. was confirmed in the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae, No. 8."

The anonymous article from Vatican Insider also claimed that the Old Rite could be used only for orders and communities who have been in the "Lefebvrian schism", but were then returned to communion with Rome and placed under the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.

"In reality, it is necessary to clarify that according Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum (No. 3) and the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae (No. 8a) the Vetus Ordo may be exclusive or 'primarily' may be used by religious institutions that are not of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, and not dependent on coming from the Lefebvrian 'schism'". Besides that, it was never intended to come to an exclusive use by our founder," said the order in its statement.

It was argued further by the article in Vatican Insider: "The Franciscans of the Immaculate, however, are created after the Council and a survey of the brothers has shown that the majority of them wants the celebration in the ordinary rite."

The order took exception here as well: "The fact that we weren't created until after the Council, does not prohibit us of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, to accept the Old Rite or favor. Incidentally, the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum applies (which was published after the Council) and the Institutes of Consecrated Life (without reference to their date) and also the instruction Universae Ecclesiae specifies that it is that goal 'of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum at No. 8, all the faithful the Roman Liturgy in usus antiquior offer because it is a valuable treasure that must be preserved."

Among 'all believers' is included also the religious."

There was never any "poll" for New Mass - assertion "unfounded"

Regarding the claim of the "survey" and an alleged "majority" of the brothers for the New Rite, (in explanation of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception is also expressly mentioned by Speciale in the article from July 30th mentioned by Vatican Insider), according to the official statement of the order, there had been "no survey". "Therefore, the allegations of surveys by an alleged desire of a majority of the brothers is without foundation." Since the order was always bi-ritual, every priest of the order would "continue" to celebrate the New Rite, "as he has always done before." Without further explicitly addressing it, the order firmly asserts execute that there is no justification for the intervention of Rome against the Old Mass.". Regardless of our obedience to the instructions of the Holy See, it is our duty to provide clarity to avoid slander against our founder and hurdles for a peaceful course of the provisional administration."

Tornielli has set out with a hoax - Franciscans react immediately with the second explanation.


In the Declaration, the Congregation for Religious, stressed that their current term Decree was expressly brought by the approval of Pope Francis.

In defense of Vatican Insider it is to add that the first official clarification by the order was issued in full on Sunday.


The Congregation for Religious does not seem to have been concerned about the impact the decree has made decree on pastoral care.

Not only internal to the order, especially for the sister monasteries, but also for the numerous Mass locations in the Old Rite, which are managed by the order. Countless believers are deprived of the Old Mass on the 11th of August, to which they had been long accustomed. The resulting logistical problems and spiritual nature of these believers has not been addressed at all by the Congregation of Religious. Not a word of regret or of encouragement. If it goes against the tradition of the progressive parts of the Roman Curia, and so they behave like a bull in a china shop, and this against a worthy and entirely correctly celebrated liturgy and made the believers to orphans.

A small reconnaissance trip through the parishes in which members of the disobedient priest initiatives in the German speaking involved would suffice to create an abuse register that cries out for intervention. There is enough action. One does not have to look elsewhere for it.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Franciscans of the Immaculate
Trams: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMGD

Feast Days For the Franciscans of the Immaculate in the Immemorial Mass of All Ages -- 12 New Novices, 16 Temporary Vows

(Rome) The last two days were hard days for the Franciscans of the Immaculate. On Thursday at the Pilgrimage sight of Mary of Good Counsel 12 new novices were vested in Frigento. The sanctuary is cared for by the Franciscans of the Immaculate.

Yesterday, Friday, 16 Franciscans made first vows. On both days, the Holy Mass was celebrated solemnly in the Traditional Rite, as has been usual internally for the order for several years. Till the 11th of August it is still possible.

The celebrant was the General of the Order, Father Gabriele Maria Pellettieri, who founded the order together with Father Stefano Maria Manelli. Father General Manelli conducted the investiture of postulants and the temporary vows of the novices.

There were still two large solemn occasions for the vibrant order before the Decree of the Congregation of Religious enters into force. The two liturgies reminiscent of past times, as now so rarely can orders absorb new members in such numbers today in Europe. They testify to the vitality of the Catholic Church, despite the rampant secularization of the world. Before the Order moved to the Old Rite upon the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum , the number of novices was lower and they even came mainly from the Philippines, where the Order began its early work. On Thursday and Friday it was noticed that the new entrants seem to all come from Europe.

Father Stefano Maria Manelli spoke with the greatest inner peace of mind to the nuns and novices. His remarks focused on the holiness of life as a nun. Nothing pointed to the dramatic intervention in the religious life of the order by the Congregation of Religious.

While the Minister General, deposed by Rome, placed wreaths on the Novices for their profession, the sister choir sang the Veni, sponsa Christi, quam tibi Dominus accipe coronam preparavit in aeternum .

Requests for permission to be allowed to celebrate in the future in the Old Rite have to be judged for each individual priest and each community separately says the Apostolic Commissioner. Whether these can be addressed directly above or have the permission of Rome (which location?) must obtain, is unclear. There are, nevertheless, that a large part of the Order that still wants, despite these rules, to continue the Old Rite hold and to make such requests.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
 Image: Franciscans of the Immaculate
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMGD