Why I carry on going to Rome…

            

                 Fr. de Nantes claimed: “A bishop, … a colleague of the bishop of Rome,…. must break communion with him for as long as he gives no indication of faithfully carrying out the responsibilities of his supreme pontificate.”  Archbishop Lefebvre replied: Let us be clear that if a bishop breaks with Rome, it will not be me! "  is breaking with the pope not breaking with Rome? But George de Nantes continued his attacks in which he blamed Archbishop Lefebvre for trying to save the Church by founding a parallel Church, a “stand-in Church”.   Not so, explained Archbishop Lefebvre, rather these were supplemental institutions “and I hope that one day all our seminarians can be placed back in the hands of the Holy Father.    It is our deepest wish to enter into perfect communion with him, but in the unity of the Catholic Faith and not in liberal ecumenism.”  In the meanwhile, said the Archbishop, “I want to preserve an atmosphere that will make relations easy; I can never be accused of being insolent towards the Holy Father.  How must we act with regard to the people in those positions? Should we carry on our resistance by locking ourselves away in an ivory tower? Or should we try to win over the Roman authorities?  I have decided not to break off dialogue with Rome.”

As in his letter to Friends and Benefactors No. 16, the Archbishop observed; “Some pamphlets written against me are doing the rounds.  I am a traitor and a Pilate because I discuss with Rome and say to the Pope “let us follow tradition”.  And to his seminarians, he retorted; “I do not think I have yet delivered you up;  The only aim of my approaches to Rome is to attempt to break down this iron curtain which hems us in and to ensure that thousands of souls are saved through having the grace of the true Mass, the true sacraments, the true catechism, and the true Bible.  That is why I go to Rome and why I do not hesitate to go every time they ask me”.  “If possible we mist try to convert the liberals. “If only we were tolerated that would be progress; lots of priest would come back to the Mass, and lots of faithful would rejoin Tradition …This is why I cannot allow individuals in the Society to refuse to pray for the Holy Father or to refuse to recognise that there is a pope: taking that road would lead to an impasse.  I don’t want to lead you into an impasse or put you in an impossible situation”.

Mar      Marcel Lefebvre by Bernard Tissier de Mallerais page 506.507

Mar                  

……Fr.