Traditionis Custodes Criticised for 'Clericalism' in France

The fallout from Pope Francis’s Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes continues to cause trouble for parishes and for the spiritual lives of Traditional Catholics, mostly for those based in Europe.

In the latest disaster, the Traditionalist Community in Grenoble-Vienne in France have released a statement in their increasingly hostile relationship with the authoritarian nature of their episcopate’s imposition of arbitrary and abstract rules against providing adequate pastoral care to those who prefer the Latin Mass.

After public protests in November, the French Traditionalist representative group AFSAN have now escalated their efforts to stop the cruel efforts to crush their masses. A letter addressed to incoming Bishop De Kerimel has outlined this very position, decrying the heavy handedness of those who have imposed harsh measures to the detriment of the spiritual lives of their flock.

Many of these impositions have been imposed out of sheer spite, with the Anglo American blogosphere taunting their European counterparts for their attachment to the liturgy, with one even posting a local parish newsletter and calling for the Vatican to punish his fellow Catholics because they had advertised as to what time the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was available. Another wrote ‘Hopefully he (Pope Francis) imposes more restrictions on the Tridentine Mass’.

The letter from ASFAN contains within it a very interesting tone, something that Traditionalists would be wise to pay attention to. They are not merely begging, they are not desperately demanding that they be taken more seriously, rather it appears as though they are aware that they are in a strong enough position to start negotiating. They are offering their help to the church. Considering the fact that the church has completely collapsed in South America, as highlighted in this week’s Wall Street Journal, the letter from the Traditionalists rightfully warns the bishop that the church hierarchy needs the support of fervent groups of faithful and cannot afford to simply discard them forever. Traditionalists will stay faithful regardless, in five years time the Latin Mass societies around Europe will be in a far stronger position than progressive groups, who are seeing many members grow increasingly elderly, with no youth to replace them.

Cutting Masses with large attendances from 60 to 3 or 4 a month, as has been done in Grenoble, can only be designed to do one thing only, and that is to damage the Mystical Body of Christ. It is a situation that simply cannot last and Traditionalists merely have to stay strong and wait it out.

You can read AFSAN’s full document below:

AFSAN faces a deadlock situation in the diocese of Grenoble-Vienne

While AFSAN met Monsignor de Kerimel in a seemingly cordial interview, the association is obliged to once again express its discontent and sadness in the face of a situation of deadlock with no apparent outcome. Indeed, the bishop of Grenoble-Vienne remains entrenched in a position that he does not justify other than by an argument of authority – an abuse of authority?

"You never make a mistake in obeying." It is to this unequivocal argument that Monsignor de Kerimel returned relentlessly, evading questions, objections and substantive discussions. There is every reason to believe that the bishop has a notion of obedience at the antipodes of what the Church teaches, in manifest coherence with that which he has authority: he who has authority speaks, others must obey without discussion. In the jargon, this is called clericalism. Since the Sauvé report, we unfortunately know better what abuses this kind of positioning has led to.

AFSAN is sure, however, to be in obedience, having read, listened to, worked on the words of the Holy Father, who explained the ins and outs of his Motu proprio. Francis told
the French bishops visiting Rome that he did not want the destruction of all groups using the traditional Mass. He asked them to ensure that the use
of this liturgy was not the screen of an ideology of rejection of the Second Vatican Council. He asked them to be paternal with the other groups that use this liturgy in an ecclesial and peaceful spirit.

Faithful to the magisterium, we are not concerned by the designated ideology and therefore by the Motu Proprio, we do not have to undergo an attitude that is akin to a sanction. As the Pope has said, bishops must be pastors who break out of the rigidity of laws. Wouldn't that be just that, obeying?

"At the judge of what is happening in his diocese, the bishop can apply the status quo." The bishop's own words then resonate as a sentence: to our request for the status quo, accompanied by a proposal for working groups to reflect on better integration in the diocese and bridges with the parish, the bishop replied "there is no question of it". We are therefore not worthy, confined by our bishop to an alleged disobedience and an "incomplete communion with the Church".

Particularly attentive to the place of the laity in the Church, as shown by the Synod on Synodality inaugurated on Sunday, October 10, Pope Francis asks his pastors to be "attentive to
the requests, anxieties and hopes of each Church, of each people and nation"? Isn't Bishop de Kerimel's decision in total inconsistency with these remarks?

Behind a so-called smooth transition, the bishop announces in the coming weeks a decisive decree, which will gradually limit the Mass said according to the missal of John XXIII. Already, priests are constrained in their apostolates: prohibition to baptize adults, to be a scout chaplain, ... Not because we "represent a danger", but because "there is a danger within us". Remove what could be a source of danger, such as spiritual euthanasia... Saint-André, Notre-Dame-de-l'Isle, #Mychurchtoo...

Is it really the priority of a bishop today, to hinder the proper functioning of two full and radiant churches, when there are so many more urgent challenges: lack of priests, empty churches and / or for sale, financial crisis, sexual abuse. Can the Bishop of Grenoble afford in the current context to revive an old internal war, which has already hurt so much, while the situation was precisely peaceful and stable for about ten years, with flourishing apostolates? A petition is circulating to call on Bishop de Kerimel not to revive this liturgical war that has done so much harm.

The association takes note that the inflexible positioning of the bishop leads to a situation of blockage that it deplores. In conscience, it cannot resolve not to
defend a legitimate, authorized, pastorally fruitful position.

His pleas rebuffed out of hand, AFSAN decided to turn to the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lyon, as well as to the President of the Conference of Bishops of France, asking them for a meeting, a return, an active and soothing look.

We reaffirm our desire to be fully integrated into diocesan life and its works, in the preservation of our own charism. We officially request the maintenance of the current functioning of these two communities served by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, not only in the immediate but in the long term.