Card. Ratzinger called Marcel Lefebvre ‘the most important bishop of the 20th century’

On reflection, this is not an exaggeration.  I’m trying to come up with another. Maybe not even Fulton Sheen.

From 2021, but who cares?

The whole thing is at LifeSite:

VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — In the summer of 2003, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, reportedly told two priests in a private audience that he considered Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the founder of the priestly Society of St. Pius X, to be “the most important bishop of the 20th century with regard to the universal Church.”

LifeSiteNews was able to obtain a written recollection of these words by the German cardinal from one of the two priests present at that 30 minute long meeting in the Palazzo di San Uffizio.

In this conversation, Cardinal Ratzinger apparently honored Archbishop Lefebvre for his work for the Church and admitted that “from my current point of view, I have to agree with Archbishop Lefebvre in retrospect about having his own bishops.”

The entire recollection of Cardinal Ratzinger’s remarks reads, as follows:

1) “It is hard to see what the Church owes to Archbishop Lefebvre, not just for his
‘African period,’ but also later for the Church as a whole. … I consider him to be the most important bishop of the 20th century with regard to the universal Church.”

2. “Had the French episcopate at that time shown even a little more
Christian charity and fraternity towards Archbishop Lefebvre, things might have taken a different course…”

3) “From my current point of view, I have to agree with Archbishop Lefebvre in retrospect about having his own bishops. Today after the experience of ’15 years of Ecclesia Dei’, it is clear that such a work as that of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X cannot simply be handed over to the diocesan bishops.”

In 1988, Archbishop Lefebvre had consecrated four bishops without the approval of Rome. He had tried to work with the Vatican and receive their approval, but the obstacles seemed so high, he decided to go the way of disobedience. Among the grave reasons why Archbishop Lefebvre saw the need to consecrate his own bishops to continue his work for Tradition in the Church was his own growing age and, at the same time, the ecumenical 1986 Prayer Meeting in Assisi, at which a Buddha statue was placed on an altar in the presence of Pope John Paul II.

That Ratzinger said Lefebvre was the “most important bishop of the 20th century” is corroborated to some extent by what Bishop Schneider once told Edward Pentin: “Pope Benedict XVI once said about Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre: ‘He was a great bishop of the Catholic Church.’

[…]

There’s more.

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Daily Rome Shot 1402

Welcome registrant:

rosewritescatholic
JWDT

Remember… the TLM has to be crushed.

 

This is from yesterday, but that’s okay.

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HEREWHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

Here is a hard one I found at chess.com (I’m an affiliate).  White to move.   Force mate.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
1. Qe7+ Kxe7 2. c8=N+ Ke8 3. Nd6#

The 2025 Esports World Cup is going on in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. There is a $1.5 million prize fund and $250,000 for first place. Chess players are also part of esports teams that share a $27 million prize fund. Twelve players qualified for the main event via the Champions Chess Tour. Four qualified in the Last Chance Qualifier (24-26 July $50k prize fund).  There were some real fireworks, including the elimination of the unlikeable Hans Niemann by the highly likeable Anish Giri.

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News of the Church 17 – 27 July 2025

It’s 27 July 2025 and it is the 7th Sunday after Pentecost. A couple years ago, I saw a movie called News of the World with Tom Hanks as a former confederate officer, years after the Civil War. He travels from town to and town and reads aloud stories from different newspapers. He scratches out a living as a “gazetteer”. People were starved for news and were often not literate so they paid a dime – 10¢ – a head to listen. That’s about $2.50 in today’s money. [HERE (PayPal)] or HERE (Venmo)] The idea of a periodic gazetteer caught my imagination and here I am.

00:14 Init
00:35 SSPX chapel near the sad Diocese of Charlotte
09:40 About Viaticum
18:39 Wherein Fr. Z rants
20:54 From Concealed Carry Magazine
23:27 Wherein Fr. Z rants again
26:12 What some monks are up to
33:46 NEWS FROM BEYOND!
36:40 Exit

UPDATE:

Thanks for the “dime”!

LJ, MR, JT

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Your Sunday Sermon Notes: 7th Sunday after Pentecost (N.O. 17th Sunday)

Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff.

Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Mass of obligation for the this 7th Sunday after Pentecost?  17th Sunday of Ordinary Time in the Novus Ordo.

Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass.

Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?  I know there is a lot of BAD news.  How about some good news?

A taste of my thoughts from the other place: HERE

[…]

The cultivation image emerges in our Gospel reading from Matthew 7:15-21 wherein Christ Himself is the divine metaphor-mixer.  Our Lord starts by warning against false prophets, wolves in sheep’s clothing. Externally they seem harmless.  In reality they are lethal. He does not say that we shall know them by their words, their theological degrees, their fancy rings and brightly colored sashes, but “ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos … by their fruits you shall know them” (v. 20).  The metaphor of good fruit and bad fruit is found in Old Testament prophecy and wisdom literature, symbolizing the moral and spiritual condition of individuals and nations. For example, in Isaiah 5:1–7, Israel is compared to a vineyard planted by the Lord, expected to yield good grapes but instead producing “wild grapes,” symbolizing injustice and unrighteousness. This failed harvest leads to divine judgment. Similarly, Jeremiah 24 presents a vision of two baskets of figs, one with good figs representing the faithful remnant, and the other with bad figs, signifying the corrupt and unrepentant. Ezekiel 17 uses a parable of a vine transplanted by an eagle, reflecting Israel’s political betrayal and spiritual decay. Throughout, fruit stands for deeds.  Good fruit corresponds to justice, obedience, humility before God, and bad fruit to idolatry, oppression, rebellion. The metaphor thus conveys divine expectations and impending judgment.  Speaking of judgment, the Book of Revelation begins with the Lord of Hosts judging churches for their works. “I know your works” (Rev. 2:2, 2:19, 3:1, etc.).

[…]

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Daily Rome Shot 1401

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HEREWHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

A.I. is helping us to decipher partial, fragmentary ancient Latin inscriptions.  HERE

There’s something perfect about this.

And this…

Look! Down in the mud!

What a surprise. Jesuits all over this thing.

I’ll make it better with this. Too fun.

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Archb. of Detroit fired two distinguished seminary profs. Why? – UPDATED – Canonist Ed Peters also fired!

UPDATE on: Jul 25, 2025 at 18:55

Here’s an interesting tidbit.

From Facebook about one of the social events of the year in Detroit.

Seminarians, priests, benefactors, and friends of Sacred Heart Major Seminary gathered at Huntington Place in downtown Detroit on Thursday, June 12 for the 2025 Archbishop’s Gala.
The Seminary’s biggest fundraiser, this annual event supports the students, staff, and operations at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

UPDATE on: Jul 25, 2025 at 18:39

GOOD FOR HIM!

UPDATE on: Jul 25, 2025 at 17:46

I just learned that the well-known canonist Ed Peters has also been “ecclesiastically euthanized” from his long-held post at Sacred Heart Seminary.

This has a very bad look to it.

I wonder what the bishops who have sent their seminarians to Sacred Heart think about this.

I wonder if any bishops – other than the usual suspects – will consider Sacred Heart, and don’t mean the one at Hales Corners, WI.

I understand that Sacred Heart seminary is a separate legal entity from the Archdiocese and that the Archbp is head of the board.  BUT… if he doesn’t want someone there, they won’t be there, and if he wants to keep them there, it is hard to imagine that they would be let go anyway.

Ralph Martin
Eduardo Echeverria
Ed Peters

… no long listed on the faculty.  HERE

Pour décourager les autres?


Originally Published on: Jul 25, 2025 at 13:16

In two “daily” posts I’ve written about this. HERE and HERE  It deserves its own entry.

Archbishop Edward Weisenburger removed Ralph Martin and Eduardo Echeverria from their positions at Sacred Heart Major Seminary on July 23, both theologians told the National Catholic Register separately.  HERE and HERE

Weisenburger has been giving his all to Detroit for about 5 months, since 18 March.  In record time, by June, he had shut down numerous Traditional Latin Masses.  He has also used raw force to ban ad orientem posture from Novus Ordo liturgies in the archdiocese.  Most competent commentators think that is ultra vires since he is effectively forbidding them to obey the rubrics which, also the for the Novus Ordo, are officially in Latin.  But, hey, he has power and there hasn’t been anyone around who would try to stop him from picking on priests and the faithful in this way.   Now he is having a go at seminarians by removing two highly respected and competent formators.

Ralph Martin has been known for years for his involvement in the charismatic movement.  However, he is quite the solid theologian and he has of late spoken with urgency about problems in the Church and signs of the times.  If you are interested in his most recent video, check this out.  HERE  He talks about two kinds of death (one of them is the in popular concept of “sin”).  He has called out heresy in high places.

Martin in the NCReg:

“When I asked him for an explanation, he said he didn’t think it would be helpful to give any specifics but mentioned something about having concerns about my theological perspectives,” Martin said in a written statement Thursday afternoon.

“This news came as a shock,” Martin said. “I have contributed much to the seminary over more than twenty-three years. I even helped introduce and lead, up until yesterday, our flagship pontifical degree program, the Licentiate of Sacred Theology Degree in the New Evangelization.”

I can recommend a couple books by Martin.

First, A Church in Crisis: Pathways Forward

US HERE

Also, Will Many Be Saved?: What Vatican II Actually Teaches and Its Implications for the New Evangelization

US HERE

Eduardo Echeverria.  He declined to comment because of a non-disclosure agreement.

However, he was a contributor to an important book about “sense of the faithful” (sensus fidelium) a topic which goes to the heart of many moving pieces in the Church today including darling issues for those who are striving to undermine teaching on faith and morals.  If you want lots of “walking together” and approval of sodomy you will appeal to a false version of sensus fidelium.  It is critically important today to know what sensus fidelium is and isn’t.   Hint: in order to have the “sense of the faithful” you have to be faithful.  Right?

However, that will be unpopular with certain people.

Here’s THE BOOK to read on the subject.  It is not easy but it is illuminating.

The Faith Once For All Delivered: Doctrinal Authority in Catholic Theology

This a daring selection of essays by prominent orthodox Catholic scholars published by Emmaus Academic Press.

US HERE – UK HERE

The book includes a Foreword and Introduction written by Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, and an Afterword authored by Robert Cardinal Sarah.

The book was turned down by a couple of major Catholic publishers because of at least one essay/author they were afraid about.

Echeverria’s essay, in the second part of the book, is: “Saint Vincent of Lérins and the Development of Christian Doctrine”.

Again, this is an important book and if you are in it, you will probably be hated by who are striving to undermine teaching on faith and morals

The essays in the first part of this collection seek to answer the question, “What went wrong with Catholic theology since the Second Vatican Council?”

Following a brief account of the movement in modern theology from its philosophical basis in Kant and Hegel to the nouvelle théologie and later progressivist theologies of the twentieth century, the writings of Karl Rahner, Walter Kasper, and Bernhard Häring are treated as representative of principal problematic trends, and the concept of heresy is surveyed as it has been understood in the past and as it operates in the Church today.

The essays in the second part indicate the way forward for Catholic doctrinal and moral theology, examining and distinguishing the orthodox use of the sources of theology of magisterial teachings, the deposit of faith in its development, the sensus fidelium, Sacred Scripture, and Church councils and synods.

Edward Feser’s treatment of the Magisterium is deeply instructive and was challenging to the direction Francis was taking. The same is true of John Rist’s masterful commentary on contemporary heresies. These essays are especially valuable in debunking the current German synodal way and stand as a warning about the seemingly unending drive for synodality (“walking together”).

It will be interesting to see who replaces them.  My money is on recently transitioned Dyna Moore of the Transgendered Daughters of Charity and perhaps Fr. Bruce Hugalot of the Sing A New Faith Community Into Being Faith Community in Libville.

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Daily Rome Shot 1400

I was sent a photo of the new chalice case for my little antique silver chalice in Rome which is kept at The Parish™.  This was a surprise!

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HEREWHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

A priest of the Diocese of Fulda (Germany) has finally had enough of the jackassery of his confreres and bishops.  He issued a letter saying that he no longer wants to be associated with them.  It’s quite something.  HERE

Too bad he didn’t leave any bank accounts with interest…

I think what the Archbishop of Detroit did to Ralph Martin needs to be well known. Have you seen any of Ralph Martins videos?

Well! I never….

Grrrr… I know this church. Something must be done about Eurabia.

White to move and mate in 4.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Hey Fathers!  How about a clerical Guayabera shirt for the hot summer days?  I have one.  Super practical and cooler in more ways than one.  All sorts of lay clothes and hats, too.

Our Price: $70 (there are different kinds)

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Daily Rome Shot 1399 – More blood in Detroit

During this Jubilee in Rome at The Parish™ the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Trinity of the Pilgrimage and Convalescents has reengaged in the work of their founder, St. Philip Neri.  They cannot do all that St. Philip did, such as house pilgrims and care for them in the hospital he built, but they can given spiritual instruction to pilgrims and symbolically wash their feet.

Word is getting around about this.  They’ve been written up and there have been video news.

Recently a large group of young people from “up north” (Lombardy) came to The Parish™ during their jubilee pilgrimage.  They received some information about the history of jubilees and the spiritual significance of what they were doing.  Then members of the Archconfraternity washed their feet.

Here are a few shots.

This practice was for all the members of the Archconfraternity back in the day, including high nobility and even reigning Popes who were members. There was at least one instance in which the Pope washed feet while the Duke of Tuscany held the basin.

Welcome registrant:

GoneFishing

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HEREWHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

And now more really bad news from Detroit.

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ASK FATHER: Can a Pope incur a “latae sententiae” excommunication which is reserved to the Apostolic See? What would happen then?

In a comment under another post, a reader here began to opine about whether a Pope could get himself excommunicated.

There are several questions involved in this and I – a mere dilettante in these matters – cannot be entirely sure about responses. However, I can take a stab at it, hoping that true experts out there might chime in.  (Calling Dr. Peters!… Calling Dr. Peters!)

Even if I get something wrong in my concluding solution, which I will happily admit and rectify is someone can demonstrate where I put my foot wrong, you might still learn something about censures and their effect and their removal…. and who can do it.

The first question involves the fact that the Pope, the Roman Pontiff, is the Church’s Legislator. He is the law giver. St. Thomas Aquinas argues that the sovereign/lawgiver is exempted from the law according to its coercive force, but by his own will he is subject to the law by its directive force. In short, Popes should obey the laws they promulgate. STh, I-II, q.96, a.5, ad 3. However, some think that the Pope is is not bound at all by law. That seems a stretch. Hence, a Pope should obey the laws, but he cannot be coerced by them. If he disobeys laws he commits a moral failure even if, legally, he cannot be coerced by any council, tribunal or judge. He is, however, morally accountable to God and the Church.

Moving on to the next part.

Can a Pope can incur a latae sententiae excommunication which is reserved to the Apostolic See?

A latae sententiae excommunication is a penalty incurred automatically upon committing certain grave offenses, without the need for a formal declaration (can. 1314). Some of these excommunications are reserved to the Apostolic See, meaning only the Pope, or those to whom he has delegated authority (e.g., the Apostolic Penitentiary), can absolve the censure. Examples include desecration of the Eucharist (can. 1367), physical attack on the Roman Pontiff (can. 1370 §1), and absolution of an accomplice in a sin against the sixth commandment (can. 1378 §1). The censure underscore the seriousness of the offenses and the need for papal reconciliation because they strike at the heart of the Church’s identity and their scandal is deep.

What would happen if a Pope, for example, publicly desecrated the Eucharistic species.  This would ordinarily result in a latae sententiae excommunication which is reserved to the Apostolic See.

I here leave aside what is assumed for all excommunications, namely, that the fictional Pope in question is of sound mind, knows what he is doing, knows it is a mortal sin, is not being coerced and… deliberately does it anyway.

Excommunications have consequences.

Someone who has incurred a latae sententiae excommunication which is reserved to the Apostolic See (hereafter LSERAS) loses ministerial and governance faculties (can. 1331 §1).  Hence, such a Pope (he cannot be coerced) morally should seek reconciliation and absolution of the censure.  Until then, he should not function as Pope.  He’s still the Pope, however.  (NB: He does not lose his office due to not having Catholic faith in the Eucharist.  He believes in transubstantiation or he wouldn’t have bothered.)

How does he come to be reconciled?  The LSERAS is reserved to himself and he cannot absolve himself.

The lifting of the censure is reserved to the Roman Pontiff or to one to whom that authority has been delegated.  I leave aside the issue of danger of death.

There may be a solution. That Pope has recourse to the one to whom he previously delegated his authority to absolve LSERAS, namely, the Apostolic Penitentiary.

The Apostolic Penitentiary is one of the three tribunals of the Roman Curia, responsible for matters of the internal forum, especially those concerning the forgiveness of sins, absolution from censures, dispensations, and indulgences. It handles cases reserved to the Holy See, particularly absolution from excommunications reserved to the Pope (LSERAS). It acts with utmost confidentiality and primarily addresses issues involving conscience, including cases where public scandal may result. The Major Penitentiary, usually a cardinal appointed by the Pope, heads the tribunal. Its work ensures the faithful can receive spiritual reconciliation even in the gravest cases.

Moreover, this work of reconciliation is so important that the Apostolic Penitentiary does not lose its mandate upon the death or resignation of a Pope.   Almost all offices of the Roman Curia are automatically vacated when there is Sede Vacante.  NOT the Apoostolic Penitentiary, because the work of reconciliation of souls, being the suprema lex of the Church, must go on and there must be some entity that handles the graver cases even when there is no Pope.

Therefore, I suspect – again, I am not 100% sure about this – that some Pope who committed a delict that would normally incur a LSERAS could make his confession to the Major Penitentiary and then receive from him absolution from the sin and a lifting of the censure.

Once absolved of sin and censure, he could resume exercising ministry and governance.

What the fall out would be is another matter.

Barring recourse to the Major Penitentiary, I suppose the only other solution would be to resign the See of Peter, and THEN have recourse to the Apostolic Penitentiary or to the next Pope.  At that point I suspect that that former-Pope’s successor would dismiss the ex-Pope from the clerical state and assign him to a life of penance, such as … being the new Pope’s personal driver.

Salvo meliore iudicio.

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Daily Rome Shot 1398

Work goes on.

This is from Fr. McTeigue. It is about the Biden Administration and child trafficking.  It involved also NGOs of religious groups.  Get it? Alarming doesn’t begin to describe this.  I need to WARN you that this is so awful, so horrific that no child should be anywhere NEAR where you listen to this.  It is an interview with J.J. Carrell, former Senior Leader for the Border Patrol. I had heard a long time ago that hundreds of thousands of children crossing the border were missing. One would have a suspicion about why. This lifts up the rock.  Again… be advised.  HERE

 

The Tour de France is on. Yesterday the stage went up Mount Ventoux. A couple years back they route went through the vineyard of the monks of Le Barroux who have revived the ancient vineyards of the Avignon Pope’s.

Buy wine from Benedictine monks who use ONLY the traditional Roman Rite.

OPPORTUNITY
10% off with code:
FATHERZ10

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