Open Letter to Confused Catholics

by Marcel Lefebvre

A popular study of the crisis in the Church written for all to understand. Covers the Mass, Sacraments, Priesthood, the New Catechisms, Ecumenism, etc., and demonstrates the new spirit in the Church which has caused doubt and confusion among the faithful. Has served as a beacon for thousands; certain to become a classic.

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Christianity, Theology, History, Nonfiction, Audiobook

163 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Marcel François Marie Joseph Lefebvre (29 November 1905 – 25 March 1991) was a French Roman Catholic archbishop. Following a career as an Apostolic Delegate for West Africa and Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers, he took the lead in opposing certain changes within the Church associated with the Second Vatican Council.

In 1970, Lefebvre founded the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX). In 1988, after he consecrated four bishops to continue his work with the SSPX against the expressed prohibition of Pope John Paul II, the Holy See immediately declared that he and the other bishops who had participated in the ceremony had incurred automatic excommunication under Catholic canon law. In 2009, 18 years after Lefebvre's death, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication of the four surviving bishops.

There is more than one author with this name

Reviews

[Justinian the Great · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s a link to read it on a webpage: http://www.sspxasia.com/Documents/Arc...

[Jesse De Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing book. I highly recommend it, especially to those who have bought into all the lies and misinformation leveled against Archbishop Lefebvre and the SSPX. Cuts to the heart of the cause of the current crisis in the Church.

[J.]

To be fair I consider myself as a Diocesan Catholic, what some might call a Conciliar Traditionalist who is not afraid to call himself a Sympathizer for the SSPX, yet despite the title this is what my review for this book is.

I loved reading, indeed the content of the book stays true to the title given. The Archbishop certainly picks apart the Modernism heretics and their agenda and makes the lines clearer where those lines are to be drawn in the Church both at his time and in our time today.

Reading this book despite the stereotypical "pessimism of Traditionalists" actually did not fill me with despair which would turn me into a grump, but rather having been able to differentiate the Faith from the error gives me hope to know what more specifically I ought to be fighting for and only renews my vigor to fight accordingly.

Perhaps in his time, there was a need to fight from the "outside" but in our day, there is no reason why one cannot fight the good fight from "within" to reclaim and restore what was lost. Rather than feeling defeated, I feel only more encouraged to fight within the Church to push out the errors, there are good prelates within the Church today, as there is corrupt ones, what this book makes clear is that The Fight is not Over and is still Ongoing.

God is Good, and He will have His Day, but this is indeed a Labor of Love for God and for the sake of Our Neighbors, especially those who are already believers who ought to know what real Catholicism is about, something this book I believe can help us clarify. Rather than being a devisive scrouge, Abp. Marcel Lefebvre is a gem in a time of scandal, I had already believed that the Archbishop is akin to Saint Athanasius but this book solidified my opinion.

This book rather than encouraging me to run off into the SSPX, in fact encouraged me to continue the Fight from Within and made me more aware of figures and thoughts that I ought to be more mindful and sensitive to before I go off embracing. I recommend this book to Catholics, those who love their Faith, and those who want to know more about their Faith as well.

[LittleFlowerEnjoyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Anyone who is on the fence about the SSPX should read this. Archbishop Lefebvre's image has been completely slandered in the Church since his illicit "excommunication" in 1988. The most notable thing about Archbishop Lefebvre is how unoriginal he is when speaking about Church Tradition. He adheres so closely to Catholic orthodoxy that the only thing controversial about his viewpoint is how honest he is about the current state of the post-Conciliar Church.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will write a real review soon but it was a good book. It's sad that it had to be written, but it is what is.

Update ---------------------------------------------------

An Open Letter to Confused Catholics was written by Archbishop Lefebvre, the founder of SSPX, in 1968. Whether you like or dislike the SSPX, it would behoove people to read this book if you wonder why churches are nearly empty and most of your family have fallen from the faith.

It is primarily a defense against Modernism which has been around for over 100 years and yet some of his statements are eerily prescient...

In Mexico the ordinary people drove from the churches the reforming clergy who, won over by the so-called liberation theology, wanted to throw out the statues of the saints. "It’s not the statues who are going, it’s you." Political circumstances have prevented us from opening a priory in Mexico; so faithful priests travel out from a center at El Paso near the frontier in the United States. The descendants of the Cristeros welcome them warmly and offer them their churches. I have administered 2500 confirmations there at the request of the people.

On the subject, authority is contested at its very source by those who declare, "Parents are not the owners of their children," by which they mean that their education reverts to the State with its schools, its day nurseries and its kindergarten schools. They reproach parents with failing to respect the "freedom of conscience" of their children when they bring them up in accordance with their own religious convictions.

The frequent and necessary concessions made to the spirit of the world did not produce the expected results. Nobody any longer wanted to be a priest of the new religion and the faithful turned away from their religious practice. The Church which tried to become a Church of the poor became a poor Church, obliged to resort to advertising to collect Peter’s Pence [the Pope's charitable organization]

The book gives you much to think about.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by what many would have considered a dissident Catholic, Lefebvre's Open Letter is addressed to all the faithful as a warning. Detailing the nefarious motivations and actions revealed by many behind the Second Vatican Council in the late 1960s, and going on to demonstrate the devastating (and, to him, intentional) consequences upon both the clergy and laity of the Catholic people worldwide, it is hard not to feel anxious if one is inclined to take this man seriously, rather than dismiss him as a conservative rabble-rouser that just refuses to change with the times.

Vatican II is a complicated issue and one cannot really say no good council or intention went into it. But without a doubt, its many negative effects do still reverberate throughout the Church, such as priests no longer administering properly - or in some cases even believing in - the Holy Sacraments; the casualization of the Mass and Eucharist as merely communal get-togethers where the Sacred Host is treated just like any random piece of bread; the insidious rejection of doctrine in place of world-pleasing alignments with progressive social policies ... all of this resulting in a loss of many churchgoers who need less ambiguity if they are to hold onto their beliefs, a devastating lack of vocations to the priesthood, and a terrible decline in those who say they even believe in God and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

[James Boardman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a "must read" for any Catholic interested in the Traditional Catholic Mass and/or the Society of Saint Puis X. Bishop LeFebvre carefully and thoughtfully explains why it is essential to return to the traditional Mass, and how the Vatican has gone "off the rails" since Vatican II.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think a solid case can be made that without Msgr. Lefebvre and the SSPX, Summorum Pontificum wouldn't have happened. This man and the little society he founded (with the blessing of the Church) have made great waves that will last for many years to come. I am still on the fence about the society's status as officially schismatic or officially "irregular," but nothing in Lefebvre's book here is controversial for a well catechized orthodox Catholic. He simply connects the obvious dots between modernism and our current ecclesial difficulties. Anyway, it is worth a read if only for awareness of an important group in the Church today.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Archbishop Lefebvre gives a very thorough explanation of what is going on in the Church today, simply by pointing out the actions of those in charge of the Church and comparing these actions with the perennial teachings of the Catholic Faith. This book makes it clear that the Archbishop had no choice but to "rebel" (so called) in order to remain true the the Catholic Faith as it has been followed and practiced for the last two thousand years.

[Noah Calcagno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome summary of the crisis in the Church which finishes with reasons for hope and how individual families can turn the tide.

[TJ Jakubowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

His explanation on ecumenism is really great. His discourse on religious freedom is misguided. Although he offers many examples of terrible occurrences regarding formation, practice, and teaching, it’s a little unclear to me where or who exactly he thinks the problem is; it’s instead rather nebulous. It reads like a rant and lacks nuance throughout - especially disappointing when one considers that the topics discussed are so deep and weighty. Simplicity does not always equate to clarity and true understanding.

[Clare Spelick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Archbishop's letter is full of easy to read and understand explanations for the "SSPX problem." It is a deceivingly quick read as Abp. Lefebvre is an excellent writer, keeping the reader engaged while delving deeply into serious and complicated matters. I never felt bored while reading this, though it, by all means, could have been a dry read. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the matter, making it very easy to find a stopping point at the end of a reading session (something I quite like in a theologically minded work).

[Ce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read or listening in audio for any Catholic. The sad part is that was is told here by Monsignor is actually a continious reality that has resulted in an awful revolution inside the Catholic Church. Not much has changed, except that now I have discovered the SSPX and feel a bit relieved even if they are not in my country. Every trip now is all about Mass and Sacraments. Tourst days are over. Saving my soul is a priority and God may bless Monsignor for that pristly order.

[Ľudovít Ján Čalfa · Rating 5 out of 5]

„STOJÍ ZA MNOU CELÁ TRADÍCIA CIRKVI“ - BISKUP, KTORÝ ZACHOVAL SVÄTU OMŠU

V čom je problém pokoncilovej Cirkvi
Hádam každý katolík, ktorý aspoň trošku vníma chaotické dianie v Cirkvi posledných šesťdesiatich rokov, už počul o francúzskom arcibiskupovi Marcelovi Lefebrvem. Vo väčšine prípadov však odhadujem, že sa meno tohto statočného obrancu nemennej katolíckej viery skloňuje v negatívnom kontexte.

„Heretik, schizmatik“, okázalo sa ešte stále vynášajú na adresu zosnulého monsignora rozsudky podobného typu. Koľko týchto rezolútnych hodnotiacich si však skutočne prečítalo jeho najznámejší opus – „Otvorený list zmäteným katolíkom“?

V dvadsiatich troch stručných, no obsahovo bohatých kapitolkách vyjadruje bývalý arcibiskup a biskup z Tulle svoje opodstatné rozhorčenie nad stavom pokoncilovej Cirkvi. Obyčajným veriacim, úprimne zmäteným katolíkov, dáva vysvetlenie celej nešťastnej situácie. Plný nádeje a povzbudzujúcich slov, ponúka zároveň aj návod, ako sa v tomto rozbúrenom mori modernistických reforiem udržať: áno, doslova sa držať Petrovej bárky, svätej a neomylnej Cirkvi rímsko-katolíckej.

Obnoviť Cirkev znamená udržiavať Tradíciu
Celé dielo som si prvýkrát vypočul v angličtine ako audioknihu. Následne som siahol aj po slovenskom preklade. S radostným srdcom poviem, že ma arcibiskupov list a jeho ohnivý zápal pre skutočnú obnovu Cirkvi v zmysle odmietnutia zhubného nádoru modernizmu a obrany Tradície, mimoriadne nadchol. Povzbudil ma k vytrvaniu v skutočne čestnom, no odvážnom tradičnom katolíckom živote.

Pozor, nie je to len nejaké nováčikovské nadšenie z krásy tradičnej liturgie. Po niekoľkých rokov formácie okolo tridentskej liturgie ma tak Lefebrvove slová len utvrdili v tom, že tento krásny boj má zmysel – že skutočne obnovovať Cirkev znamená aktívnym životom vo viere udržiavať Tradíciu Kristovho svätého náboženstva.

Mons. Lefebrve tento list publikoval v roku 1984. Odvtedy ubehlo už štyridsať rokov a je jasné, že sa za tie dekády „doba zmenila“. No aj napriek tomu, príklady praktického zlyhania deštruktívnych koncilových reforiem (ktoré už vtedy boli dosť desivé) iba nabrali na intenzite. Alebo sa skôr, ešte o to horšie, normalizovali.

Ak niečo, okrem silného povzbudenia, som sa naučil, ako odpovedať na možné námietky proti vernosti tradičnej katolíckej viere, ktoré sa objavujú pomerne často a treba ich s láskou objasniť.

Zbožný človek, no diplomatický Francúz
Nebudem sa ani tak vyjadrovať k „silným a slabým“ stránkam listu. Beriem to ako nadovšetko úprimné a láskavé vyznanie múdreho a zbožného biskupa, ktorý sa nebál byť poslušný Cirkvi, ktorú poznal od detstva, hlavne keď ju začalo ohrozovať nové, cudzie, revolučné náboženstvo.

Nič však perfektné nie je a aj tu sa dá, ak chceme, vytknúť akýsi diplomatický a miestami kompromisný duch a prístup k vatikánskej politike. Niekedy je to Jeho Svätosť Ján Pavol II., na inok mieste už iba pápež Ján Pavol II. Iste nebolo ľahké v tom čase nejako rozumne korčuľovať na tomto klzkom ľade krízy, ktorá prišla bez akéhokoľvek historického precedensu. Každopádne, aj napriek občasnému váhaniu a zdanlivého „obmieňania strán“, som názoru, že Msgr. Lefebrvemu išlo práve o obranu Cirkvi, zachovanie tradičných sviatosti a jej učenia a takisto aj odľahčenia svedomia veriacich, ktorí konciliárnu ťarchu reforiem a stigmatizáciu pridržania sa „starého poriadku“ neprežívali ľahko.

„A preto tvrdohlavo trvám na svojom stanovisku, a ak chcete poznať najhlbší dôvod tejto vytrvalosti, tu je. Keď sa ma náš Pán v hodine smrti opýta: „Čo si urobil so svojím biskupským úradom, čo si urobil so svojou biskupskou a kňazskou milosťou?“, nechcem počuť z jeho úst strašné slová: „Ty si spolu s ostatnými prispel k zničeniu Cirkvi.“ (str. 176)

Choď na trident!
Dovoľ mi, drahý čitateľ, v závere tohto chválospevu, ťa pozvať na latinskú svätú omšu v tradičnom rímskom obrade. Vyhľadaj si najbližšie miesto, napr. v nejakom diecéznom kostole alebo kaplnke Kňazského bratstva sv. Pia X a zaži krásu tradičnej svätej omše. Nech nádhera katolíckej liturgie prehovorí sama za seba.

Ako však hovorí cirkevný právnik a kňaz R.D. Stanislav Přibyl: „Nemůžete člověka donutit ke štěstí.“

To nemôžem, ale účasť na tomto šťastí ti úprimne prajem. V hĺbke sa ponor do viery, ktorá formovala všetkých, od kráľov až po tvojich starých rodičov a zažiješ duchovnú obnovu nevýdaných rozmerov.

Pre ďalšie kvalitné čítanie o tradičnej bohoslužbe odporúčam „Katolícku omšu“ od biskupa Athanasia Schneidera.

[Nicholas Ferrucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

With all the stupidity that's happening in the Catholic Church nowadays, I had to read something that makes sense.

This book is way ahead of its time. It is as if it was written recently. Lefebvre is truly an amazing and brave man of God who is not afraid to stand up against modernist thinking while standing firm on tradition. Tradition protects the Truth. I felt this book has more to offer, but I am still inclined to give it a perfect rating.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of information about what the problems in the church have been over the years and how to hold fast to Catholic tradition and not be decieved by modernism in the Church. Archbishop Lefebvre sincerely expresses his concern for the Church. The reason I did not give it 5 stars is because I didn't find it enjoyable to read. Some reads just are not any fun, but this book will help clarify things for anyone who is trying to be a good Catholic.

[Luís de Santa Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for all Catholics.

[Rory Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written as a book, rather than a collection of essays, this has more of a narrative unity and focus than some of Marcel Lefebvre’s other publications. But it is also repetitive of what he says in his other books. Perhaps that is good, as it shows the consistency and single mindedness of the author?

The overall thesis is, of course, that Vatican II was a disastrous event in 1965 which has done more damage to the Catholic Church than any other heretic (Kindle 80%). It unleashed the forces of modernism and liberalism which has twisted and warped the Church’s teaching into theological errors, and liturgical sacrileges.

Some of his examples are pertinent and readers will no doubt be as horrified as he was. How can a family honestly believe that their children were baptised, only to later find out that the ceremony was so defective for one of them, that it is not even valid (Kindle 26%).

Apart from the interesting anecdotes, the actual argumentation of the book was a bit disappointing in places. There are false dichotomies, such as an either/or between the Council of Trent and Vatican II (6%). Then there are unevidenced assumptions. So, in 1965 half the children in Paris were baptised. By 1976 only ¼ were baptised. The author insists that it is because the Church no longer teaches that baptism is forgiving original sin, so people now see no point in baptism (27%). But how does the author know that that is the real reason? Or is it just an assumption which he makes, because it seems plausible to him?

The author also insists that he has “no personal doctrine” (7%) and is just presenting the Catholic faith. But is that really so?

He insists that Tradition is simple and obvious, and he can see for himself that Vatican II overturned Tradition. But the problem arises when we bear in mind that there are elements of ancient Church practices and sayings that have been passed on side by side with Tradition, which cannot be part of a divinely revealed Tradition. Take antisemitism, which can be seen in Church utterances for centuries. Yet it isn’t a formal Church Teaching, ie as part of Tradition. What this shows is that Tradition needs to be interpreted, to avoid mistakenly attributing things to it. Marcel Lefebvre interprets it one way, the post-Vatican II Church interprets it another way. He insists that he has no personal doctrine, and that the rest of the Church has a personal doctrine of Modernism. But perhaps he is also imposing a personal doctrine of his own, insisting on things just because they seem right to his interpretative principles?

Overall this is a perfectly readable account, and its narrative unity makes it a good place for readers to start if they want to become better acquainted with the thought of Marcel Lefebvre. However, it is also a marmite book. Readers will probably love it or loathe it, depending on whether they buy into the perspective which the author writes from.

[Daniel Millard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the public memorandum from the founder of the SSPX to all Catholics, and specifically those who experienced the liturgical and spiritual fallout of the second Vatican Council. Lefebvre is concise, precise, wholly honest, and utterly convicted of the path that he and the fraternity that he founded. Lefebvre provides a short version of his beginnings as a priest with the Holy Ghost Fathers, his involvement with the Vatican II, and events in the Catholic world since.

I primarily wanted to read this for a to-the-point explanation (from Lefebvre's point of view) of the divide between the traditionalist SSPX and the mainline Catholic Church in modern times. From this perspective, I was very satisfied, and encouraged to read another of Lefebvre's works. While he naturally focuses more on events and examples in his home country (France), his story and message hits very close to home for orthodox Catholics throughout the West.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Church Crisis: Real causes and actions

This book is clearly written for all reasonably informed Catholics. As the crisis in the church has deepend, I have searched for answers everywhere and what to do. This book from 1986 could have been written this week. Archbishop Lefebvre delivers clarity and hope.

[Marcus Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great story from the point of view of the controversial Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. In it, you read a man who is saddened to see the revolution in the church. Whether you agree with some of his actions or not, I think it’s of great value to hear his side of the story.

[Simon]

Excellent book to understand what's currently happening in churches. Written by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who himself was the Founder of the FSSPX (Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Pii X).

His struggle to maintain the Latin mass, to maintain tradition. Recommended

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE CONITROVERSIAL ARCHBISHOP WRITES DIRECTLY TO THE FAITHFUL

Marcel François Marie Joseph Lefebvre (1905- 1991) was a French Roman Catholic archbishop who was a strong opponent of the Second Vatican Council, and in 1970 founded the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) to continue “traditionalist” teachings. He was excommunicated in 1988 after consecrating four bishops, despite the prohibition by Pope John Paul II against this. He was not reconciled to the Roman Church prior to his death [although several of the bishops were]. He wrote several books, such as 'I Accuse the Council,' 'The Mass of All Time,' 'They Have Uncrowned Him', 'Spiritual Journey,' 'Against the Heresies,' etc. A full-length biography of him is 'Marcel Lefebvre.'

He wrote in the first chapter of this 1986 book, "Who can deny that Catholics in the latter part of the twentieth century are confused? A glance at what has happened over the past twenty years is enough to convince anyone that this is a relatively recent phenomenon." (Pg. 1) He adds, "We naturally ask, therefore, what has brought on this state of things?... The rapid decline in religious practice comes rather from the new spirit which has been introduced into the Church and which has cast suspicion over all past teachings and life of the Church... The faith was based on certitudes. The certitudes have been overturned and confusion has resulted." (Pg. 2)

He explains, "I must dispel a misunderstanding... I am not the head of a movement, even less the head of a particular church. I am not, as they never stop writing, 'the leader of the traditionalists.' They have come to describe certain persons as 'Lefebvrists,' as though it was a case of a party of a school. This is an abuse of language." (Pg. 7)

He states, "Certainly people come away tired from a Mass which strives to bring itself down to the level of mankind instead of raising them up to God." (Pg. 17) He argues, "If the Mass is a meal, I understand the priest turning towards the congregation. One does not provide a meal with one's back to the guests. But a sacrifice is offered to God, not to the congregation...The Mass is not a narrative, it is an ACTION." (Pg. 23)

He asserts (perhaps somewhat surprisingly), "The doctrine of the Church also recognizes implicit---baptism of desire. This consists in doing the will of God. God knows all men and He knows that amongst Protestants, Muslims, Buddhists and in the whole of humanity there are men of good will. They receive the grace of baptism without knowing it... In this way they become part of the Church. The error consists in thinking that they are saved by their religion. They are saved in their religion but not by it. There is no Buddhist church in heaven, no Protestant church." (Pg. 74)

He observes, "It was Cardinal Suenens who exclaimed, 'Vatican II is the French Revolution in the Church.' ... It is through the influence of this liberal Catholicism that the Revolution has been introduced under the guise of pacifism and universal brotherhood. The errors and false principles of modern man have penetrated the Church and contaminated the clergy thanks to liberal popes themselves, and under cover of Vatican II." (Pg. 100-101)

Of the Popes from Pius VI to Pius XII, he says, "All these Popes have resisted the union of the Church with the revolution; it is an adulterous union and from such a union only b___ds can come. The rite of the new mass is a b____ized rite, the sacraments are b____ized sacraments." (Pg. 111)

He states, "Blind obedience is not Catholic; nobody is exempt from responsibility for having obeyed man rather than God if he accepts orders from a higher authority, even the Pope, when those are contrary to the Will of God as it is known with certainty from Tradition." (Pg. 148)

But he adds, "The reasoning of those who deny that we have a Pope puts the Church in an inextricable position. The visibility of the Church is too necessary for its existence for it to be possible that God would allow it to disappear for decades. Who would be able to tell us where the future Pope is? How can he be elected if there are no more Cardinals? We detect a schismatic spirit behind these reasonings, and our Society utterly refuses to follow them. While rejecting Paul VI's liberalism, we wish to remain attached to Rome and the successor of St. Peter out of fidelity to his predecessors." (Pg. 150)

He notes in conclusion, "It has been said that after me, my work will disappear because there will be no bishop to replace me. I am certain of the contrary; I have no worries on that account. I may die tomorrow, but the good Lord answers all problems. Enough bishops will be found in the world to ordain our seminarians: this I know." (Pg. 162)

This is one of Lefebvre's more "accessible" writings, and is an excellent summation of his positions.

[Christian Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst I understand people may not agree with the stance of the SSPX, having read this book, it makes more sense how they came about.

In this book, Archbishop Lefebvre lays out what happened in the run up to the council, the council, and what ensued after. He comments on these events as someone who was there, and who clearly turned up on day 1 of Vatican II and clearly didn't expect such things to occur, however he identifies the beginnings of these problems not with the council itself, but all the way back to the French revolution: "If we look carefully, it is by means of its slogan that the Revolution has penetrated the Church. 'Liberty' - this is the religious liberty we spoke of earlier, which confers rights on error. 'Equality' - collegiality and the destruction of personal authority, the authority of God, of the pope, of the bishops; in a word, majority rule. Finally, 'Fraternity' is represented by ecumenism." p.88

However he also notes how the spirit of communism has entered the Church: "Communism, the most monstrous error ever to emerge from the mind of Satan, has official access to the Vatican" p.94 which he explains in great detail how it entered into the Church through the spirit of Vatican II as well as the building of these sentiments within the Church through the 20s and 30s building up to the 60s.

His explanations of the crises in the Church cover all different topics, from the disintegration of the family, to the collapse of culture and civilisation (if only he could see 2024), and how we now put all hope in secular governments instead of God, which seldom leads to an answer: "This Christian order is quite different also rom those liberal systems based on the separation of Church and State, whose powerlessness to overcome crises becomes increasingly obvious." p.133.

The emphasis he places on 'truth' seems almost comical as we are now acclaimed to be living in a 'post-truth' society, where one's own truth can conquer reason and logic - "This is why the Church, by accepting the status of common law in civil society, runs the risk of becoming merely one sect among others. She even runs the risk of disappearing, since it is obvious that truth cannot concede rights to error without denying itself."p.73

The book was written in the 1980s and still holds up today as liturgical abuses and the degradation of the Church in the world (and from within the Church) continue. The problems may seem less so forty years later; I would perhaps argue this is because the damage has been done. It's hard to have lots of liturgical abuse when many Church have closed, vocations dried up, and God knows how many souls lost.

Archbishop Lefebvre gives some practical points at the end of the book about how to stay on course whilst trying to navigate these waters: pray daily rosary, receive the traditional sacraments, read a solid catechism like Trent or Baltimore (or penny) etc. These things may seem normal to a traditionalist, however many in the Church might argue that they had never heard of these things before, or never knew basic prayers or doctrines of the Church - I was once of them.

"All these Popes [Leo XIII, Pius X, XI, XII (pre-council popes)] have resisted union of the Church with the Revolution; it is an adulterous union and from such a union only bastards can come. The rite of the new mass is a bastard rite, the sacraments are bastard sacraments. We no longer know if they are sacraments which give grace or do not give it. The priests coming out of the seminaries are bastard priests, who do not know what they are. They are unaware that they are made to go up to the altar, to offer the sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ and to give Jesus Christ to souls.
In the name of the Revolution, priests have been sent to the scaffold... and yet what the revolution did is nothing compared to the doings of Vatican II, because it would have been better for those twenty or thirty thousand priests who have abandoned their priesthood and the vows made before God, to have been martyred and sent to the scaffold. They would at least have saved their souls, whereas now they risk losing them." p. 98 (whilst this seems quite a fiery quote, please read the context around it, which is why I give the page numbers and reading the book.)

[Filipe Araujo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apreciei muito a leitura do livro. Reconheço a complexidade de definir a direção que a Igreja deve tomar, e muito particularmente o formato da Santa Missa, onde as diferenças de perspetiva se agudizam. No fundo, o problema é o de conciliar a visão de, desejavelmente, toda a humanidade, dentro duma única instituição de uma forma minimamente coerente.

Dito isto, fiquei convencido de que o Concílio Vaticano II (CV II), onde se abriu caminho para o novo formato da Santa Missa, foi desviado duma forma fraudulenta por uma minoria previamente preparada para o fazer e que parece ter aproveitado alguma ingenuidade das lideranças temporais da Igreja. Os maus resultados, que todos podemos ver, demonstram que essas pessoas, que sequestraram o CV II, à revelia de regras previamente estabelecidas, não eram árvore que desse bom fruto e mergulharam a Igreja num inverno profundo, pelo menos na Europa (e não só). Naturalmente que isso só foi possível na medida em que muito do clero e dos fiéis haviam, no fundo, abraçado uma perspetiva liberal (e outras) da realidade, tendo abandonado a verdadeira fé católica, ou tendo-a deixado para segundo plano. Isto é indesmentível, bastará ouvir as homilias em muitíssimas das nossas igrejas.

Curiosamente, o liberalismo vive dos restos do catolicismo, é vazio, não tendo em si mesmo nada que o sustente, para além de uns quantos objetivos materiais de bem estar, sendo isso ainda mais visível hoje do que em 1984, quando foi escrito o livro. Sem Cristo não há caminho! ("Eu sou o caminho, a verdade e a vida"). Muito mais haveria para dizer, razão pela qual me parece importante ler o livro, que discute também a questão muito sensível da obediência à hierarquia.

Achei a conclusão muito interessante: não há católicos tradicionalistas, isso é uma redundância, na medida em que a Igreja é, desde logo, tradição.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though not likely to clear one’s confusion, this book will at least give a greater idea of why it is confusing to be a Catholic in these times, and shows that this is not unintentional. There are enemies of the Church and the Gospel who, rather than leaving the Church, wish to stay within and transform Christ’s Church into an institution and a religion to match their utopian modernist fantasies. Lefebvre’s schism was not totally an effort on his part; it was a sort of coordinated effort achieved by his actions and the actions of revolutionaries in the Church who wanted him to go into schism because they wanted the traditional Mass and the preconciliar magisterium associated with a rogue schismatic group in the imaginations of the ordinary Catholic faithful. In large part, that was a successful strategy. It wasn’t until Benedict XVI clarified that what the Church once considered good and holy cannot suddenly be treated as if it were dangerous or forbidden that more ordinary lay Catholics began to look again at the treasures of the Church the previous generation threw in the trash. Thankfully, many of the issues Lefebvre raises have been or are starting to be resolved, but there is a lot of work ahead still. I am grateful at least to Archbishop Lefebvre, without whom we might not have access to the traditional Mass and Sacraments today.

[Hugo Gomez · Rating 3 out of 5]

An important historical document, since it was a portent to the current issue of sedevacantism in the Church today. Many of the complaints against Pope Francis being exactly the same as those Lefebvre took against John Paul II. I can sympathize heavily with him with so many of his complaints about culture. They were and still are dead on today. He goes too far in other ways and his excommunication was truly justified but remains an absolutely tragic event. This problem of 'traditionalist' extremism is prevailing and every apologetic should read it to know it with unclouded criticism and to hear his own words, so much echoed in our day by those who do not even realize they are repeating this senseless mistake and division. Marcel Lefebvre's greatest mistake was not his abusive words and doubt in the validity of the Papacy and the sacred anointing and rites of the clergy. No. It was his abandoning the Ship during the storm. It was dropping the lifeboats and thinking that the ship was already sunk.

[Sam Doucette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prophetic Work for Our Own Times

This book is even more timely today than when it was written almost 35 years ago. After two pontificates of relative clarity and much-needed course corrections to reign in the errors of Vatican II, along comes Pope Francis, who is even more committed to the theologically liberal and politically Marxist errors which flourished during the immediate aftermath of Vatican II.

Archbishop Lefebvre lived through, diagnosed the errors, and clung to the perennial Magisterium, Tradition, and Mass which formed generations of saintly Catholics prior to 1962. His book also portrays in enough detail how the originally orthodox schema (drafts) of conciliar documents were rejected and replaced by liberal documents, leading to the hijacking of this Council.

As I read this book, I found myself repeatedly thinking, "What he said of Z could even more apply today" and "I pray that Lefebvre will one day not only be vindicated but canonized when truth and sanity return".

May that day be soon!

[Silvio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wie gut muss es sich angefühlt haben, diese Worte und Analysen aus dem Munde eines Erzbischofs zu hören oder zu lesen, nach 20 Jahren der Verwirrung durch das Zweite Vatikanische Konzils. Heute sind die Worte schon noch immer sehr treffend, aber damals muss die Verwirrung noch größer gewesen sein. Heute hat man sich schon an den Modernismus in der Kirche „gewöhnt“, da er eigentlich überall der Normalzustand ist. Die Probleme, die Msgr. Lefebvre jedoch Mitte der 1980er Jahre beschrieben hat, sind auch heute noch dieselben Probleme, die wir haben (das Ausmaß ist zwar größer geworden, aber die Ideen sind noch immer gleich). Allerdings ist es heute sicher so, dass die meisten Katholiken in der Amtskirche keine Erinnerung mehr an die Zeit vor dem Konzil haben, so dass die Zukunftsaussichten noch viel pessimistischer sind.

[Maximiliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dropped not because I didn't like but because I ended giving my book to other people. I bought it twice, and I give it as a gift twice.


If you are a Catholic who is struggling to understand why the priests, nuns and religious people take wide liberties regarding customs and rituals, this book will answer your questions.

At the beginning, you will be enraged, but later you will realize there are countless people who don't know this simply because they weren't taught those teachings. After the second Vatican concilium, several topics stopped to being taught. The only way you can tell about these old teachings is through charity, if you start to judge or to talk strong against the new teachings, you will only get the people to stay away even further from Christ.